Geographic Information System Specialist

About Apaluma

Apaluma Inc. is an innovative startup dedicated to transforming dark data into actionable intelligence. We build advanced AI-driven and physics-based technologies that help government agencies unlock insights from regulatory, environmental, and real-time monitoring data. Our mission is to provide transparent, data-backed decision-making tools that empower agencies to manage resources effectively and sustainably.

Our Team & How We Work

We are a small team where everyone wears multiple hats and ships work that matters. You will collaborate directly with engineers, data scientists, designers, and product leadership on a daily basis. You should be comfortable stepping outside of your defined role to fill gaps as they come up. That is how a team this size stays effective.

We move fast, communicate openly, and hold each other to a high bar. We default to action over process, and we expect everyone on the team to speak up when something is unclear, broken, or could be better. If you thrive in environments where your voice shapes the product and your work ships quickly, this is the right team.

AI tools are a core part of how we work, not a novelty. We expect every team member to be comfortable using AI assistants, LLMs, and automated tooling in their daily workflows to move faster and think more clearly. You do not need to be an AI engineer, but you do need to be curious, adaptable, and willing to experiment with new tools as they emerge.

Role Overview

We are seeking a GIS Specialist who will support the development, management, and visualization of spatial datasets that underpin Apaluma’s intelligence platform. This role is ideal for mid-career GIS professionals with hands-on experience in geospatial data processing, spatial analysis, and the creation of interactive map layers and visualizations for environmental or regulatory use cases.

You will collaborate closely with engineers, data scientists, product managers, and domain experts to ensure that geospatial datasets, ranging from regulatory boundaries to real-time monitoring data, are accurate, well-structured, and optimized for end-user workflows. Although this is not a software engineering role, familiarity with scripting, API usage, and cloud-based geospatial tools is valuable.

Critically, you will serve as a user advocate. Our end users are government regulators, environmental scientists, and program managers who may not have deep GIS expertise. Your work should always be in service of making geospatial information accessible, intuitive, and useful to them.

Key Responsibilities

Geospatial Data Management & Processing

• Collect, clean, transform, and maintain geospatial datasets including environmental, regulatory, natural resource, and infrastructure data.
• Standardize diverse data formats (e.g., shapefiles, GeoJSON, KML, geodatabases) for integration into Apaluma’s platform.
• Perform spatial joins, buffering, geocoding, topology correction, QA/QC, and feature extraction to support downstream analytics.
• Evaluate data quality, metadata integrity, and lineage for government datasets.

Spatial Analysis & Intelligence Development

• Analyze environmental and regulatory data to surface insights relevant to air quality, water resources, waste sites, land use, permitting activities, and compliance indicators.
• Create geospatial layers from datapoints in relational databases.
• Support inclusion of geospatial layers into training and contextual predictions by AI/ML teams.
• Develop reproducible geospatial workflows that contribute to agency-specific dashboards, reports, and permitting tools.

Map Production & Visualization

• Create high-quality map visuals, layers, and interactive web map configurations to support dashboards, public-facing tools, and internal analysis workflows.
• Collaborate with product and design teams to enhance map usability and interpretability for non-technical government users.
• Support implementation of custom spatial tools (e.g., draw/edit features, layer toggling, geofilters) used across the platform.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication

• Work closely with engineers to integrate geospatial data into backend services and APIs.
• Partner with AI/ML engineers to incorporate spatial context into predictive models and environmental insights.
• Participate in Agile processes including sprint planning, standups, and retrospectives.
• Communicate trade-offs, data limitations, and spatial logic clearly to teammates who may not share your domain expertise.
• Proactively flag issues, ask questions, and contribute ideas. On a small team, silence is expensive.

Quality, Documentation & Support

• Maintain documentation of spatial datasets, transformations, schemas, and workflows.
• Provide internal subject-matter expertise on map accuracy, spatial logic, geographic boundaries, and environmental data sources.
• Assist in troubleshooting geospatial issues related to data integrity, visualization, or spatial processing.

Who You Are

• You are a clear, direct communicator. You write well, you explain your thinking, and you are not afraid to say “I don’t know yet, but here’s how I’d find out.”
• You are a genuine advocate for end users. You think about how a regulator in the field will actually interact with a map layer, not just whether the data is technically correct.
• You are comfortable with ambiguity. At a startup, requirements evolve and priorities shift. You adapt without losing momentum.
• You use AI tools in your daily work. You see LLMs, copilots, and automation as force multipliers, not threats, and you are eager to integrate new tools into your workflows.
• You are a team player who takes ownership. You do not wait to be assigned work when you see something that needs doing.
• You care about craft. Whether it is a data pipeline or a map legend, you take pride in getting the details right.

Qualifications

Required

• 5–7 years of professional GIS experience (government, environmental, regulatory, energy, natural resources, or related domains preferred).
• Proficiency with GIS tools such as ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, GDAL/OGR, or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of geospatial data formats, projections, and coordinate systems.
• Experience performing spatial analysis and creating geospatial workflows.
• Ability to produce clear, intuitive map visualizations for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Familiarity with geospatial standards and data sources used by federal and state agencies (EPA, USGS, BLM, FEMA, state environmental departments, etc.).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. You will be writing documentation, explaining spatial concepts to non-GIS teammates, and occasionally presenting work to stakeholders.
• Demonstrated comfort using AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or similar) to accelerate research, data processing, or documentation workflows.

Preferred

• Experience with Python or other scripting languages for geospatial automation (GeoPandas, Shapely, PyProj, Rasterio).
• Exposure to cloud-based mapping tools or serverless data workflows (e.g., AWS S3, Lambda, or spatial databases).
• Familiarity with environmental permitting, compliance workflows, or regulatory processes.
• Experience supporting applications that incorporate AI/ML outputs or time-series environmental data.
• Understanding of front-end mapping frameworks such as Mapbox, Leaflet, or ArcGIS Online (no development experience required).
• Experience working in a startup or small-team environment where you wore multiple hats.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and health benefits, including major medical, dental, and vision.
• Hybrid position with flexible work hours.
• A collaborative, low-ego culture committed to innovation, transparency, and environmental stewardship.
• Opportunity to shape the geospatial foundation of a high-impact, mission-driven technology platform for government agencies.
• A chance to work on meaningful challenges involving environmental data, regulatory modernization, and public-sector decision intelligence.
• A team that values your perspective and expects you to use it.

Location: Hybrid (U.S.A). New Mexico preferred. Required to travel to New Mexico-based HQ once a quarter for one week (M-F).