GIS Technical Lead

Environment Canterbury; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Environment Canterbury is seeking an experienced GIS professional to lead the technical direction of its geospatial platforms and services in Christchurch. Reporting to the Geospatial Team Leader, you will shape how geospatial technology supports decision-making, combining leadership with business analysis and project delivery.

You will partner with stakeholders, deliver scalable GIS solutions, and mentor the team while driving continuous improvement in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelors in Geographical and Spatial Science or related field.
• 5–10 years' experience in geospatial technology including requirements gathering, GIS design and project delivery.
• Experience mentoring others and adopting new geospatial technologies.
• Strong communication with both technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, enhancement and maintenance of enterprise GIS platforms and applications.
• Partner with business stakeholders to identify and deliver geospatial solutions aligning with priorities.
• Provide technical leadership across desktop, mobile and web GIS technologies.
• Lead GIS projects including upgrades, integrations and new implementations.
• Mentor team members and champion geospatial best practices.

Skills

GIS platforms

Spatial analysis

Mapping

System integrations

Project leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Geographical and Spatial Science

Tools

ArcGIS

QGIS

Geospatial databases

Job description

• Support the development and maintenance of GIS
• Collaborate with technically talented colleagues
• Talk to us about flexible working options

As a regional council, we are responsible for managing natural resources including air, soil, water and land. We work in partnership with mana whenua Ngāi Tahu to protect the health of our environment to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for our region.

The region's evolving environmental and political context means we will continue to be agile and adaptive, as we respond to regulatory and environmental changes.

Our mahi (work) is organised around the delivery of our three core services:

• Environmental Regulation and Protection
• Community Preparedness and Response to Hazards
• Public Transport

Council plays an important role in responding to national legislation and policy changes – this mahi is part of our operating environment and is embedded in our everyday mahi. The current proposals from central government are significant, and Council is working through the opportunities and implications. However, our mahi must continue to deliver our three core services for our partners, communities and te taiao (environment).

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced GIS professional to lead the technical direction of Environment Canterbury's geospatial platforms and services. Reporting to the Geospatial Team Leader, you'll play a key role in shaping how geospatial technology supports decision-making across the organisation. You'll combine technical leadership, business analysis, project delivery, and stakeholder engagement to deliver innovative and practical GIS solutions that create value for our people and the communities we serve.

In this role you will:

• Lead the development, enhancement and maintenance of enterprise GIS platforms and applications.
• Partner with business stakeholders to identify and deliver geospatial solutions that support organisational priorities.
• Provide technical leadership across desktop, mobile and web-based GIS technologies.
• Lead GIS projects including system upgrades, integrations and new implementations.
• Mentor team members and champion best practice across the geospatial community.

For more information on this role, please refer to the job description at the bottom of the advert.

You're a highly capable geospatial professional who enjoys combining technical expertise with leadership and relationship building. You can translate complex technical concepts into practical solutions and have a proven ability to influence outcomes across a diverse range of stakeholders. You'll be comfortable leading projects, coaching others, and driving continuous improvement in a collaborative environment.

To be successful in this role, you'll have a Bachelor's degree in Geographical and Spatial Science or a related field and ideally have a 5-10 years' experience in geospatial technology, including experience gathering business requirements, designing and implementing GIS solutions, and leading successful projects. Experience mentoring others and supporting the adoption of new technologies will be highly regarded.

• Significant experience delivering enterprise GIS and geospatial technology solutions.
• Strong expertise with GIS platforms, spatial analysis, mapping and system integrations.
• Experience leading projects, managing competing priorities and delivering successful outcomes.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences.

Our mahi is underpinned by our values:

We understand and embrace a diverse workforce; this diversity will enable us to better serve our people, our community, and our greatest taonga, the environment. We value everyone's contribution, diverse thinking, and skills.

We're on a journey to become a treaty partner of excellence, including incorporating te ao Māori into our work. We offer supportive opportunities to develop capability in this area and encourage our people to use kaupapa Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te reo Māori in our daily work. We welcome you with an open heart & mind, wherever you are on your personal te ao Māori journey.

To be considered for this opportunity, candidates must have the legal right to work in New Zealand at the time of application and hold work rights that will enable them to fulfil the full term of employment.