Senior Cartographer – ALTO / Cadence Project

Company SYSTRA Canada is part of SYSTRA Group, a global leader in transportation infrastructure engineering and consulting. SYSTRA Canada specializes in delivering innovative transportation solutions—ranging from feasibility studies for new rail lines to capacity upgrades and rail privatization projects—for both passenger and freight transport. Context Join SYSTRA Canada in shaping Canada’s future through the transformative ALTO high-speed train project—the largest infrastructure initiative in the country in generations. This TGV aims to enhance quality of life, strengthen community connections, and drive economic growth. If you believe in a more sustainable world where mobility is central to our planet’s future, then join SYSTRA Canada and be part of a project that will revolutionize Canada’s rail industry! Missions / Responsibilities As part of the GIS team supporting the ALTO project, the Senior Cartographer will be responsible for coordinating the production of high-quality cartographic deliverables and ensuring consistency, accuracy, and visual excellence across all mapping products. This role supports consultation, analysis, and decision-making for major transportation infrastructure projects by combining advanced cartographic expertise with quality assurance oversight, template standardization, and close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. The successful candidate will: Lead the development and implementation of cartographic standards. Supervise quality review and control of cartographic outputs. Produce clear, visually effective thematic and analytical maps for internal teams, clients, and public-facing initiatives. The position is primarily based on ArcGIS Pro, with data accessed and shared via ArcGIS Enterprise. Key Responsibilities Design and produce high-quality thematic, analytical, and presentation-ready maps in ArcGIS Pro to support consultation activities, corridor analyses, environmental studies, infrastructure planning, and decision-making. Coordinate cartographic production activities within the GIS team by prioritizing tasks, supporting deliverable planning, and ensuring timely and standards-compliant map production. Establish, maintain, and enforce cartographic standards—including symbology libraries, layout templates, labeling conventions, map series configurations, and graphic representation rules—for diverse audiences (internal teams, clients, public stakeholders). Lead quality assurance and validation of cartographic products by verifying map accuracy, legend content, scale, projection, symbology, formatting, metadata, bilingual content, and overall visual coherence prior to publication or distribution. Ensure map readability, usability, and visual quality by applying strong cartographic design principles—including color theory, typography, visual hierarchy, balance, and accessibility considerations. Access spatial data from the project’s ArcGIS Enterprise environment and other sources—including CAD, GIS, tabular, and remote sensing datasets—organize and prepare them, and convert/format data as needed for map production. Perform foundational spatial data preparation tasks such as coordinate system transformations, georeferencing, format conversion, and data cleaning to support accurate and efficient cartographic output. Collaborate closely with GIS analysts, engineers, planners, environmental specialists, and other stakeholders to understand requirements, translate technical information into clear visual products, and ensure deliverables meet both technical and communication objectives. Publish finalized cartographic products via ArcGIS Enterprise and support integration of approved map content into web applications (e.g., Experience Builder, ArcGIS Dashboards) as needed. Contribute to continuous improvement of cartographic workflows, review processes, and production efficiency by identifying opportunities to standardize practices and enhance deliverable quality. Provide guidance and support to team members on best practices in cartography, cartographic standards, and quality expectations. Communicate effectively in both English and French with internal teams, project stakeholders, and clients. Profile / Skills Education: College diploma or bachelor’s degree in geography, cartography, GIS, geomatics, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience: 7–10 years of professional experience in cartographic production, GIS mapping, thematic cartography, or a related role. Experience in transportation or infrastructure projects is a significant asset. Technical Skills Advanced proficiency in ArcGIS Pro for thematic mapping, layout design, cartographic styling, annotation, labeling, and map production. Practical knowledge of ArcGIS Enterprise and/or ArcGIS Online for data access, layer sharing, and team collaboration support. Demonstrated experience creating and managing cartographic templates, symbology libraries, layout standards, and cartographic production workflows. Strong experience working with data from multiple formats—including CAD, GIS, tabular, and remote sensing sources—and preparing them for cartographic use. Solid understanding of cartographic design principles, including color usage, typography, readability, composition, and visual hierarchy. Experience reviewing and validating cartographic products to ensure compliance with technical and visual standards. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in French and English. Bilingualism Requirement: You will interact with a diverse client base, including French- and English-speaking companies. Bilingualism is essential to build strong client relationships, understand specific needs, communicate effectively in the client’s preferred language, and facilitate strategic meetings. Personal & Interpersonal Skills Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple deliverables under tight deadlines. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. SYSTRA Canada is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive workplace. SYSTRA Canada has an Employment Equity Program and encourages applications from women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities. We use AI-powered tools on our recruitment platform (iCIMS) for tasks such as CV analysis and candidate matching. These tools do not make hiring decisions—every application is reviewed by a talent acquisition specialist, and final decisions are made by our recruitment team. For questions about our recruitment process or AI tools, please contact [email protected]. Note: In this description, the masculine gender is used solely to simplify the text and includes the feminine gender. Workplace Type Hybrid