Role: Senior GIS Database Migration Architect
Location: Houston, TX (hybrid) or Remote
Duration: 6-month Contract-to-Hire
Not looking for a core Developer background. Ideally looking for a Data/Database/DBA background with architecture experience.
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
This role is exclusive to Apex. Candidates local to Houston, TX that are open to working hybrid are preferred but open to remote candidates nationwide.
This is a contract to hire role, and the client does not provide any form of be eligible to work in US without sponsorship now or in future.
JD
Apex Systems is seeking a senior, 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.
Core Responsibilities
- Lead Current-State Technical Assessment
- Perform Oracle-to-PostgreSQL/PostGIS Compatibility Analysis
- Map Integrations, ETLs, and Operational Dependencies
- Develop Governance and Target-State Recommendations
- Build the Migration Roadmap and Runbook
- Support Future Azure Readiness Without Expanding Scope
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.