Geospatial Analyst

publichealthontario; Toronto; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Public Health Ontario seeks a Geospatial Analyst to provide expert analytics that transform health data into actionable intelligence across surveillance, population health assessment, and public health planning. This role supports PHO and the broader system with GIS innovations addressing priorities and emerging threats.

You will develop integrated geospatial data assets, create maps and dashboards, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to inform evidence-based decision making within

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in geography, GIS, or related field.
• Minimum five years' experience with GIS and geospatial analysis.
• Advanced knowledge of GIS platforms and spatial analytics.
• Experience with PHO technologies such as ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online, Python, SQL, and R is an asset.
• Knowledge of privacy, security, and data stewardship for health data.

Responsibilities

• Develops, maintains, and enhances integrated geospatial data assets with quality governance.
• Develops geospatial analyses, visualizations, and spatial intelligence products for surveillance and planning.
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on spatial modelling and risk factor analysis.
• Promotes adoption of geospatial methods to advance PHO priorities.
• Communicates findings via maps, dashboards, reports, and presentations.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Skills

Cartographic design

Geospatial analysis

Spatial modelling

Geostatistics

Web mapping

Data visualization

Geospatial governance

Public health knowledge

Education

Bachelors in Geography or GIS

5+ years GIS experience

ArcGIS Pro / ArcGIS Online

Python / SQL / R

Tools

ArcGIS Pro

ArcGIS Enterprise

ArcGIS Online

Python

SQL

R

Job description

Geospatial Analyst

Location: Toronto-661 University

Department: Data Science and Analytics

This posting is to fill a current vacancy.

The Role:

To provide geospatial analytics expertise that transforms data into actionable intelligence, supporting surveillance, population health assessment, public health planning, research, and evidence-informed decision-making across Public Health Ontario and the broader public health system.

To advance PHO's capacity in geospatial analysis, spatial data management, and geographic information systems by developing innovative analytical approaches, visualizations, and decision-support products that address public health priorities, population health issues, and emerging health threats.

Key Responsibilities-

• Develops, maintains, and enhances integrated geospatial data assets from internal and external sources, applying data quality, metadata, and governance practices to support public health analytics and decision-making.
• Develops geospatial analyses, visualizations, and spatial intelligence products that support surveillance, epidemiology, population and health system assessment, research, planning, and data science initiatives.
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to apply spatial modelling, hotspot detection, population characterization, accessibility analysis, and risk factor analysis to public health priorities, population health issues, health equity considerations, and emerging health threats.
• Promotes the adoption of innovative geospatial methods and technologies that advance PHO strategic priorities and strengthen evidence-informed public health practice.
• Acquires, integrates, analyzes, interprets, and assesses the quality of administrative, demographic, socioeconomic, environmental, remote sensing, health, and other relevant data.
• Identifies and manages spatial reference data, including geographic boundaries, service locations, points of interest, and environmental features of public health relevance.
• Serves as a subject matter expert in geospatial analytics, advising PHO and collaborating with external organizations on data standards, data-sharing practices, analytical methods, and geospatial capabilities.
• Evaluates emerging geospatial trends, technologies, standards, and practices for appropriate application within PHO.
• Communicates geospatial findings through maps, dashboards, interactive applications, reports, presentations, and scientific forums, and represents PHO in relevant collaborations.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge and Skills-

• Proficiency in cartographic design, geospatial visualization, geostatistics, spatial modelling, and spatial data analysis, including communicating complex information through maps, dashboards, interactive applications, and other decision-support products.
• Knowledge of geospatial data platforms, cloud and web mapping technologies, spatial databases, data integration tools, and practices used to develop, share, and sustain geospatial products.
• Knowledge of geospatial theories, methods, and geographic concepts and their application to public health analysis and decision-making.
• Knowledge of geospatial data management and governance, including raster and vector data models, spatial databases, metadata standards, data quality, privacy, security, and information management principles.
• Knowledge of public health, epidemiology, population health, health equity, environmental determinants of health, and health system concepts relevant to geospatial analysis.
• Knowledge of applicable privacy, security, ethical, and data stewardship requirements for collecting, using, linking, visualizing, and sharing health and geospatial data, including Indigenous data governance considerations.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning in geospatial analytics, data science, public health intelligence, and related technologies.

Education and Experience-

• Bachelor's degree in geography, geomatics, geographic information systems (GIS), spatial data science, epidemiology, public health, environmental science, data science, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• A minimum of five years' work experience with GIS and geospatial analysis.
• Advanced knowledge of enterprise and open-source GIS and geospatial analytics platforms, with experience in spatial analysis, web mapping, scripting, automation, application development, APIs, and relevant programming and query languages.
• Experience with PHO-supported technologies such as ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online, Python, SQL, and R is an asset.

Attributes and Competencies-

• Oral, written, visual, and interpersonal communication skills to translate complex geospatial findings into clear, accessible insights for technical, non-technical, and executive audiences.
• Consultation, facilitation, and presentation skills to gather requirements, explain analytical methods and limitations, and communicate findings and recommendat