GIS Specialist (Junior/Assistant Specialist)
Overview
The GIS Center at the UC Merced University Library is seeking one GIS Specialist at either the Junior or Assistant Specialist level. The position supports the day-to-day operations of the GIS Laboratory, providing in-person customer service and drop-in lab hours, technical support, training, and software licensing, and focuses specifically on geospatial analysis, data management, instructional support, outreach, and research projects.
Primary duties
Primary duties include:
- staffing the on-campus GIS Lab and managing student staff and projects;
- monitoring and maintaining GIS-related software on PC workstations (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, R, Python);
- independently troubleshooting technical issues;
- preparing usage reports;
- updating documentation (LibGuides) and the UC Merced ArcGIS Online portal;
- supporting faculty, teaching assistants, and students in for-credit GIS courses;
- producing high-quality cartographic products for publications and outreach;
- consulting with faculty and graduate students on GIS tools and methodologies;
- converting data from various sources into GIS formats;
- and applying geospatial analysis for research projects across environmental science, public health, anthropology, sociology, and political science.
Junior level requires a Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, cognitive science, history, archeology, geography, or related field; Assistant level requires a Master's degree and/or five or more years of professional GIS experience.
Salary estimate: Junior Specialist $55,000/year; Assistant Specialist $56,563/year. Review date January 30, 2026; anticipated start March 2026.