Human Footprint Analyst

**Department** Faculty of Science - Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute

**Salary range** $62,831.16 to $85,336.08

**Hours per week** 40

**Grade** 8

**Posted date**

**Closing date** September 17, 2025

**Position Type** Full Time - Trust Funded

**Description**:
This position is a part of the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).

This position has a term length of one year plus a day, with the strong possibility of renewal and offers a comprehensive benefits package.

**Location -**This position offers a flexible work arrangement, allowing for a combination of remote and/or in-office work based on work preferences. We welcome applicants from across Alberta. In the event that you need to work on-site, you may have the flexibility to attend either the Edmonton or Calgary offices based on your location and convenience. Preference will be discussed during the recruitment process.

**Working at the University of Alberta**
- The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community._

The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people — from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more.

**Working for the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI)**

The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) is dedicated to tracking changes in biodiversity across the entirety of Alberta for the next 100 years, and this resultant information provides Albertans the ability to make informed decisions about the state of their environment in ways never before possible.

**Position Summary**

The Human Footprint Analyst plays a pivotal role in one of ABMI’s most recognized programs—the Human Footprint Monitoring Program—tracking human land use patterns across Alberta’s landscapes over time. As part of the Geospatial Centre’s Human Footprint team, you'll work at the intersection of big data, environmental science, and land-use planning to deliver products that inform decision-making across the province. From the flagship Human Footprint Inventory (HFI) to enhanced datasets for the Oil Sands Region and historical datasets reaching back to the 1950s, your work will help monitor agriculture, energy, forestry, transportation, urban growth, and even human-made waterbodies within Alberta’s landscapes.

Stakeholders across the spectrum—from ENGOs and industry to scientists and planners—rely on these HFI datasets to understand the status and trends of human footprint in Alberta, supporting species modeling, habitat intactness reporting, and guiding land-use planning. The Human Footprint Analyst will design and implement advanced geospatial analyses, build and refine automated workflows, and ensure that ABMI’s human footprint data remains one of the best land use products in Canada, and globally.

The Human Footprint Analyst will directly supervise GIS Technicians, fostering growth through mentorship, training, and collaborative problem-solving. Technical responsibilities include process automation, overseeing QA/QC, project/task management, data analysis, troubleshooting complex geospatial issues, and helping shape efficient data pipelines capable of handling large-scale, province-wide analyses. Ultimately, this role combines technical leadership, creativity in geospatial problem-solving, and meaningful impact—contributing to ecosystem stewardship in Alberta.

**Duties**
- ** GIS tool development and automation**:Design and implement GIS processing techniques and tools to support large-scale geospatial products, improving efficiency and accuracy of Human Footprint datasets.
- ** Photo interpretation and digitizing**: Analyze, extract, interpret, and edit information from satellite imagery and derived data to update and maintain spatial datasets.
- ** Proactive troubleshooting and quality assurance**: Anticipate and address challenges in geospatial data and workflows, and coordinate QA/QC processes to ensure reliable, high-quality products.
- ** Leadership and training**: Supervise, hire, train, and mentor GIS Technicians, set priorities, assign tasks, and develop tutorials and standard operating procedures.
- ** Data management and delivery**: Create, standardize, catalog, and store geospatial datasets, maps, reports, and metadata, managing storage on internal servers or cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCS) to meet delivery timelines.

**Minimum Qualifications**
- **
Education**
- Bachelo