The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the National Park Service, is recruiting one GIS Technician to support the Buffalo National River. Under the direction of the Biologist, the selected candidate will help park staff with GIS data management, spatial data collection for various projects in the field, and create support documentation to aid park staff in fully utilizing available GIS resources.

Duties Include:

• Data Management: Help with GIS database management, organization, and clean up for both local and cloud storage.
• Field Data Collection: Use high accuracy GNSS equipment and workflows to collect spatial data for various park projects. Examples include hiking trails, survey markers, cultural resources, and natural resource project needs.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)/Support Documentation: Create SOPs, tutorials, and additional support documentation to inform current and future staff on how to use the many GIS resources (both internally and externally developed) available that can aid in park management. Examples include GNSS hardware, data collection apps, ESRI ArcGIS Online resources, internally created/maintained maps and web tools.
• Collaborative Projects: Work with external park partners as needed to aid in data collection and data sharing. Primary example is working with National Geographic staff to update our popular and frequently used Trails Illustrated maps. Tasks for this project would include field data collection for improved accuracy, collecting information on map updates/requests from park staff, and compiling/sending this information to National Geographic staff. 
• Resource Creation: Create maps (digital and hardcopy), digital forms for data collection apps, web maps, and web apps as needed to help staff with managing park resources. These resources will be primarily designed for an ESRI ArcGIS Online environment to allow greater accessibility and sharing ability within and outside the park as needed. 

This position will include a combination of time spent in the office and in the field. Office work will mostly be spent working on GIS data management and creating various kinds of GIS resources for park use including maps, support documentation, and various types of ESRI web apps. Field work will include using survey grade GNSS equipment to collect spatial data for various projects in the park. The field work will likely require moderate to strenuous physical exertion due to the rugged topography of the area for any terrestrial work to be done. Since this is a river park, some field work will also require time spent in and around water. Canoeing is a common mode of travel for projects which can be moderately strenuous and includes the typical potential risks associated with working around water. Environmental hazards for the park include hiking injuries, water-related injuries while floating or being near the river, inclement weather, ticks, chiggers, and snakes.

Contract Timeline:

• 45-week appointment beginning in April 2024, pending availability and completion of DOI Background Investigation
• 40 hrs/week

Location:

Office: The candidate’s office will be at the Buffalo National River headquarters in Harrison, Arkansas. The town is small with a population of about 13,000 people and includes various restaurants, grocery stores (including Walmart), hospitals, and other resources that should cover most needs.
Housing: Provided housing for the candidate will be in Jasper, Arkansas which is about a 30-minute drive from the headquarters. Jasper is a very small town with a population of about 500 people but still includes a few restaurants, city park, and is very close to the Buffalo National River.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Wage: $20/hr.
• Housing: Agency housing provided at no cost to participants. As discussed above, the provided housing is in Jasper, Arkansas. The house is a standard residential style home owned by the Buffalo National River. Electricity and water utilities are covered by the park but there is no internet provided. Internet service is available in the Jasper library if needed. Also, for some or all of the 45-week appointment, the candidate will be sharing the house with one or two people. Each person will have their own private room.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums provided at no cost to participants.

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Geography, GIS, or related discipline, or a combination of relevant education and field experience;
• Strong computational skills in GIS related tasks, including cartography and data management;
• Strong background in the ESRI platform, including ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online resources like web apps, Dashboards, Experience Builder, etc.;
• Experience creating ESRI workflows for spatial data collection in the field by making forms for data collection apps like ESRI Field Maps and Survey123;
• Experience using high accuracy GNSS equipment (ex. Trimble or Leica) for field surveys with ESRI data collection apps;
• Ability to safely navigate to field sites using maps/compass and GNSS equipment; 
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Experience with data entry and QA/QC procedures;
• Reliable, team-player with strong leadership and communication skills;
• Possession of a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license. 

Additional Requirements:

Experience with outdoor activities like hiking, camping, canoeing.