Senior GIS Database Migration Architect - Remote

Strong working knowledge of ArcGIS Enterprise 11.x, Portal for ArcGIS, ArcGIS Server, Enterprise Geodatabases, ArcGIS Pro, services, attachments, Global IDs, relationship classes, versioning, and spatial references. Working knowledge of Azure architecture relevant to PostgreSQL/PostGIS and Esri workloads, including identity, networking, private connectivity, monitoring, backup, resilience, security, and migration planning.

Ideally looking for a Data/Database/DBA background with architecture experience.
Role: Senior GIS Database Migration Architect
Location: Houston, TX (hybrid) or Remote
Duration: 6-month Contract-to-Hire
W2, Candidates must be eligible to work in US without sponsorship now or in future.

Must have the following experience:
Esri enterprise environment experience
GIS experience
Experience managing an enterprise Database - must have Postgres/PostgreSQL/PostGIS experience
Migration or Assessment experience

Hands-on GIS database migration architect to serve as the primary technical lead for an enterprise Oracle-to-PostgreSQL/PostGIS GIS migration assessment. This person will perform the majority of the technical discovery, analysis, architecture, documentation, and roadmap development required to assess a large Esri Enterprise Geodatabase environment and prepare a defensible migration plan. The engagement is assessment-focused: the role will validate current-state conditions, identify compatibility and dependency risks, define remediation options, and build the phased migration roadmap/runbook. Production migration execution is not part of this phase.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressively responsible GIS, spatial database, database architecture, or data migration experience, including substantial hands-on work in enterprise Esri environments.
• Demonstrated experience assessing or planning migrations from Oracle Enterprise Geodatabases to PostgreSQL/PostGIS. Direct migration implementation experience is strongly preferred.
• Advanced Oracle skills, including SQL, schema and dependency analysis, data types, spatial capabilities, indexing, query analysis, security, and migration risk identification.
• Advanced PostgreSQL/PostGIS skills, including spatial types and functions, schema design, indexing, query tuning, permissions, backup and recovery considerations, and operational support patterns.
• Strong working knowledge of ArcGIS Enterprise 11.x, Portal for ArcGIS, ArcGIS Server, Enterprise Geodatabases, ArcGIS Pro, services, attachments, Global IDs, relationship classes, versioning, and spatial references.
• Experience analyzing ETL and integration patterns using tools such as FME, Python, SQL, ArcPy, APIs, scheduled jobs, or comparable orchestration approaches.
• Working knowledge of Azure architecture relevant to PostgreSQL/PostGIS and Esri workloads, including identity, networking, private connectivity, monitoring, backup, resilience, security, and migration planning.
• Ability to independently lead technical discovery, facilitate workshops, document complex environments, evaluate trade-offs, and convert findings into client-ready reports and roadmaps.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to explain database and GIS risks to architects, operations leaders, project stakeholders, and executives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in oil and gas, utilities, infrastructure, or another asset-intensive environment with large enterprise GIS estates.
• Experience with ArcGIS Online, Survey123, Power BI, Spotfire, Snowflake-hosted PostgreSQL patterns, and hybrid on-premises/cloud architectures.
• Experience designing data validation, reconciliation, profiling, lineage, metadata, and governance controls for spatial data migrations.
• Familiarity with Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Azure networking and identity patterns, infrastructure-as-code, CI/CD, and observability practices.
• Relevant Esri, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Microsoft Azure, or data architecture certifications. Certifications are valued, but demonstrated delivery experience is more important.