Senior GIS Applications Engineer

King County•Seattle, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The King County Information Technology (KCIT) GIS Center is seeking an experienced Senior GIS Applications Engineer to join the Geo Engineering team. This role involves building and modernizing GIS applications and automated workflows crucial for King County departments, encompassing application development, spatial analysis, and data management. The systems developed by this team are utilized across most county government functions. The initial major project will focus on a complete redesign of legacy GIS workflows for a King County agency. This will involve collaborating with another senior engineer to understand existing processes, interfaces, and database structures, followed by rebuilding them into clear, automated workflows manageable by a junior analyst, with the senior engineer retaining ownership and evolving these systems. Subsequently, the role will involve migrating the ArcGIS Enterprise environment from on-premises to Azure, including applications, services, and databases. This migration is envisioned as a thoughtful re-imagining of the GIS infrastructure, not a simple lift-and-shift. The King County GIS Center has received national recognition, including Esri's Enterprise GIS Award in 2025 and Exemplary Systems in Geospatial awards. The successful candidate will join a collaborative team of ten, working in small project groups using Agile practices, leading significant initiatives, and closely collaborating with experienced engineers and GIS professionals. Professional growth is supported through an annual training budget and regular conference attendance, such as the Esri Developer and Technology Summit and the Esri User Conference. Key qualifications include strong GIS fundamentals and solid Esri experience, coupled with a drive for continuous learning. The team values collaboration, shared problem-solving, and mutual support.

Requirements

Four (4) years of applied professional experience in the application and use of GIS technology
Applied professional experience with current and emerging GIS technologies
Strong programming skills building GIS applications and data integrations
Advanced skill producing complex maps and spatial data visualizations, and running spatial analysis
Applied professional experience with Esri Extensions, Python, Model Builder, and Arcade
Applied professional experience with current versions of ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise, and ArcGIS Solutions
Experience building web applications using modern frameworks
Working knowledge of relational databases, particularly SQL Server
Advanced analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills
Ability to balance and prioritize a workload of multiple competing priorities
Strong customer service skills
Skill in analyzing customer business needs and translating them into technical requirements
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Skill in working with a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds
Collaborative, with a good work ethic, a cooperative spirit, and creative thinking, able to take initiative and move work forward inside a team while guiding and assisting others as needed
Willing to question whether the existing approach is still the right one, propose something ambitious, and adjust when it doesn't pan out
Eager to pick up unfamiliar tools and put them to work, and to bring new approaches to the team rather than waiting for direction
Skill in capturing undocumented processes and turning them into clear, usable documentation and training for others

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Geography, or in a science or technology field with significant GIS application, or an equivalent combination of GIS experience and knowledge
Hands-on experience applying AI tooling to real technical work, such as code generation, automation, or data processing
Applied experience with ArcGIS Experience Builder Developer Edition, or building web applications with React, TypeScript, the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript, or similar tooling
Experience working in a cloud environment such as Azure or AWS
GISP certification

Responsibilities

Develop critical and complex systems and applications using Python, other languages and tools, and vendor-managed platforms including ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Experience Builder, and ArcGIS Solutions.
Build documented, automated workflows on a SQL Server backend using Python and other scripting, replacing manual and undocumented processes.
Produce the documentation and training that lets analysts run those workflows day to day.
Design approaches that align with requirements, architecture and design, technical, and end-user documentation standards.
Acquire and incorporate relevant spatial and tabular data for project themes. Where that data doesn't already exist internally or externally, develop it yourself.
Keep all project-related GIS data up to date as new or improved information becomes available.
Perform and report on detailed research and spatial analysis to meet business requirements, and design, produce, and deliver the maps, tables, and other graphic products that communicate those findings.
Apply AI-assisted tools to GIS development and automation work, and help the team figure out where they genuinely earn their place in a workflow.
Contribute to the development of governance, group charters, and agreements.
Build and maintain effective working relationships with clients and stakeholders.
Consult with them as needed to assess results, identify any necessary refinements, and revise products and services to reach a satisfactory outcome.