GIS Administrator/Consultant (part-time/remote)

Knowledge Services is seeking a remote and part-time GIS Administrator/Consultant for a contract through Feb 2026 (potential for extension) with the State of Maine Office of Technology.

• This role will work approximately 10-20 hours per week - Hours will vary but all work will be done during normal State of Maine business hours (Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm)
• This person will not be technically hands on, but will instead be acting in an advisory capacity as a subject matter expert.
• We are unable to consider any candidates requiring C2C or sponsorship for a work visa.

GIS Administrator/Consultant Responsibilities:

This person will not be technically hands on, but will instead be acting in an advisory capacity as a subject matter expert with the areas below:

ArcGIS and Geospatial Skills:
• Deep ArcGIS Pro Knowledge: Proficiency in ArcGIS Pro's core functionalities, including data editing, spatial analysis, and advanced cartography, is essential to guide users effectively in their workflows.

• Ability to describe and guide users about best practices for using ArcGIS Pro interactions with ArcGIS Enterprise Portal applications and services.
• Enterprise Geodatabase (SQL Server): Expertise in managing enterprise geodatabases within SQL Server is crucial.
• SQL Server Standard: Understanding how to create, manage, and secure a geodatabase, including user creation, permissions, and database maintenance tasks like compression and index rebuilding.
• SQL Server Express: Awareness of the significant limitations of this edition, including the 10 GB maximum database size and hardware limits on CPU and RAM. Advising users on when to use it (for small-scale projects or testing) and when to upgrade to a licensed version is critical to avoid performance problems or service outages.

• Connection Management: Creating and managing secure .sde database connection files for users connecting to the SQL Server databases or SQL managed instances from their virtual desktop projects and/or the Enterprise Data Store is necessary.
• ArcPy Scripting: Proficiency with Python and the ArcPy library is necessary to automate geoprocessing tasks, particularly for data loading and management operations involving the SQL Server geodatabases.

Virtual Desktop Administration Skills
• Virtual Desktops and Apps: Esri recommends a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) approach for ArcGIS Pro for optimal performance, managing and optimizing both dedicated desktop and virtualized application deployments is essential.
• GPU Virtualization: As ArcGIS Pro is graphics-intensive and performs poorly without a dedicated GPU, expertise in configuring graphics delivery using technologies like NVIDIA vGPU within the virtual servers is required to ensure a responsive user experience.
• Performance Monitoring: Monitoring and troubleshooting performance issues within the Enterprise environment, particularly those that impact ArcGIS Pro workflows, is necessary. Issues can arise from resource contention on AVD servers, especially if graphics or CPU resources are not properly allocated.
• User Profile Management: Managing user profiles (e.g., using virtual Profile Management tools) is important for ensuring users' settings and customized tools are persistent across sessions on their virtual desktops.

SQL Server Administration Skills
• Database Maintenance: Performing regular maintenance on the SQL Server databases, such as updating statistics and rebuilding indexes, is crucial to prevent performance degradation. For SQL Server Standard, leveraging the built-in SQL Server Agent for automated tasks is beneficial.
• SQL Server Express Limitations: Proficiency in managing the constraints of SQL Express is important. This includes monitoring database size to prevent reaching the 10 GB limit and understanding that features like the SQL Server Agent are unavailable for automated maintenance.
• Security Management: Knowledge of the correct methods to manage SQL Server security is needed to work with the MaineIT team that manages the profile information of authenticated database users and roles, ensuring appropriate permissions are granted to GIS users.
• Connectivity and Drivers: Knowledge of installing and configuring the correct SQL Server ODBC drivers on the virtual desktops is essential for establishing stable database connections.

Consulting and Troubleshooting Skills
• Business Workflow Analysis: You must listen to users' needs and design appropriate workflows that account for the different capabilities and limitations of SQL Server Express vs. Standard. This involves advising users on whether their project data should reside in one database or the other.
• End-to-End Troubleshooting: Diagnosing and resolving issues that span the entire stack, from the virtual desktop application to the underlying SQL Server geodatabase, is essential.
• Training and Documentation: Providing training and creating documentation outlining best practices and limitations, particularly for users of SQL Server Express, is crucial for successful user adoption and preventing data loss or performance issues.

GIS Administrator/Consultant Required Skills:

• Must have ArcGIS Pro knowledge

• Must have solid experience with SQL Server Standard and Express

• Must have experience in Virtual Desktop in Azure environment
• Must be experienced in Business Workflow Analysis - ability to communicate with end users on their needs

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability.

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