FL Conservation GIS Analyst

Job Detail

Organization: FL Natural Areas Inventory - FSU
Title: FL Conservation GIS Analyst
Location: Tallahassee, FL

Posted: 2026-06-30
Application Deadline: 2026-07-20

Position Description:

POSITION TITLE: Conservation GIS Analyst (FL Natural Areas Inventory)
SUPERVISOR: Jon Oetting
LOCATION: Tallahassee, FL
CLOSING DATE: July 20, 2026 (midnight)
SALARY: $52,000
PAY PLAN: A&P

SUMMARY OF POSITION:
The Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) at Florida State University is seeking a spatial conservation analyst with a strong personal interest in supporting conservation in Florida through systematic planning work. Work will involve a wide variety of data analysis and processing including mapping, modeling, and spatial prioritization to guide land acquisition and land management decision making. We invite applications from people of all natural resource backgrounds (planning, biology, forestry, etc) who also have strong multi-platform GIS skills and an analytical mindset. This position will be approved for up to two days per week of remote work.

The Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) is Florida's Natural Heritage Program and state member of the NatureServe network. We are housed within the Florida Resources and Environmental Analysis Center at Florida State University . FNAI maintains a spatial database of information on Florida's rarest species and conservation lands and works on an array of applied research projects to inform conservation and land management decisions. Our funding is provided by contracts and grants from state and federal agency partners.

Our office is off campus in Midtown, which is centrally located near shops, restaurants, and historic neighborhoods. The larger Tallahassee region offers many outdoor recreation opportunities in the nearby Apalachicola National Forest and a number of coastal parks and refuges within a short drive from town.

For additional information about us please visit: https://www.fnai.org/

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Conduct and assist in assessments of spatial conservation priorities for natural resources, particularly biodiversity, natural communities, and landscape integrity. Develop measures and tools to evaluate the success of conservation decisions and actions compared to conservation priorities.
Prepare reports, presentations, data analysis, and summaries for GIS-related departmental projects; conduct outreach with entities outside of FNAI for data and information.
Provide technical expertise and make recommendations in development and application of geospatial analysis, design, database implementation, procedures, and quality assurance/quality control for departmental projects.
Develop species and ecosystem spatial models using a variety of methods ranging from expert-driven to machine-learning algorithms (e.g., Maxent, Random Forest, etc.).
Develop scripts and tools to facilitate workflow efficiency, data consistency, and reproducible analysis.
Develop and maintain natural resource-based GIS layers and conduct spatial analyses for state and regional conservation planning
Assist with acquisition, organization, and maintenance of the program’s base GIS data and other databases.
Provide technical GIS support for FNAI operations; assist with GIS training for staff; assist with GIS software maintenance
Develop data dictionaries, data models, and metadata for geospatial applications, including web-based applications.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s degree in GIS, Geography, Environmental Science, Biology, Forestry, Urban Planning, or a related field and a minimum of two years of experience or an MS in one of these same fields
A strong personal interest in developing a career in conservation
Experience with ESRI ArcGIS software
Demonstrable experience using at least one scripting language for data analysis and presentation (Python, R, or both)
Familiarity with the strengths and weaknesses of AI tools for code development
Strong digital organization skills and a commitment to reproducible analysis methods
Some experience in the use of remote sensing
Ability to communicate well in person and in writing.
Ability to work well with FNAI staff scientists.
Ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
Ability to serve as a representative of FNAI and interface well with professional colleagues and the public

PREFERRED:
Some background in statistical analysis
Familiarity with geospatial foundation models and their potential conservation applications
Experience conducting analysis with Google Earth Engine
Familiarity with use of UAVs (drones) and processing UAV collected data
Familiarity with databases and SQL
Experience in species habitat or distribution modeling
Experience with natural community and habitat interpretation from aerial photographs, satellite imagery, and soil surveys.
Familiarity with Florida’s natural communities, flora, and fauna
Familiarity with Florida’s current and recent state conservation and land use planning programs, including land acquisition.
Awareness of major conservation issues, challenges, and opportunities in Florida

TO APPLY:

To be considered for this position, complete the application on the FSU website as soon as possible.

Job ID = 62931

https://jobs.omni.fsu.edu/psc/sprdhr_er/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=62931&PostingSeq=1

For questions, or more information, contact Frank Price, FNAI Director, at [email protected] or Jon Oetting, Chief of Conservation Planning Services, at [email protected].

VETERAN’S PREFERENCE:

Certain servicemembers and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such servicemembers and veterans, receive preference and priority, and certain servicemembers may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements, in employment by the state and its political subdivisions and are encouraged to apply for the positions being filled. Veterans' Preference applies to University Support Personnel System (USPS) positions only.

IMPORTANT: To claim Veterans' Preference, select “yes” to the question on the application questionnaire and upload a DD-214 (or equivalent), the Veterans' Preference Certification form, and other documentation if applicable with your online application before midnight of the position closing date.

Click the links for eligibility information and required documentation, or call FSU Human Resources at (850) 644-6034.

CONSIDERATIONS:

This is an A&P (University Administrative and Professional) position.

This position requires successful completion of a criminal history background check.

EEO:

An Equal Opportunity/Access/Affirmative Action/Pro Disabled & Veteran Employer.

FSU's Equal Opportunity Statement can be accessed at: https://hr.fsu.edu/sites/g/files/upcbnu2186/files/PDF/Publications/diversity/EEO_Statement.pdf.

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