GIS Data Steward

Make a Difference for Oregon. The Department of State Lands manages the lands that help fund our public schools and protects the state’s waterways and wetlands for the many benefits they provide. Our stewardship ensures vital natural and financial resources contribute to a vibrant, healthy Oregon now and forever. The DSL team makes a difference for Oregonians every day. As our GIS Data Steward, you will too. 

The primary purpose of this position is to manage the GIS data within the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Enterprise environment and Microsoft SQL Server. This role will also support the GIS needs of the agency through organizing internal and external GIS data locally and on the ArcGIS Portal and ArcGIS Online. They will define and implement metadata standards for cataloging and data governance. Their expertise will be used in assisting staff in the development of new GIS dataset for data collection, monitoring, and reporting. 

This position will report directly to our main Salem office. This is a full-time, permanent position represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). 

What’s in it for you? 

• Help develop a new GIS team at the Department of State Lands! 

• Utilize your skills in both IT and GIS to protect Oregon’s environment and support important initiatives while engaging the public, government agencies, and other interested parties. 

• Receive 1-on-1 mentoring and support from natural resource experts. 

• Join an organization with collaborative and engaged co-workers who care about Oregon’s economy, environment, and communities, and their co-workers. 

• Gain full benefits with 95% to 99% of medical insurance premiums paid by the agency for full-time employees, including mental health coverage. 

• Accrue 8 hours of sick leave and 8 hours of vacation leave per month, with your vacation leave accruals increasing every 5 years. 

• Receive 11 paid holidays, 1 floating holiday, 3 personal business days and other employee benefits such as optional insurances and flexible spending plans. 

• Automatically enroll into the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) after 6 months of full-time service.  

• Earn the initial monthly salary range for this position starting at $ 5,047- $ 7,627 for employees new to public service; current PERS employees start at $ 5,398 - $8,157*  

• Salary offers are made with consideration of the candidate’s education and experience. Visit our Pay Equity and Classification and Compensation pages for more details. 

*Note: Effective Feb. 1, 2026, the compensation plan for this position will be increased to reflect a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) of 2.5%. The salary listed in this posting does not reflect the COLA. 

Working Conditions: 

Much of the work is in a hybrid office setting with regular computer use. At times, the work environment is fast paced with multiple demands and occasional travel including overnight stays and/or extended work hours. 

What you will be doing: 

As our GIS Data Steward, you will have the opportunity to: 

• Support the management of DSL’s spatial data 

• Support the management of DSL’s ESRI Enterprise system 

• Develop and maintain meta data for GIS datasets   

• Support the organization and storage of GIS data and project files 

• Support the management of acquired external referential GIS data used by DSL GIS users 

• Support the development and management of datasets for field collection using data collection best practices to ensure high integrity and reportable data 

• Develop and maintain automated data processing tasks via ESRI tools, database procedures, or programming languages like Python 

For a full description of the duties and working conditions, please email [email protected] to request the position description. 

Minimum Qualifications- to be considered for this position, please ensure you have one of the following combinations of education and experience: 

Three (3) years of information systems experience in: Geographic Information Systems (GIS); 

OR 

An Associate's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or Natural Resource related field,  

OR  

completion of a two (2) year accredited vocational training program in information technology or Natural Resource related field; 

AND 

one (1) year of information systems experience in: Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 

Desired Attributes- tell us which of the following skills, experiences, and related talents you have by highlighting them in your application materials: 

• Excellent communication skills for working with technical and non-technical stakeholders, and can collaborate effectively for coordinating across departments 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret spatial data, troubleshoot discrepancies, and conduct thorough data auditing and reporting to ensure accuracy and integrity   

• Experience implementing data governance policies and best practices through the understanding of data lifecycle management (creation, maintenance, archival) and a commitment to data accuracy, consistency, and completeness 

• Proficiency with desktop GIS software such as ESRI ArcGIS, business intelligence software for visualizing data 

• Proficiency in data management tools (e.g., ArcGIS, SQL databases, Python, FME) 

• Proactive and resourceful, capable of managing competing tasks, organized, and ability to meet deadlines in a dynamic setting by working independently 

• Willingness to stay current with GIS trends and emerging technologies and ability to adapt to evolving data governance frameworks 

For a detailed list of the duties for this position, please email  [email protected] for a copy of the position description.  

The Oregon Department of State Lands is committed to seeking and sustaining a culturally, racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse working environment. The Department hires staff interested in supporting environmental justice by including communities traditionally underrepresented in public processes. We encourage members of these communities to apply, even if they do not meet 100% of the desired attributes. The Oregon Department of State Lands understands that an authentic focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace will in turn create a workforce aligned to meet the challenge of serving all Oregonians. 

For additional Information and to apply go to the Oregon Dept. of State Lands job website.