Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist

Meet Santa Margarita Water District 

Santa Margarita Water District is a dynamic, forward-thinking agency dedicated to delivering high-quality potable water, recycled water, and wastewater services to its 200,000 customers across Southern Orange County. As one of the region’s largest and most impactful utilities, we are committed to the highest standards of transparency, innovation, and environmental stewardship. 

Our people drive our progress, innovation, and results. Our collaborative, human-first culture fosters the sense of fun, comradery, and a rewarding sense of purpose as we do work that matters. 

Dynamic teams of intelligent individuals work collaboratively to achieve SMWD’s goals and solve challenges with a common aim that fosters a unique bond that is not often found in governmental agencies. 

Santa Margarita Water District’s values include: 

• Exemplary service excellence 
• Intelligent innovation that is forward-thinking and adaptive 
• Ethical fiscal responsibility and transparency 
• Environmental and resource stewardship 
• Employee development and leadership training 
• Building relationships that strengthen communities 

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed by individual positions.

JOB SUMMARY 

Under general supervision, the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist inputs, reviews, updates, and maintains GIS databases and coverage, layers, and linkages to various databases; assists in training users; maintains system backups; performs a variety of routine to difficult GIS operations to support District systems and provides other support as a technical specialist.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS 

The GIS Specialist position provides technical and professional duties related to the overall development, operation, and maintenance of GIS in support of District operations. The work requires public contact, the frequent use of good judgment and good knowledge of departmental operations. Assignments are received in the form of oral or written instructions and require the application of knowledge, experience and sound judgment. Completed work is reviewed in terms of compatibility with requirements, effectiveness and expected results. 

This position typically reports to the Director of Water Resiliency & Customer Service or his/her designee.

Essential Functions:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTION STATEMENTS 

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this class.

1. Gathers, verifies, inputs, edits, maintains, and updates collected field and office generated attributes, tabular and spatial data; edits and performs quality assurance on data entities and attributes.
2. Consults with various District departments regarding GIS needs and requirements, including identifying, designing and developing GIS applications and procedures integrating the GIS program with existing District databases and assists with training users how to operate applications.
3. Creates views to display geographic data themes; creates themes from x,y coordinates; sets a view map projection; manipulates the symbology and classification scheme for each theme; labels themes.
4. Creates ArcGIS tables from a variety of tabular data sources; joins and links multiple tables and modifies the table structure; edits values in tables and creates charts for presenting tabular data.
5. Creates maps and/or other means of graphical representation of the District or its facilities for presentation and printing; combines views, tables, charts, images, and logos, to create final maps or graphical representations; incorporation of AutoCAD or similar computer aided design information into GIS files; prepares “to scale” graphical representations of physical or planned facilities; interprets tentative maps and planning information for GIS database development efforts.
6. Interprets maps, graphs, aerial images; recognizes and resolves discrepancies in attribute data and performs necessary actions to ensure quality to the accepted County parcel base map.
7. Creates high quality maps, drawings, and models using GIS in compliance to the spatial digital maps with the County and computer-aided, Web, and images rubber sheeting.
8. May represent the District in inter-agency coordination activities relating to GIS.
9. Assists in the development and maintenance of a GIS library structure and associated applications; integrates the data into both the GIS as well as the overall information systems and maintains data integrity throughout the GIS environment.
10. Prepares reports and maintains files, records, and drawings; provides back-up support to other District staff as needed.
11. Performs related duties and responsibilities as required. 

Requisite Abilities/Qualifications & Guidelines:

Knowledge of: 

1. Computerized mapping and digital data conversion. 
2. Principles and practices of data manipulation and analysis, terminology, methods, techniques and nomenclature of civil, mechanical and/or electrical engineering drafting by hand and using computers.
3. Applications development methods, tools, and utilities applicable to the GIS system.
4. Principles and practices of software and modern drafting and mapping procedures. Shall be proficient in the use of AutoCAD and ESRI GIS software.
5. Standard engineering and architectural scales used in the preparation of graphics and drawings.
6. Algebra, geometry and trigonometry as applied to mapping processes.
7. District operating policies and departmental work procedures and quality standards.
8. District files and locations and the means for retrieving information.
9. Principles and practices of database administration.

Ability to: 

1. Understand and define user requirements.
2. Prepare clear and concise program documentation, user procedures, and other written materials.
3. Work on a variety of computer-aided and geographical information systems drafting applications.
4. Precisely follow written and oral instructions. 
5. Perform detailed work thoroughly, neatly, accurately and efficiently.
6. Read and interpret field notes and engineering and construction drawings.
7. Perform basic engineering computations.
8. Prepare maps, plans, and records.
9. Identify necessary changes and update and/or post data.
10. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
11. Organize, plan and complete projects.
12. Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
13. Make sound independent judgments within established guidelines.

Additional Information:

QUALIFICATIONS

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education, Training and Experience: 

A typical way of obtaining the knowledge, skills and abilities outlined above is graduation from high school or G.E.D. equivalent, supplemented by college-level courses in GIS, geography, planning, mechanical drawing, engineering drafting and computer-assisted drafting, and one year of experience performing sub-professional, technical civil engineering work, including six months of operating a data entry terminal or an equivalent combination of training and experience.