Would You Take This Job – GIS Application Developer

Job Title: GIS Application Developer

Company: State of Arizona

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Schedule: Full-time; state classified position (see posting for appointment type and work-site details)

Salary: $60,750 – $109,696 (range listed on posting)

What You’ll Do:
Design, develop, and maintain enterprise GIS applications and web mapping tools; build geospatial workflows and data services; write and maintain Python/ArcPy scripts and APIs; develop front-end mapping clients; support GIS database management and performance tuning; and collaborate with business units and IT to integrate GIS into state systems.

Required Qualifications (high level):

  • Degree in GIS, Geography, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.

  • Experience with ArcGIS platform (ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise), Python/ArcPy scripting, and web mapping libraries (e.g., ArcGIS API for JavaScript).

  • Strong problem-solving skills and experience working with stakeholders across organizations.

Why it’s unique:
This role supports GIS tools used across state agencies—planning, transportation, natural resources, and emergency management—so your work has direct public-sector impact and visibility. It combines software development, enterprise GIS administration, and opportunities to influence cross-agency systems.

Link to job posting to view more job details or apply:

Would You Take This Job?
Would you move into a public-sector GIS developer role that blends coding, enterprise systems work, and cross-agency impact? Why or why not?

In my last state GIS dev job in Phoenix, the biggest quality-of-life factor was whether they had ArcGIS Enterprise with separate dev/test/prod and a Git-based deployment for Python/GP services - without that, you end up spending weeks hand-fixing services. In the interview, ask them to walk you through how a change to a web map or feature service goes from code to production; their answer will tell you if you’ll be building or firefighting.

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