Geospatial Scientist, Data Collection and Quality

7+ years of experience leading geospatial data acquisition and quality management activities in complex government or commercial projects. Expertise in geospatial sciences including cartography, GIS, data management, and geospatial infrastructure. Demonstrated ability to manage vendor/provider relationships and negotiate data licensing and acquisition contracts. Experience developing and applying QA/QC procedures and standards to geospatial datasets. Strong analytical, communication, and presentation skills. Experience with scripting, automation, and geospatial data processing tools. Familiarity with geospatial data standards, metadata management, and federal data policies. Proven track record managing large-scale data projects with multiple stakeholders and distributed teams.

Lead the development and refinement of methodologies for geospatial data collection, acquisition, and maintenance. Manage data intake, prioritize data needs, and ensure quality control throughout acquisition and delivery processes. Maintain and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to data acquisition, refresh, quality assurance, and data publishing. Oversee budget management for data acquisition. Define and enforce requirements for geospatial data including accuracy, coverage, resolution, formats, licensing, update frequency, and system compatibility. Identify and engage high-quality geospatial data providers. Manage procurement or production activities to ensure timely delivery of high-quality, licensed geospatial data. Maintain ongoing communication with data providers regarding data use, dissemination, security, quality, and acceptance criteria. Negotiate licensing agreements and purchasing options. Provide technical support and oversight to ensure data products meet acceptance criteria and mission requirements. Facilitate technical demonstrations and presentations of geospatial data and analyses. Support integration of data products into government systems. Lead QA/QC efforts, including data review, validation, and application of standardized checklists. Manage feedback loops with data users and providers to identify and implement content improvements and resolve data quality issues. Develop and maintain geospatial metadata, ensuring completeness, consistency, and usability. Automate data processing workflows where feasible. Oversee data registration, cataloging, publication, hosting, and federation within government geospatial platforms. Ensure compliance with applicable standards and regulations (e.g., FGDC, ISO) and apply best practices in geospatial data lifecycle management. Monitor and analyze performance metrics and user feedback to continuously improve data acquisition and management processes. Maintain documentation of all processes, data integration plans, and QA/QC plans.