Geospatial Innovation Manager

The GIS Innovation & Strategy Lead serves as the visionary and operational leader for the City’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program. This role drives innovation by leveraging geospatial technologies to enhance decision-making, improve operational efficiency and advance Altamonte Springs’ smart city initiatives. 

• Lead the City’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program as a strategic platform for innovation, data-driven decision making and community engagement. Drives the use of spatial technologies across departments to improve efficiency, transparency and public services, while exploring new technologies such as AI, digital twins and smart city integrations.
• Position GIS as a critical enterprise-wide platform, integrating technologies such as AI, automation, digital twins and real-time analytics to support resilient, sustainable and citizen-focused services.
• Serve as the chief innovator for applying GIS in new ways, exploring advanced technologies and partnerships. Define and implement the City’s long-term GIS strategy aligned with organizational goals and smart city priorities. Communicate GIS-driven insights and strategy to executive leadership. 
• Oversee GIS staff, providing mentorship, guidance and professional development opportunities. Establish and enforce technical standards, data governance and enterprise GIS policies. Lead change management initiatives to ensure successful adoption of GIS technologies across departments. 
• Manage and enhance the City’s webGIS environment (ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online, integrations with enterprise applications). Identify and implement emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, predictive analytics and digital twins. Promote system interoperability with emergency operations, asset management and citizen-facing applications.
• Foster collaboration with regional GIS user groups, universities and professional organizations. Develop innovative community engagement tools to improve public transparency and participation. Represent the City at conferences, forums and intergovernmental initiatives to position Altamonte Springs as a leader in geospatial innovation. 
• Provide GIS support for emergency operations, disaster recovery and resilience planning. Ensure 24/7 reliability of GIS infrastructure to support critical City operations. Develop and perform Disaster Recovery/EOC functions in conjunction with emergency operations. Complete required trainings as specified within the City Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
• In the event of an emergency, all employees are considered essential and may be required to perform duties outside of their normal job description.
• Complete required trainings as specified within the City Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
• Drives to and from various city work sites. Perform additional duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's Degree in Geographic Information Systems, Computer Science, Geography or related field.
• Certified GIS Professional (GISP) or Esri Technical Certifications.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible GIS experience, including three (3) years in a management/leadership capacity. Demonstrated success in strategic planning, innovation stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Expertise with ArcGIS Enterprise, SQL Server Model Builder and Python scripting.
• Proven ability to integrate field data collection, analytics, and emerging technologies into enterprise workflows. 
• Excellent communication and leadership skills. 
• Valid driver license (must obtain State of Florida driver license within thirty (30) days of employment).

• Master’s Degree in Geographic Information Systems, Computer Science, Geography or related discipline.
• Experience implementing enterprise GIS to support digital twins, AI/ML analytics, or smart city platforms. 
• Experience presenting geospatial insights to senior leadership
• Demonstrated success leading organizational transformation through technology adoption.