Geographic Information System (GIS) Manager

For over 100 years, Save the Redwoods League has been dedicated to protecting the ancient redwood forests so all generations can experience the inspiration and majesty of redwoods. Since its founding in 1918, Save the Redwoods League has protected more than 200,000 acres of forests and helped create 66 redwood parks and preserves for everybody to enjoy.

To learn more about us, go to our website. 

Overview

Save the Redwoods League is seeking a Geographic Information System (GIS) Manager to perform a variety of functions related to the analysis, prioritization, mapping, and implementation of the League’s integrated conservation programs.

The GIS Manager is a vital part of the Program team, managing the League’s cartographic department; further developing and implementing the League’s conservation planning tools; conducting spatial analyses and interpreting results; and implementing recommendations collaboratively.

The GIS Manager manages all aspects of the League’s Geographic Information System (GIS) to track, analyze, and visualize data in support of the League’s Connect, Protect and Restore goals, and the Science program. The GIS Manager assists the Director of Science & Conservation Planning in the development, use and maintenance of a variety of conservation planning tools that support decision-making across all elements of the League’s conservation work, including land protection, restoration, and equitable public access for visitors of the coast redwood and giant sequoia forest parks and reserves. These decision-support tools enable the League to catalyze and respond to conservation opportunities within a robust science-based planning context and help with the prioritization and implementation of both regional and property-specific Protect, Restore and Connect activities.

For over 100 years, Save the Redwoods League has been dedicated to protecting the ancient redwood forests so all generations can experience the inspiration and majesty of redwoods. Since its founding in 1918, Save the Redwoods League has protected more than 200,000 acres of forests and helped create 66 redwood parks and preserves for everybody to enjoy.

Location:

• Our GIS Manager can work in our San Francisco office or remotely and would need to live in the Bay Area or within the coast redwood and giant sequoia ranges in Northern California. Monthly inperson meetings are required in our San Francisco office.

Compensation:

• $79,800 - $82,300 per year, depending on experience.
• We provide excellent benefits including paid vacation, sick time, medical, dental, transit benefits, life insurance and a generous 401K!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

• Supervises cartographic and analytical services for conservation, education, marketing and communications, and development projects:
  • Develops scope of GIS projects, infrastructure and software; manages associated project budgets
  • Manages map requests from all League staff; creates desired products
  • Works with Director of Land Protection to develop maps to assess conservation value and priority for property-specific and regional conservation work
  • Supervises and reviews the work of consultants and contractors in developing key data sets and cartographic products; supplies them with the information to carry out their work on projects
  • Trains staff GIS users on the League’s cartographic standards, best practices and various skills in ArcGIS, and in new cartographic software including ArcPro
  • Maintains the League’s geographical information databases: coordinate the collection, quality control, archiving, and interpretation of best available data resources on the coast redwood and giant sequoia ecosystems, and the residential and urban landscapes connected to them
  • Supervises staff, consultants, or temporary personnel in creating and using League GIS data or in other related areas
  • Knowledge of current trends in conservation planning, emerging GIS technologies, data analysis and management and can apply this expertise to California’s forest ecosystems

• Manages the development and improvement of the League’s Land Archive Database, including:
  • Coordinates with contractors to identify the League’s historical transactions by year
  • Develops and maintains a geodatabase that represents the League’s contribution to conservation over the past 100+ years
  • Develops and maintains maps that exhibit the League’s historical conservation in both giant sequoia and redwood ranges

Supporting the League Programs:

