Careers

GIS PLANNER POSITION

The Northeast Georgia Regional Commission (NEGRC) is seeking qualified applicants for the position of GIS Planner within its Planning & Government Services (PGS) Division.

The GIS Planner is primarily responsible for meeting the daily GIS (Geographical Information System) requirements of the NEGRC and assisting in local and regional efforts related to community, environmental, transportation, and land-use planning.

This position requires direct involvement with elected and appointed officials, local-government staff, community stakeholders, and the public in developing data-driven maps and infographics, as well as researching and developing local and regional plans.

It also requires coordination with state and federal agency partners such as the Georgia Department of Transportation, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, US Census Bureau, and Georgia Department of Natural Resources in meeting their respective programmatic and planning requirements. The GIS Planner, internally, works in close coordination with the NEGRC’s Planning & Government Services staff in performing tasks associated with individual projects.

The ideal candidate will have experience and a working knowledge in several areas of GIS technology and local-government planning including, but not limited to, the following:

• Spatial data analysis and maintenance, design, cartography, comprehensive planning,
• Strategic planning, demographic analysis, public speaking, and meeting facilitation.

Required:

• Advanced GIS skills and experience with Esri products (desktop and cloud-based)
• Advanced computer application skills
• Demonstrated successful research and analytical experience
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to prepare and make public presentations in a variety of local government settings, sometimes on controversial topics
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously with competing deadlines
• Ability to work independently and on project teams
• Effective in working directly with elected officials, local government staff, and community stakeholders
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in urban planning, geography, or similar area of study
• 3 years of related work experience; or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in urban planning, geography, public administration, or a related field
• Prior employment in the public sector
• Zoning experience
• Advanced experience with Adobe Creative Cloud apps (especially InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop)

The NEGRC provides services to 12 counties and 54 cities in Northeast Georgia through its offices located in Athens, GA. This position reports to the NEGRC’s Director of Planning & Governments Services. For a complete list of duties, see https://negrc.org/local-services.php under “News.”

Starting Salary: $44,000 – $50,000/year, with a competitive benefits package.

GIS PLANNER TASKS:

• Meet and communicate effectively with elected officials, government staff, and various stakeholder groups.
• Work directly with local government officials and staff in providing guidance and supportive GIS services, including spatial analysis, geocoding, and preparation of zoning maps, future development maps, municipal boundary updates, and webbased maps (including story maps).
• Promote the Division’s GIS services and perform, as needed, project development meetings to assist in concept planning and design of potential projects.
• Perform GIS data capture, review, and formatting to meet the standards of Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Department of Transportation, and the US Census Bureau.
• Maintain and update the NEGRC GIS data library (including project-specific data).
• Maintain and update the Division’s GIS hardware, software, and plotter, in coordination with the agency’s information technology (IT) personnel.
• Support the Division’s work on a variety of planning efforts including the following types of plans: comprehensive, bicycle/pedestrian, urban redevelopment, housing, and special plans.
• Support the Division’s work in preparing maps for grant applications, reports, and special studies.
• Attend scheduled meetings representing the NEGRC to provide programmatic information and advisement on projects and related issues. Prepare and present information in both informal and formal settings and facilitate meetings when required.
• Write project narratives, reports, and plans of varying lengths with supporting imagery and infographics.
• Prepare estimates and coordinate invoicing for fee-based GIS services.
• Respond to questions by email, telephone, and/or in writing related to GIS services and planning.