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GIS Manager

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GIS Manager

Salary

$107,268.00 - $129,972.00 Annually

Location

City of Bellingham, WA

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

25-GIS Manager

Department

Information Technology Services

Opening Date

10/02/2025

Closing Date

10/27/2025 8:30 AM Pacific

FLSA

Exempt

Bargaining Unit

231

+ Description

+ Benefits

+ Questions

Nature of Work

Are you an experienced professional in GIS management with a strong background in data governance, including the analysis, design, implementation, support, and administration of enterprise GIS systems? The City of Bellingham (https://cob.org/) is seeking a GIS Manager to lead our enterprise GIS program, set the vision for technology and geospatial data management, and ensure data integrity and compliance across all City departments. This role offers the opportunity to guide a talented team, oversee system integration with core business applications, and make GIS a cornerstone platform for city operations and decision-making. Apply today!

The GIS Manager manages the Geographic Information System (GIS) Division of the Information Technology Services Department. The City’s GIS is a highly integrated complex enterprise system based on the ESRI platform, which is used as a basis for operations in many City departments. This position is responsible for the overall vision, design, management, and leadership of the City’s enterprise GIS program, including the management of the City’s GIS technology, services, and geospatial data. Performs technology infrastructure integration design and services administration between GIS and other City business systems such as work management, permitting, document management and financials. Provides comprehensive planning and system architecture design of GIS database and application systems for all GIS integrated business functions of the city.

The full salary range for this position is $8,939/month - $10,831/month . Employees receive step increases annually in accordance with the Teamsters Collective Bargaining Agreement (https://cob.org/about/employment/labor-agreements-pay-schedule) and City policy.

Research has demonstrated that salary negotiation can further inequality due to bias across gender and race. To prevent negotiation bias, the City places new employees within the published salary range based on qualifications and professional experience as listed on the application material, in accordance with City policy. Candidates who exceed the minimum experience requirements shall be given credit for advanced step placement at the rate of one additional pay step for each two full years of directly related or equivalent professional experience beyond the minimum requirements. Candidates who meet minimum qualifications or have experience that is not directly related or in a lower-level position will be placed at step one in the salary range. For positions that require a bachelor’s degree, one additional step may be granted for applicants with a master’s degree in a related field when the master’s degree is not required to meet minimum qualifications. The City's HR Department regularly evaluates minimum qualifications to provide equitable employment opportunities.

For internal candidates, placement within the range is based on City Pay Placement Procedures.

At the City of Bellingham, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that helps you thrive in both your career and personal life. Join our team and enjoy peace of mind knowing that you and your loved ones are well cared for. Here’s a closer look at the outstanding benefits that come with being part of our team. You can find more details on our employment benefits page (https://cob.org/about/employment/benefits) and labor agreements page. (https://cob.org/about/employment/labor-agreements-pay-schedule)

+ 10 hours of vacation leave per month, with increased accrual over time

+ 12 paid holidays + 1 floating holiday per year

+ 8 hours of sick leave accrued monthly

+ Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families

+ Life insurance and long-term disability coverage

+ Flexible spending accounts and medical insurance opt-out program

+ Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

+ Washington State Retirement plan (DRS) for retirement security

+ Optional 457 deferred compensation (Retirement Savings Plan) with employer match

Leave accruals are based on 1.0 FTE, accruals are pro-rated if part-time and require employees to be in paid status at least 120 hours/month.

Flexibility and work/life balance are important to the City of Bellingham. Remote work is allowed up to 3 days per week. We allow some “flexing” of hours during each pay period to support work/life balance for employees.

Closing Date/Time: Mon. 10/27/25 8:30 AM Pacific Time

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB:

+ Leads and manages the City’s GIS program providing vision and direction to city staff, leadership in the utilization of GIS and promoting GIS effectively as a business solution. Manages the implementation, development, and services delivery of the GIS including strategic planning, coordination, prioritization, and goal setting.

+ Manages, defines, and monitors the services of the enterprise GIS. Coordinates all data standards, processes, and workflow to ensure that GIS data and services meet requirements. Ensures that data, security, and system standards are maintained by all users of the GIS system from all departments throughout the city. Enforces data standards, procedures, and workflow for all information in the enterprise GIS.

+ Plans, organizes, coordinates, assigns, and evaluates the work of professional and technical staff in the GIS Division. Reviews daily accomplishments of the assigned GIS staff and modifies personnel assignments as necessary. Conducts performance evaluations on the assigned staff. Reviews job descriptions and participates in the hiring process of GIS staff in all departments throughout the city. Responsible for coaching and corrective actions and participates in disciplinary actions.

+ Provides direction and coordination of all City GIS staff who perform editing, data manipulation or analysis of enterprise GIS data. Leads the city-wide GIS coordination team and GIS user group.