• Supports the GIS needs of the Science & Conservation Planning program; manages and updates large datasets and map making for field data collection
• Tracks and implements evolving standards in the fields of spatial analyses, programming languages that improve the efficiency or quality of GIS analyses, cartography, data archives and repositories, and environmental problem-solving relevant to redwood forests
• Assists with the development and use of state-of-the-art decision-support tools to provide a robust conservation planning framework for the coast redwood and giant sequoia forest regions by:
  • Tracks League conservation and public access priorities and recommends strategic shifts in activities needed to help achieve League goals
  • Designs the interpretive materials (maps, graphs, etc.) used for conservation planning tools and products to relay key findings to League staff
  • Assists, as landscape conditions change, in the update of conservation planning tools and resulting recommendations as directed by the Director of Science & Conservation Planning to maintain alignment between the conservation plan and League goals
• Collaborates with Program Team members to support the implementation of research, land acquisition, restoration, stewardship, park support, policy activities:
  • Evaluates prospective land acquisitions, restoration activities, park support or other public access projects for consistency with Conservation-Planning-tool criteria and approved conservation plans
  • Assists with the design and development of property-specific conservation plans to identify land-use designations, including reserves, for multi-use properties
  • Assists with preparation of grant proposals and progress reports to key funders on conservation planning projects
• Works with other organizations and outside advisers on a range of topics related to the League’s priorities and work plans:
  • Collaborates with the League’s volunteer advisors
  • Shares League datasets with conservation partners as appropriate
  • Collaborates with the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition, especially other spatial analysts in the Coalition, and provide ongoing support as needed to the Giant Sequoia Working Group
• Other duties as may be required from time to time.

Qualifications

Required:

• Graduate degree or equivalent experience in environmental planning, conservation biology, geography, ecology, GIS, or related field
• At least three years’ work experience in developing land management or conservation plans
• Advanced skills with ArcPro and database software packages
• GIS modeling, ecological analysis and database development skills
• Programming and advanced statistical and data visualization abilities
• Strong understanding of relevant available spatial datasets
• High quality cartographic skills; ability to design visually appealing, widely accessible maps that convey a clear message
• Excellent analytical skills to assemble, assess and organize data, to conduct analyses and propose recommendations on technical issues
• Knowledge of the natural communities, ecosystems, ecosystem processes, and their conservation needs within coast-redwood and giant-sequoia forests
• Commitment to the League’s pragmatic, non-confrontational approach to conservation
• Excellent writer, able to tailor message to different audiences
• Ability to supervise and manage consultants, temporary personnel, and staff on a project basis
• Ability to work on planning teams
• Understanding of conservation planning methods
• Ability to handle multiple complex tasks under pressure and stringent time constraints
• Competence with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Asana, and Microsoft Teams
• A strong commitment to the League’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion values and commitments, as well as the League’s cultural attributes – empowering, accountable, continuously improving, supportive and inclusive
• Valid driver’s license and safe driving record

Desired:

• Experience with data manipulation ArcPy, R, QGIS or other similar tools, and experience with version control and data archiving
• Understanding of federal, California state, and local regulatory framework
• Strong project management skills
• Strong communication skills desirable, including public speaking abilities
• Experience with conservation planning method and models such as Marxan or other related conservation planning tools
• Experience with remote sensing tools and analyses, and improving remotely sensed data with groundtruthing efforts
• Demonstrated cultural competency and ability to communicate and interact effectively with people across cultures, ethnic groups, and identities; verbal and written fluency in a language other than English is desirable

Working Conditions

• Occasional travel predominantly within California
• Some weekend and evening responsibilities
• Occasionally required to hike through forest land while working off-site, including walking on uneven ground, climbing over obstacles, and accessing remote locations
• Occasionally lifts, carries, or otherwise moves and positions objects weighing up to 30 pounds
• Regularly sits at a desk or computer workstation; utilizes computers, telephones and other office equipment; moves about the office to collaborate with colleagues

To Be Considered

• Please click "Apply" below to email your resume, a cover letter addressing why you are a great fit for this role, and your salary expectations, with the subject heading "GIS Manager”.

NO CALLS PLEASE . . . we are busy protecting redwoods. Thank You!

Save the Redwoods League is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an environment of equity and inclusion. Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce is a high priority; people of all identities, backgrounds, and cultures are encouraged to apply. Learn more about our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.