About the Role
Description: We are seeking a highly experienced Principal GIS & Enterprise Technology Architect to provide senior-level technical consulting and architecture leadership for complex enterprise GIS and technology environments. The ideal consultant will have deep expertise across enterprise GIS, systems architecture, integration, databases, software development, cloud, DevOps, open-source GIS, and emerging AI technologies. The consultant should be capable of evaluating existing technology environments, identifying gaps, and developing scalable, secure, interoperable, maintainable, and technology-independent modernization strategies.
Responsibilities: Design, evaluate, modernize, and support complex enterprise GIS architectures. Develop enterprise and solution architectures integrating GIS with enterprise applications, databases, APIs, and business systems. Evaluate existing architectures and identify technology, integration, scalability, security, and performance gaps.
Develop practical technology modernization and migration roadmaps. Design and evaluate GIS solutions across commercial, open-source, cloud, on-premises, and custom-developed platforms. Work with ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise/Server, enterprise geodatabases, spatial databases, GIS services, and web GIS applications.
Develop and integrate REST APIs, web services, ETL/ELT processes, authentication, and data exchange solutions. Design modern web GIS applications using technologies such as ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript, Mapbox, MapLibre, OpenLayers, Leaflet, or comparable frameworks. Work with relational and spatial databases including SQL Server and PostgreSQL/PostGIS.
Develop automation, data pipelines, microservices, APIs, and modern application architectures. Provide technical leadership for highly complex, multi-system technology initiatives. Evaluate emerging technologies including AI, ML, Generative AI, and enterprise automation.
Provide recommendations based on scalability, performance, security, interoperability, maintainability, accessibility, licensing, and total cost of ownership. Translate business requirements into technical architectures, standards, specifications, and implementation strategies. Collaborate with executives, technical teams, business stakeholders, project teams, and vendors.
Qualifications: 15%2B years of progressively responsible experience in GIS, enterprise GIS, systems architecture, systems integration, or related technology fields. Extensive enterprise GIS experience with ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise/Server, enterprise geodatabases, spatial databases, GIS services, and web-based GIS applications. Advanced knowledge of SQL and relational/spatial databases.
Strong programming/scripting experience with Python and at least one additional language such as C#, Java, JavaScript, or TypeScript. Strong experience with REST APIs, web services, ETL/ELT, authentication, and system interoperability.
Experience with cloud or hybrid enterprise architectures. Knowledge of Docker/containerization and Kubernetes or comparable orchestration technologies.
Experience with CI/CD, Git/source control, automated deployments, infrastructure automation, and DevOps.
Experience with at least one major cloud platform: Microsoft Azure, AWS, Google Cloud Platform. Working knowledge of open-source GIS and interoperability technologies such as PostGIS, GeoServer, GDAL/OGR, QGIS, MapLibre, OpenLayers, OGC standards, REST, JSON, GeoJSON. Strong understanding of AI/ML/Generative AI, including enterprise applications, limitations, security considerations, and implementation strategies. Excellent communication and technical leadership skills.
Shift Details: Standard business hours, Monday-Friday.
Hiring Terms: This is a contract position with a duration of 12 months, with potential for extension.
Vendor rate: $150/hr.
Client rate: $120/hr.
No travel required Additional Details: Preferred Qualifications: Experience in government or public-sector environments, mission-critical systems, enterprise GIS modernization, legacy system replacement and migration, high availability and disaster recovery, cybersecurity and business continuity, performance engineering, data governance and enterprise data management, data quality and metadata management, microservices and event-driven architectures, API gateways, Infrastructure as Code, Terraform, AI/ML, MLOps, and Large Language Models, Responsible AI governance, WCAG and Section 508 accessibility, RFP/SOW development, vendor evaluation and technical oversight.
Preferred Certifications: GISP, Esri ArcGIS Enterprise Administration Professional, Esri ArcGIS Enterprise System Design Professional, Esri ArcGIS Enterprise Geodata Management Professional, Esri ArcGIS Pro Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, AWS Solutions Architect Professional, Google Professional Cloud Architect, Azure DevOps Engineer Expert, AWS DevOps Engineer Professional, Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer, HashiCorp Terraform Associate, CKA, CKAD, CKS, TOGAF, ArchiMate, CISSP, CCSP, CISM, Microsoft Fabric Data Engineer, Azure Database Administrator, Azure Databricks Data Engineer, AWS Data Engineer, Google Professional Data Engineer, Recognized AI, ML, Data Science, or MLOps certification from Microsoft, AWS, Google, Databricks, or another recognized technology organization, PMP, PgMP, CSM, SAFe. Equivalent experience, technologies, and certifications may be considered.
Preferred Candidate Profile: The ideal candidate is a Principal GIS and Enterprise Technology Architect who can bridge GIS %2B Enterprise Architecture %2B Databases %2B Software Development %2B Cloud %2B DevOps %2B AI. The consultant should be comfortable working at both the strategic architecture level and the technical implementation level, with the ability to recommend practical, scalable, secure, interoperable, and technology-independent solutions for complex enterprise environments.