+ Manages and prioritizes all GIS enterprise level modifications and updates. Coordinates communication on system and project status with other city departments. Directs team function as a citywide technical resource for GIS development and integration, based on citywide work priorities and work plans.

+ Acts as project manager for GIS software purchase, implementation projects, custom GIS and database applications, development services and digital mapping services. Plans, organizes, and develops project outline. Communicates with team members and acts as liaison between vendors and stakeholders.

+ Protects and advances the business needs of the City following best practices for technology contract negotiations. Prepares and manages capital improvement budget for GIS. Develops improvement goals and priorities based on budget. Presents team recommendations to Systems Steering Committee.

+ Recommends preliminary annual budget for the section. Forecasts funds needed for staffing, equipment, and projects. Monitors and approves expenditures, recommends adjustments as necessary.

+ Manages and coordinates GIS application and integrated database customization and other related technology projects based on business needs of the city. Coordinates and assists the development and integration of business applications and databases with the GIS system. Assists in the development of procedures and application and database integration to eliminate redundancy and improve efficiency.

+ Develops requests for information (RFI's) and requests for proposals (RFP's) for GIS projects. Reviews proposals to ensure that vendors meet minimum requirements, performs analysis of software systems and assists with software selection processes. Performs cost-benefit analyses as needed. Recommends upgrades, changes and new software purchases to the Information Technology Services Department (ITSD) Director, the Systems Steering Committee, or to City leadership. Provides technical support to assigned City System Team(s) or project teams.

+ Stays current with GIS-related developments, trends, and changes, GIS data management technology, equipment and related hardware and applications software. Recommends upgrades, changes, and new software purchases to the appropriate department head in the above areas. Attends conferences, user group meetings and trainings as necessary. Encouraged to lead, speak, teach and participate as a leader in GIS groups.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

Work is performed in an office setting at a computer workstation which may require remaining stationary for long periods of time. A telecommuting schedule may be available. May visit or contact customer work sites. Work environment includes a customary range of noise with moderate distractions and low risks working around standard office equipment. Occasional overnight travel to conferences and training sessions. This is a sedentary position with minimal physical exertion requirements.

Physical ability to perform the essential functions of the job, including:

+ Frequently operate a computer and other office machinery such as a keyboard, mouse, phone;

+ Frequently remain stationary for long periods of time;

+ Frequently communicate accurate information and ideas with others;

+ Infrequently to occasionally lift and transport objects up to 25 lbs.

Experience and Training

+ Bachelor's degree in computer science, geography, information systems management, or related field. Masters degree preferred.

+ Four (4) years of progressively responsible professional experience related to the analysis, design, implementation, support and administration of GIS systems in a complex enterprise environment using the Esri Platform required.

+ Two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in GIS Management or GIS project management required.

+ Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in GIS database design and relational database management required.

+ Experience in a leadership role in software acquisition project(s) and major systems upgrade project(s) preferred.

+ Experience providing systems design, administration, and implementation in a governmental setting preferred.

+ An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to provide the applicant with the knowledge, skills and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the job will be considered.

Necessary Special Requirements

+ Employment contingent upon passing a criminal background check (see Fair Hiring Practices below).

+ Verification of ability to work in the United States by date of hire.

+ Agreement to and signature of a Privileged Access Confidentiality Agreement is required.

+ Willingness and ability to work extra hours or change hours as needed to perform systems work outside of normal business hours.

+ Certification as a GIS Professional (GISP) strongly preferred.

Selection Process

As part of the application process, a cover letter is required.

Within the cover letter, please answer the following questions:

+ Provide a brief summary of your education, experience and qualifications for this position and why this position is the next right step for you in your career.

+ Describe your approach on how you will facilitate and manage GIS data governance at the City of Bellingham and how your experience has prepared you for the role.

Please ensure your application is complete and all required information has been provided. Standard completeness means all application fields (contact information, personal information, education, work experience, references, and supplemental questions). Application materials should comprehensively document your experience and skills related to the position responsibilities and experience/training requirements. As part of the City’s commitment to reducing bias in the hiring process, Human Resources redacts personally identifiable information for reviewers. Only the documents listed as required will be reviewed.

Zoom Interviews for the most qualified candidates are tentatively scheduled for November 14, 2025. Invitations to participate in the Interview process will be sent via e-mail on or around November 5, 2025.

Please Note: Candidates will receive updates regarding application status via email. Please be sure to check your email frequently, including your spam folders for messages filtered by your email providers.

Equal Opportunity:

The City of Bellingham is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not make decisions on the basis of an individual's race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, age (40+), disability, retaliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law. All are encouraged to apply for employment.

Fair Hiring Practices

+ The City provides individuals who have been arrested or convicted of a criminal offense an equal and fair opportunity to obtain employment.

