GIS Student Services Contractor

How to apply: (1) a brief cover letter (1 or 2 paragraphs) expressing interest in the job opportunity, (2) a resume that lists two faculty or professional references to Jamie Schoen at jschoen@usgs.gov

For more information about the UMESC, visit https://www.usgs.gov/centers/umesc.

Please contact Jamie Schoen at jschoen@usgs.gov or at (608) 781-6371 with any questions about this opportunity.

Open Period: Applicants will be reviewed by 3/20/26.

Job Description:

We are seeking several students to assist the Geospatial Sciences and Technologies Branch. This Branch is within the U.S. Geological Survey's Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The mission of UMESC is to support the Department of the Interior's biological and natural resource science needs in the Mississippi River Basin. UMESC also coordinates its research with other USGS Science Centers, other federal and state agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations to broadly address ecological and societal issues of concern throughout the Nation's heartland. Gain real-world experience working with the federal government and add skills that complement your planned or recent degree. You will be exposed to a variety of specialized equipment used in the field, GIS software, procedures, and processes, and hands-on experience working with research scientists and partners across the federal government.

Location: UMESC, 2630 Fanta Reed Rd, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54603

Pay: $18.78/hour for current students, $21.01/hour for recent graduates

Responsibilities:

• Compile valid and reliable data to plan and conduct scientific projects that will provide conceptual and technical recommendations in the potential use and application of GIS in biological and geographical investigations. 
• Assist in the archival of historical aerial imagery in a digital format as part of an ongoing effort to catalog and preserve imagery collected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's Long Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) element of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) program.
• Perform analyses on elevation data to update an existing database with safe boat ramp usage information for inland oil spill preparedness.
• Maintain and update ArcGIS Online Hubs and StoryMaps.
• Assist with hydroacoustic field work utilizing single beam and multibeam echosounders, ADCP, and sidescan sonar. Some field work will be performed with an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV).
• Act as a visual observer for Unmanned Aerial Systems field work.
• Complete a variety of GIS and remote sensing related tasks, including but not limited to data entry and quality control, geospatial data editing, attributing, and digitizing, aerial imagery scanning and geo-referencing, developing metadata, and cartographic production.

Eligibility: Students are eligible if they are enrolled in a degree program or have graduated but received a college/university degree less than 12 months ago and are at least 18 years of age. Non-US citizens may be eligible to participate, depending on their immigration status and the applicable regulations of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. USGS employees, their spouses, and their children are not eligible to participate in this program.

When: Summer 2026 with a 2-year maximum contract.

Location type:

Onsite (2), Remote (2)

Onsite location:

2630 Fanta Reed Road, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54603, United States

Remote work requirements:

Remote employees must be based within the US

Schedule:

Full time

Employment duration:

Temporary or seasonal

Estimated start date:

06/01/2026

Estimated end date:

06/01/2028

Expected pay:

$18.78/hour for current students, $21.01/hour for recent graduates