Senior GIS Developer

Company Description
We are SGS – the world's leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. Our 98,000 employees operate a network of 2,650 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.
Job Description
SGS is currently working in partnership with H2Safety to hire a Senior GIS Developer.

In June 2025, H2Safety became a part of SGS, the world's leading testing, inspection, and certification company - and a world leader in sustainability. As part of SGS, H2Safety is working towards globally advancing operational safety, digital transformation, and ESG performance across industries, including oil and gas, mining, transportation, utilities, renewables, and government. Our success and approach are deeply rooted in building authentic relationships and addressing community concerns transparently, allowing us to also excel in Indigenous and government relations.

The Role
The Senior GIS Developer is a technical leader responsible for designing and implementing automation pipelines and geospatial development tools that support enterprise-wide data integration and operational efficiency. This role plays a key part in the organization's digital transformation efforts by consolidating geospatial and non-spatial datasets, streamlining production workflows, and enabling scalable, data-centric processes.

Working at the intersection of data engineering, GIS, and operational planning, the Senior GIS Developer leads the creation of robust FME workbenches and backend geospatial logic while mentoring junior developers, including those focused on Python or scripting. This position is instrumental in shifting the organization from fragmented, manual, file-based processes to a centralized, Azure-hosted PostgreSQL/PostGIS environment that serves as the authoritative data source for both internal operations and client-facing platforms.

Qualifications
Required Education, Experience & Credentials:

• Bachelor's degree in Geography, GIS, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in geospatial development, spatial data management, or related roles. Ideally within energy, infrastructure, or emergency response sectors.
• Experience designing and implementing enterprise automation workflows using FME and Python.
• Strong familiarity with cloud-hosted environments and enterprise databases (e.g., PostgreSQL/PostGIS, ArcSDE/SQl Server); experience with Azure is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in GIS development, including ESRI technologies such as ArcGIS Pro, Enterprise/Portal, Field Maps, and Survey123.
• Experience collaborating with software development teams using source control (e.g., Git), work tracking systems like DevOps/Jira, and structured QA processes.
• Prior mentorship or leadership experience is an asset.
• Professional certifications (e.g., FME Certified Professional, GISP, Esri technical, Azure) are considered assets.

Key Duties And Responsibilities

• Design and maintain FME workbenches and Python scripts that automate the downloads, transformation, validation, and publishing of geospatial, non-spatial, regulatory, client, and internal datasets (~100 in total).
• Provide technical support for automated data transformation pipelines and scheduling.
• Develop reusable pipelines to convert non-spatial data into spatial formats where applicable, enabling full geospatial analysis and integration.
• Eliminate redundant copies of data by enabling real-time and scheduled processes that update and sync data directly to an Azure-hosted PostgreSQL/PostGIS database.
• Experience with psql command-line interface, creating and managing database views, and working with PostGIS spatial extensions for geographic data analysis.
• Work to modernize existing workflows.
• Automate the flow of Emergency Response Plan (ERP) data from source to output, ensuring client facing systems and internal teams always have accurate, real-time information without manual intervention.
• Provide guidance and support to junior developers, helping them improve their FME and Python skills.
• Promote good development habits, including clean code, clear documentation, quality control, and version control (e.g., Git).
• Help build a strong, reliable development workflow and encourage ongoing learning to grow internal automation expertise.
• Ensure all scripts, workbenches, and data processes are clearly documented to support transparency, troubleshooting, and long-term maintainability.
• Promote a culture of thorough documentation so that workflows can be easily understood, maintained, and handed off when needed.
• Collaborate with the GIS Manager to align data automation with business rules, project timelines, and quality standards.
• Support the Software Development Team by contributing geospatial components to COP+ and ensuring interoperability between backend systems and client-facing tools.
• Translate automation requirements from cross-functional teams into scalable, maintainable solutions.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Competencies

• Proven ability to understand complex, interdependent systems and anticipate the downstream impacts of changes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts into plain language for non-technical stakeholders and decision-makers.
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills. Able to manage multiple datasets, projects, and priorities simultaneously without losing sight of system integrity.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive mindset; takes ownership and drives work forward without needing close supervision.
• Ability to balance hands-on development work with broader architectural thinking and process design.
• Interest in mentoring and coaching others on development best practices, clean code, and automation design principles.
• Commitment to building robust, scalable systems emphasizing maintainability, documentation, and resilience.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and making sound recommendations when requirements are evolving or incomplete.
• Team-oriented with strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach to cross-functional work.
• A mindset rooted in continuous improvement. Eager to streamline processes, reduce manual work, and find better ways of doing things.

Additional Information
SGS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and as such we recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and Indigenous status, or any other characteristics protected by law.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required.

This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts the company's rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Accommodations are available on request for qualified candidates during each stage of the recruitment process.

Please note that candidates applying for Canadian job openings should be authorized to work in Canada.