Geospatial Production and Operations Support Specialist

KBR • Edison Township, SD

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

KBR’s Science and Space division is seeking a Geospatial Production and Operations Support Specialist to support our Technical Support Services Contract (TSSC) at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation & Science (EROS) Center (http://eros.usgs.gov/) near Sioux Falls, SD (http://www.siouxfalls.org).
The primary focus of this position is to support LANDFIRE operations by maintaining, processing, and improving spatial data, tools, and production workflows that contribute to the delivery of LANDFIRE products. This includes working with the team to manage and prepare raster and vector datasets, support QA/QC processes, maintain multiple versions of LANDFIRE products and services, and contribute to data distribution through ArcGIS Online, the LANDFIRE Data Distribution Sites, and related platforms. The position also assists with documentation, user support, metadata development, and coordination across LANDFIRE partners and programs to ensure consistent, accurate, and up-to-date geospatial products that support landscape, fire, and resource management planning.

Requirements

• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a national agency check and background investigation after hire to obtain credentials for facility access and user accounts.
• Must have a minimum 3-year residency in the United States
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s in Geography or Geospatial Science, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Environmental Science or other relevant field
• Years of Experience: Minimum 3–5 years of recent experience working with geospatial data, production workflows, spatial data processing in GIS, or software development in a science, natural resources, or geospatial operations environment.
• Strong background in GIS analysis, raster and vector data processing, and handling complex geospatial workflows within tools such as ArcGIS Pro or QGIS.
• Experience maintaining, preparing, and preparing data—including geospatial and other dataset types—for distribution, including QA/QC validation, metadata creation, data packaging, and preparing products for web-based viewers.
• Demonstrated ability to support operational systems, maintain production tools, and keep multiple versions of products updated on distribution platforms (REST, WCS, AGOL, GEE, etc.).
• Strong communication skills, including technical writing, documentation, responding to Help Desk inquiries, and coordinating with cross-program teams and partners.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with government, contractors, partners, and external organizations to ensure consistency and efficiency across LANDFIRE production efforts.

Nice To Haves

• Ability to support geospatial data quality processes by monitoring automated workflows, identifying issues, and assisting in basic script troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with cloud-based geospatial environments such as GEE or ArcGIS Online administration.
• Experience contributing to or maintaining websites, data dictionaries, metadata standards, or documentation for scientific data products.
• Background working with federal, academic, or NGO partners on multi-organization scientific or geospatial projects.
• Understanding of LANDFIRE workflows, data sources, production processes, or similar national-scale geospatial data programs.
• Experience with data publication workflows
• Knowledge of version control, error handling, and best practices in geospatial data management and product delivery.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and support LANDFIRE operational workflows, including software/hardware planning, system maintenance, and ensuring multiple versions of LF products remain available through distribution sites and services.
• Process, prepare, and manage raster and vector geospatial datasets, including QA/QC, metadata creation, and final product packaging.
• Maintain and update LF User Tools, ArcGIS Online content, Awesome Google Earth Engine data, and USGS website materials to ensure accuracy, relevance, and compliance with current technology and security standards.
• Provide professional user support by monitoring and responding to LANDFIRE Help Desk tickets and assisting with USGS Information Product Data System reviews and ScienceBase data releases.
• Contribute to process improvement by analyzing production workflows, identifying enhancements to support geospatial data production.
• Collaborate with internal teams, program partners, and external organizations (e.g., TNC, NGOs, Forest Service, NRCS, universities) to ensure coordinated, efficient production and delivery of LF products.
• Run QA/QC scripts, validate production data, generate documentation (metadata, methodology, data dictionaries), and ensure product integrity before release.
• Work with geospatial technologies (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, Python, Jupyter Notebooks) to support production tasks and develop improved methods through testing and iteration.

Benefits

• Competitive benefits: 401K with match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending, disability, paid time off, flexible schedule.
• Career advancement through professional training and development.
• Benefits may be aligned with partner companies for government contracting.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees