Spatial Data Infrastructure Specialist

The SDI Specialist will play a pivotal role in providing technical leadership for the planning, design, implementation, integration, governance, and continuous enhancement of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) projects within enterprise and public-sector environments. This position demands a strategic thinker who can develop robust frameworks and scalable solutions to support geospatial data management and sharing across multiple agencies and platforms.

Key Responsibilities

- Develop comprehensive SDI strategies, implementation roadmaps, operating models, reference architectures, and technical standards to guide project execution.
- Design scalable, secure SDI components such as geoportals, data clearinghouses, metadata catalogues, spatial repositories, discovery services, APIs, and geospatial web services.
- Define end-to-end data pipelines for vector, raster, imagery, and remote-sensing datasets, covering acquisition, validation, transformation, storage, indexing, versioning, publication, and archival processes.
- Establish governance frameworks addressing geospatial data ownership, custodianship, stewardship, licensing, access control, privacy, security, and inter-agency data sharing.
- Ensure compliance and alignment with relevant OGC and ISO geospatial standards, while defining functional, non-functional, interoperability, performance, availability, and acceptance criteria.
- Lead the integration of spatial databases and GIS platforms with enterprise systems, mobile applications, cloud services, external data sources, and analytics platforms.
- Conduct technical assessments including architecture reviews, feasibility studies, gap analyses, technology evaluations, risk assessments, and quality assurance reviews.
- Prepare and review technical documentation such as requirements specifications, solution architectures, data models, integration plans, governance frameworks, operating procedures, and proposals.
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship to multidisciplinary teams including GIS, software development, database administration, cloud infrastructure, and quality assurance.
- Facilitate stakeholder engagement through consultations, technical workshops, knowledge transfer sessions, training programs, and institutional capacity-building initiatives.

Required Qualifications

- Extensive knowledge of SDI concepts, enterprise GIS architecture, spatial databases, metadata catalogues, geoportals, APIs, and data interoperability standards.
- Strong understanding and practical application of OGC and ISO geospatial standards.
- Hands-on experience with technologies such as PostGIS, GeoServer, MapServer, QGIS, ArcGIS Enterprise, GeoNetwork, STAC, and COG or similar platforms.
- Expertise in managing and processing vector, raster, imagery, and remote-sensing data workflows.
- Familiarity with cloud architectures, object storage solutions, containerization, system integration, high availability, backup and recovery strategies, and cybersecurity best practices.
- Proven ability to develop and implement geospatial data governance, quality assurance, security, sharing, licensing, and institutional frameworks.
- Demonstrated skill in translating complex business and policy requirements into actionable technical designs and specifications.
- Strong analytical, documentation, communication, facilitation, stakeholder management, and problem-solving capabilities.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and coordinating effectively with government entities, institutional partners, and technical stakeholders.
- Knowledge of international geospatial information management frameworks, including the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF), is advantageous.

Experience

- Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in GIS, SDI, geospatial systems, or enterprise architecture.
- Preferably 12 or more years of experience, including involvement in national, provincial, municipal, sectoral, or enterprise-level SDI initiatives.

Education

- A Master’s degree in GIS, Geoinformatics, Geomatics, Remote Sensing, Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Geography, or a related field is required.
- Professional certifications in GIS, enterprise architecture, cloud platforms, databases, information security, or project management are preferred.

Location

- This position is based in Lahore.