Cartographer Maritime GIS Analyst (Hiring Event)

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency • Springfield, VA

5d

About The Position

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is recruiting Cartographers for its Maritime Safety Office within the Source Operations and Management Directorate. The role supports digital nautical chart maintenance and production and generates mission-specific geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) datasets from continually maintained data. Cartographers acquire, compile, evaluate, and review geospatial data to produce cartographic products and data holdings in support of national security, military operations, and humanitarian relief. They extract, attribute, format, manipulate, and symbolize geospatial information in accordance with NGA and international standards.

The position involves working with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), editing geospatial data, and managing GIS databases. Analysts use information from sources such as foreign nautical charts and notices to mariners, imagery, survey and random-track bathymetry, navigation publications, ship reports, and other GEOINT. They also research and respond to queries from the U.S. Navy, foreign hydrographic offices, and other users.

NGA uses a flexible, high-mobility career model. Applicants are hired based on their skills within a specialty and may be placed in different positions after completing the clearance process. Although the posting is currently described as supervisory, permanent, and involving occasional travel, the details of the eventual assignment may differ. Applicants receive final documentation describing the specific position before making a final commitment to join NGA.

This is a DCIPS position in the Excepted Service. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and be able to obtain and retain a Top Secret clearance with SCI access, including passing a Counterintelligence Polygraph examination. Drug testing, direct deposit, a trial period, and annual security financial disclosure reporting for employees with SCI access are also specified. Employees may be subject to random periodic examinations to determine continued eligibility for access.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Must be able to obtain and retain a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
• Must pass a Counterintelligence Polygraph examination and required drug testing; employees may be subject to random periodic examinations.
• Experience communicating through written, visual, and/or verbal reporting and presentation.
• Experience working collaboratively as part of a team to meet project goals and deadlines.
• Education and/or professional experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
• Experience assisting team members using GIS software to extract spatial vector data on an image base.
• Knowledge of proper GIS software tools for analyzing topographic and nautical map and/or chart source materials.
• Meet the education or experience requirement through one of the listed alternatives: (A) a bachelor's degree in Cartography or a major including or supplemented by at least 30 semester (45 quarter) hours in Cartography and/or directly related sciences and mathematics, including 6–15 semester (9–22 quarter) hours of college-level non-business mathematics or statistics; (B) at least 30 semester (45 quarter) hours of qualifying coursework plus applied Cartography or related experience, with education and experience totaling four years; or (C) at least four years of Cartography or related experience using current GIS tools.
• Must be able to distinguish principal colors and their shades or hues.
• Must have near visual acuity of 20/60 or better, with or without corrective lenses.
• Employees with SCI access under NGA cognizance must submit an annual Security Financial Disclosure Report (SF-714).

Nice To Haves

• Experience identifying and determining characteristics of objects or features revealed by imagery, including photo-interpretation techniques supporting analysis.
• Experience creating maps or charts to specifications using GIS.
• Experience extracting and attributing feature data from source material, including imagery, using appropriate techniques and methods.
• Knowledge of quality assurance and quality review procedures for geospatial data and map graphics.
• Experience applying fundamental GIS techniques to identify features for extraction in accordance with topographic or maritime standards.
• Experience supporting integration of super intelligence (SI) tools into operational workflows or systems.
• Background in GIS, marine analysis, regional analysis, or geospatial analysis.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the quality, accuracy, and currency of cartographic information produced for national, international, military, and civil partners, under limited supervision.
• Create, refine, enhance, assemble, and format GEOINT data, web services, standard maps, and non-standard low-complexity maps using cartographic principles, in preparation for printing and georeferencing.
• Research, acquire, analyze, and compile GEOINT data to support mission requirements.
• Engage with customers and partners to a limited extent to improve processes and contribute to modernization of cartographic tradecraft and development of GEOINT standards.
• Support digital nautical chart maintenance and production and generate mission-specific GEOINT datasets from maintained data.
• Research, analyze, and solve problems in response to queries from the U.S. Navy, foreign hydrographic offices, and other product and service users.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level