GIS Data Specialist

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

2d•$85,836 - $100,980

About The Position

The GIS Data Specialist will lead the development of geospatial tools and dashboards supporting the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology (TCAT) and the Transportation Data Exchange’s public-facing and internal initiatives. The role transforms complex spatial datasets into actionable insights through interactive web applications, including tools such as the Safe Routes to School prioritization platform, ADA Transition Plan dashboards, and internal data-sharing interfaces built on the Transportation Data Exchange. It combines geospatial analysis, full-stack web development, and participatory design to create technically robust, community-responsive tools. The position is a regular, 100% FTE role on the UAW Research bargaining unit. The listed annual pay range is $85,836 to $100,980. The position is identified as First Shift. Benefits information is available through the University of Washington staff benefits website.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Science, or a related field.
At least two years of previous experience with software development in geospatial, urban planning, geography, or a related field.
Programming with Scala and Node.js.
Web development experience or skills involving React, Angular, Cue, Node, and UX design.
Experience or skills with SQL and NoSQL data management, including databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or DB2, and technologies such as Memcache, Redis, or Elasticsearch.

Nice To Haves

Contribute to and apply software engineering best practices in a team environment, based on experience in full-stack development.
Graduate training or a degree in GIS, Data Science, or Urban Informatics.
Experience with open-source geospatial tools such as QGIS, GeoServer, or Turf.js.
Familiarity with accessibility standards and equity-focused planning.
Experience working with OpenStreetMap data and community.
Strong understanding of data privacy and governance in public-sector contexts.

Responsibilities

Design and build interactive geospatial dashboards and decision-support tools, such as Safe Routes to School and ADA Transition Plan tools.
Ingest, clean, and harmonize spatial datasets from transit agencies, DOTs, and community sources.
Develop workflows to transform unstructured and semi-structured web data into standards-based formats.
Architect scalable, secure, and maintainable web-stack infrastructure for Observatory tools.
Develop interfaces for internal and external customers to review, edit, and save mobility data.
Collaborate with planners, advocates, and community members so tools reflect lived experience and policy needs.
Develop data-sharing interfaces for staff and partners, including in-browser data exploration and export features.
Evaluate and develop data management solutions, and integrate interfaces with existing backend APIs and databases.
Create technical documentation and provide training and support for tool users and collaborators.