Position Announcement: Grad. Asst. in Libraries GIS

POSITION TITLE

Libraries GIS Graduate Assistant

(Graduate Student - Administrative Professional)

HOURS/TERM OF APPOINTMENT

12-month appointment, 20 hours/week (must be enrolled a minimum of 12 credit hours in a Purdue graduate program for the period of the appointment).

SALARY/PAY

approx. $1230/mo

STARTS

when filled, depending on current enrollment status

DEADLINE

applications accepted until the position is filled, ideally by fall semester

LOCATION

Earth & Atmospheric Sciences Library (EAS) GIS Lab

GENERAL POSITION DESCRIPTION

Under the direction of the GIS Librarian, the Libraries GIS Graduate Assistant will apply knowledge of developing web and internet technologies, application development and coding languages, and/or some database and server administration toward organizing or presenting geospatial data, maps, and associated, integrated information to library users in modern (mostly) web applications.

GIS support at Purdue University Libraries is relatively new, but demand is already great for ways in which geospatial data can be processed, organized, integrated with other data stores, and ultimately presented to constituents of both the Libraries and outward-facing campus projects beyond the Libraries. Our ability to make geospatial data more accessible and discoverable depends on our ability to, among other things, leverage burgeoning web technologies toward new solutions to old information problems.

This position will help identify and implement the best technologies for solutions and projects and development that are already being, or will be, investigated by the GIS Librarian and collaborators. This will include custom web coding, contribution to/exploitation of open source geospatial applications, and some database integration functions. Likely technologies include various combinations of ajax/JavaScript/jQuery, web services (inc. json, xml, etc.), OpenLayers, php, PostGIS/PostgreSQL, MySQL, ArcGIS Deskop, ArcGIS Server, Apache Solr (java), GeoNetwork (java).

RESPONSIBILITIES

...help select and implement web or web-compliant technologies that can best parley the mission of a project into usable interfaces to geospatial information

...work independently on coding solutions to problems and questions posed by the GIS Librarian, within the context of larger geospatial projects and their intended users and outcomes

...perform some basic web site administration and, if possible, some server and database administration

...perform related duties as required

REQUIRED SKILLS

...experience, success with traditional (dynamic) web technologies such as php, ajax/javascript, sql-based databases

...familiarity with modern web architecture (json, xml, web services, etc.)

DESIRED SKILLS

...experience with geospatial data and databases

...experience with GIS

...demonstrated success in building web interfaces to dynamic, data-driven back ends

...experience with or contribution to open source application development

A NOTE ABOUT SKILLS

Varying combinations of these skills and experience will be considered.

TO APPLY

Send resume, cover letter to GIS Librarian Chris Miller. Ideally, include URLs to existing web apps or projects to which you have contributed.