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Job ID: 35685

Agency: Bureau of Information and Technology

Location:Statewide within the State of South Dakota

Salary: $88,063.49-$110,079.36 Annual Salary, depending on qualifications

Pay Grade:IT9

Closing Date: 5/4/26

This is a Full-Time 40 Hours Weekly position with the Bureau of Information and Technology - Enterprise Solutions & Innovation Division. For more information on the Bureau of Information and Technology, please visit https://www.sd.gov/bit .

The State GIS Coordinator provides statewide leadership, coordination, and strategic direction for South Dakota’s enterprise GIS program. This role serves as the primary liaison between the State of South Dakota and ESRI, facilitating planning for current and future GIS needs and managing the State’s ESRI Enterprise Agreement.

The Coordinator oversees statewide governance of the ArcGIS platform, including planning and executing enterprise-wide upgrades, managing user access and permissions across ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and ArcGIS Portal, and guiding agencies in the adoption of modern GIS solutions. Responsibilities also include facilitating the State’s monthly GIS TAG meetings, managing GIS communications such as the GIS newsletter and listserv, and assisting agencies that do not have designated GIS staff.

The position represents South Dakota on national, regional, and multi-agency geospatial bodies including Silver Jackets, NSGIC, and MAGIC, contributing to national best‑practice development and completing statewide assessments such as the Geospatial Maturity Assessment (GMA). The Coordinator also manages federal partnerships with entities such as USGS, USDA, and FEMA and helps agencies with RFP development and vendor response reviews for GIS-related acquisitions.

In addition, the Coordinator supports public engagement by responding to GIS inquiries submitted via the State’s Open Data Hub and providing guidance to BIT Service Desk staff on GIS-related issues.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have

a Master of Science Degree in GIS is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

The ideal candidate will have knowledge of:

Enterprise GIS governance, administration, and statewide coordination, including planning and execution of ArcGIS system upgrades and platform-level maintenance.
ESRI Enterprise Agreement management, including deployment reporting, license planning, and coordination with ESRI account teams.
interagency and multi-jurisdictional collaboration models, such as NSGIC, MAGIC, Silver Jackets, and federal GIS partnerships.
impacts of statewide security and compliance initiatives, including Zero Trust and ADA requirements, on GIS infrastructure and data accessibility.
cloud storage strategies and data management requirements for large geospatial datasets such as LiDAR.
public-sector procurement processes, including RFP development and vendor response evaluation for GIS-related technologies and services.
GIS communications and public engagement practices, including newsletter creation, information dissemination, and Open Data Hub management.
core GIS concepts, including spatial data management, data modeling, geoprocessing, and best practices for both internal and public-facing GIS solutions.

The Ideal Candidate Will Possess Skills To

facilitate statewide stakeholder engagement, including leading GIS TAG meetings and coordinating collaboration across state agencies, federal partners, and regional organizations.
plan, coordinate, and oversee enterprise GIS initiatives, including statewide upgrades, platform validation, and GIS modernization efforts.
manage vendor relationships, particularly with ESRI, including negotiation, needs assessment, and alignment of statewide priorities with contract capabilities.
communicate effectively through newsletters, briefings, presentations, and clear written documentation for technical and non‑technical audiences.
provide strategic GIS guidance, helping agencies evaluate technologies, modernize systems, and plan long‑term geospatial initiatives.
support public-facing GIS engagement, including responding to Open Data Hub user requests and ensuring accurate dissemination of GIS updates.
contribute to RFP and procurement activities through technical review, drafting, analysis, and vendor evaluation.
apply geospatial best practices, including spatial analysis, GIS platform configuration, and data management.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have The Ability To

lead statewide GIS programs and represent South Dakota at national and regional forums, contributing to multi‑state initiatives and national best‑practice development.
manage the State’s ArcGIS platform ecosystem, including user governance, permissions management, and system-wide configuration oversight.
analyze and plan statewide GIS needs, developing roadmaps, coordinating modernization efforts, and supporting diverse agency missions.
coordinate complex interagency partnerships, including federal, state, and regional collaborations across multiple disciplines such as flood mitigation, emergency management, and environmental monitoring.
interpret and evaluate technology impacts related to compliance, security, and accessibility requirements for GIS systems.
support procurement decision-making, including assessment of vendor proposals and alignment with statewide GIS strategy.
engage effectively with the public and internal customers, providing guidance, managing inquiries, and ensuring responsive support.
prioritize and execute tasks in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, maintaining organization and adapting to shifting statewide priorities.

Additional Requirements: To be considered, please attach your resume.

This position is exempt from the Civil Service Act.

This position is eligible for Veterans’ Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

Successful applicant(s) will be required to undergo a background investigation. An arrest/conviction record will not necessarily bar employment.

NCRC: If you possess a National Career Readiness Certificate, please submit the certificate with your application. For more information on how to acquire a National Career Readiness Certificate contact a South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation Job Service Office. A certificate is not necessary to be considered.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information here . This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

Must apply online: https://gen-stateofsouthdako-trn.inforcloudsuite.com/hcm/xmlhttp/shorturl.do?key=3W2

You must apply online, emailed resumes or submissions will not be accepted.

South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources

Telephone: 605.773.3148 Email: careers@state.sd.us

http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus

"An Equal Opportunity Employer"

State of South Dakota

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State GIS Coordinator