Senior GIS Database Migration Architect

About the role

Senior GIS Database Migration Architect serving as the primary technical lead for an enterprise Oracle-to-PostgreSQL/PostGIS GIS migration assessment. This engagement is strictly assessment-oriented: validate current-state conditions, identify compatibility and dependency risks, define remediation options, and build a phased migration roadmap and runbook for a large Esri Enterprise Geodatabase environment.

Location: Houston, Texas (Hybrid) or Remote. Duration: 6 month Contract-to-Hire.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute technical discovery for the in-scope Lower 48 Esri Enterprise Geodatabase environment, including the Oracle database, ArcGIS Enterprise/Portal services, ETLs, source systems, and downstream consumers.
• Create and maintain an inventory of candidate databases, schemas, tables, feature classes, layers, services, schedules, interfaces, and ownership information.
• Analyze Esri geodatabase constructs and relational dependencies, including spatial data types, domains, subtypes, relationship classes, attachments, Global IDs, attribute rules, and versioning.
• Assess Oracle-to-PostgreSQL/PostGIS conversion risks across schemas, data types, date and time handling, spatial references, geometry behavior, indexing, constraints, privileges, and performance.
• Document known ETLs, source systems, schedules, transformation logic, and consuming services, while flagging dependencies and reconnection risks involving ArcGIS Portal, Survey123, FME, Spotfire, and Power BI.
• Contribute database-layer recommendations for ETL governance, naming, metadata, lineage, spatial reference and datum standards, access, change control, and lifecycle management.
• Own the technical content for a phased migration roadmap and runbook covering wave planning, sequencing, prerequisites, validation gates, rollback planning, and operational transition.
• Evaluate whether on-premises PostgreSQL/PostGIS recommendations align with potential future cloud-hosted patterns to prevent avoidable rework.

Requirements

Education

Bachelor's degree in Geographic Information Systems, Computer Science, Database Administration, or a related technical discipline.

Experience

Eight or more years of progressively responsible GIS, spatial database, database architecture, or data migration experience, including substantial hands-on work in enterprise Esri environments.

Technical Skills

• Demonstrated experience assessing or planning migrations from Oracle Enterprise Geodatabases to PostgreSQL/PostGIS.
• Advanced SQL skills and schema analysis.
• Strong working knowledge of ArcGIS Enterprise 11.x, Portal, and ArcGIS Pro.
• Experience analyzing ETL patterns using tools such as FME, Python, SQL, or ArcPy.

Qualifications

• Experience in utilities, infrastructure, or another asset-intensive environment with large enterprise GIS estates.
• Experience with ArcGIS Online, Survey123, Power BI, Spotfire, and hybrid on-premises/cloud architectures.
• Experience designing data validation, reconciliation, profiling, lineage, metadata, and governance controls for spatial data migrations.
• Familiarity with cloud-based PostgreSQL databases, networking patterns, infrastructure-as-code, and observability practices.
• Relevant Esri, PostgreSQL, Oracle, or data architecture certifications.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans.
• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP).
• 401(k) with company match after 12 months of tenure (eligible to contribute typically within 30 days of start).
• Health Savings Account (HSA) on the HDHP plan.
• SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions.
• Corporate discount savings program and other discounts.
• On-demand training program.
• Access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses, books, and seminars after 6+ months of tenure.
• Certification discounts and perks for associations including CompTIA and IIBA.
• Dedicated customer service team for consultants addressing benefits and resources.
• Certified Career Coach.