State of Maryland

A HCD Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Professional I is the entry level of work responsible for the development and implementation of GIS solutions and standards for the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).  Employees in this classification provide timely, and creative solutions to end-user computer and networking problems of a complex nature to ensure end-user productivity.  HCD, as a housing finance agency, offers a broad range of financial services that include bond finance, mortgage lending, municipal and small business lending, cashflow loans, tax credit programs and loan servicing, as well as housing voucher and grant administration for community revitalization.  HCD’s commercial partnerships and stakeholders include community and investment banks, sub-services, trustees and bond holders.  HCD's lending and financing programs are inherently time critical, and there are extensive dependencies on personally identifiable information (PII), as well as other sensitive and non-public information.  Employees in this classification have extensive interactions with software/database developers, and stakeholders at partner organizations, and all levels of program (line-of-business) staff.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using by the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the classification specification.

The HCD Geographic Information Systems Professional I and HCD Geographic Information Systems Professional II are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervision exercised by the supervisor over these employees and autonomy and complexity of assignments.  The HCD Geographic Information Systems Professional I is differentiated from the HCD Geographic Information Systems Professional II in that the HCD Geographic Information Systems Professional I performs the duties under close supervision while the HCD Geographic Information Systems Professional II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Enables the Department to expediently respond to opportunities and challenges via Information Technology;

Participates on projects requiring GIS services, maps and data;

Works with business users to define geographic needs;

Has responsibility for the development and maintenance of geospatial databases;

Converts data received from internal and external sources to make them usable in GIS;

Uses GIS technology to perform spatial analysis and database development, extraction and manipulation to support a variety of applications;

Maintains metadata and documentation, performs topology checks and other data quality checks to identify and correct errors or emissions in geospatial data;

Performs user training on GIS applications and tools;

Performs installations and upgrades for GIS software;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of line-of-business programs, their respective missions, and the role of information technology;

Knowledge of computer operating systems and PCs;

Knowledge of ip networks, and client-server architecture;

Knowledge of GIS development software;

Knowledge of database design fundamentals;

Skill design, development and enhancement of geospatial maps;

Skill connecting software to various datasources;

Skill in synthesizing multiple products and technologies into a blended, hybrid solution using niche products;

Skill in reviewing and interpreting event logs;

Skill in automating and monitoring recurring tasks;

Skill in delivering solutions and achieving outcomes via Information Technology;

Ability to analyze organizational needs, architect business solutions, and monitor/administer systems/software to optimize performance;

Ability to use acquired institutional knowledge to achieve organizational efficiencies;

Ability to understand programs needs of computers and software and technology;

Ability to recognize data-connectivity requirements; 

Ability to collect field survey data utilizing GPS equipment.

Experience: Two years and six months to three years and six months of experience, one to two years of experience developing and administering geospatial maps, reports or data layers using GIS software in an organization with extensive level of program integration and reliance on technology and an additional eighteen months of experience converting data from project specifications by writing program code using generally accepted computer programming languages or other developmental tools.

Notes: 

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and one to two years of experience developing and administering geospatial maps, reports or data layers using GIS software in an organization with extensive level of program integration and reliance on technology for the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute six credit hours of coursework in application analysis and programming using generally accepted computer programming languages or other developmental tools for six months of the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate and fifteen credit hours from an accredited college or university in systems analysis and application programming using generally accepted computer programming languages or other developmental tools for the eighteen months of the required education.

4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in Computer Systems Programming classifications or Computer Systems Programming specialty codes in the Information Technology field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit G, Engineering, Scientific and Administrative Professionals classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.   NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance levels in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification. 

Director, Division of Classification and Salary