+ The City will not inquire about an applicant's criminal history until after a conditional job offer has been made.

+ The City will disregard the prior arrest and conviction record of an otherwise qualified individual unless the offense is directly related to the job position for which the individual has applied.

+ The City will notify an otherwise qualified applicant about a potentially disqualifying conviction and give the applicant an opportunity to submit information regarding the accuracy of the criminal records as well as evidence of mitigation or rehabilitation, as appropriate.

There are many good reasons for working at the City of Bellingham. The work is rewarding and you have an opportunity to serve your community. Another good reason is the great benefits that the City offers its employees. See our benefits section (https://www.cob.org/employment/pages/benefits.aspx) for additional information.

This position is represented by the Teamsters 231 bargaining unit. Specific benefit information including Holidays, Vacation Accruals, Health, Dental and Vision Plans with cost sharing and Deferred Compensation Match can be found in the Teamsters 231 labor agreement (https://www.cob.org/employment/Pages/labor-agreements-pay-schedule.aspx) .

This position is covered by the State of Washington Department of Retirement Systems PERS plan. PERS requires mandatory employee and City contributions. Please visit the DRS website (http://www.drs.wa.gov/) for more information on PERS.

01

Thank you for your interest in this position at the City of Bellingham! To ensure a consistent review, only the City of Bellingham job application and required supplemental documents will be reviewed. Cover letters and resumes are not reviewed unless they are required as part of the process. When applying for this position, you must thoroughly complete each section of your application, and provide a thorough response to each of the supplemental questions. Please do not indicate "see resume" or copy content that is unrelated to the position being applied for from your resume when answering these questions.

Have you read and understood the information listed above?

+ Yes

+ No

02

As part of your application, a cover letter addressing the following is required.

1. Provide a brief summary of your education, experience and qualifications for this position and why this position is the next right step for you in your career.

2. Describe your approach on how you will facilitate and manage GIS data governance at the City of Bellingham and how your experience has prepared you for the role.

Have you attached the required cover letter?

+ Yes, I have attached my cover letter.

+ No, I have not attached my cover letter and understand my application will be incomplete.

03

Do you have a Bachelor's degree in computer science, geography, information systems management, or a related field?

+ Yes

+ No

04

Do you have four (4) years of progressively responsible professional experience related to the analysis, design, implementation, support and administration of GIS systems in a complex enterprise environment using the Esri Platform?

How We Count Work Experience: Your experience must be equal to full-time paid work. If you worked part-time, we’ll calculate your experience based on the total number of hours you worked in a year. For example, if you worked 10 hours per week for 12 months, that equals 3 months of full-time experience (10 hrs x 52 weeks= 520 hrs/173.33 full time hrs per month = 3 months).

+ Yes

+ No

05

Do you have two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in GIS Management or GIS project management?

How We Count Work Experience: Your experience must be equal to full-time paid work. If you worked part-time, we’ll calculate your experience based on the total number of hours you worked in a year. For example, if you worked 10 hours per week for 12 months, that equals 3 months of full-time experience (10 hrs x 52 weeks= 520 hrs/173.33 full time hrs per month = 3 months).

+ Yes

+ No

06

Do you have four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in GIS database design and relational database management?

How We Count Work Experience: Your experience must be equal to full-time paid work. If you worked part-time, we’ll calculate your experience based on the total number of hours you worked in a year. For example, if you worked 10 hours per week for 12 months, that equals 3 months of full-time experience (10 hrs x 52 weeks= 520 hrs/173.33 full time hrs per month = 3 months).

+ Yes

+ No

07

If you answered "No" to any of the questions above (#3, #4, #5. and/or #6), do you have an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to provide the knowledge, skills and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the job? If so, please describe in detail. Experience stated must be reflected on application under Work Experience as well.

08

Are you willing and able to work extra hours or change hours as needed to perform systems work outside of normal business hours?

+ Yes

+ No

09

The following requirements are preferred or strongly preferred. Please select all that apply to you.

+ I have a Master's degree in computer science, geography, information systems management, or related field.

+ I have experience in a leadership role in software acquisition project(s) and major systems upgrade project(s).

+ I have experience providing systems design, administration, and implementation in a governmental setting.

+ I have the certification as a GIS Professional (GISP). [Note: this is strongly preferred]

+ I do not have any of the preferred qualifications and understand this will not disqualify my application.

10

Describe how you will develop a strategic vision of the GIS system as a cornerstone platform for the city and promote utilization in business solutions.

11

Describe how you have led a GIS team or program to support organizational goals. Share how you’ve balanced technical oversight, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement to maximize the impact of GIS in your organization.

Required Question

Employer

City of Bellingham

Address

104 West Magnolia Street Bellingham, Washington, 98225

Phone

360-778-8228

Website

http://www.cob.org/employment

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