Geospatial Services FAQs

Geospatial Services (formerly the GIS Program Office (GPO)) operates under the mission of delivering geospatial information and capabilities to benefit all of New York.

Geospatial Services is part of the NYS Office of Information Technology Services, and has the mission to provide high-level, authoritative GIS data and services to users in all sectors. We coordinate, maintain and develop statewide framework data including Orthoimagery, Elevation, Streets, Addresses, Civil Boundaries, Public Safety Boundaries, and Parcels. In addition, Geospatial Services provides New York State with a GIS Web Services platform to help users and application developers access the data. Many State Agencies rely on Geospatial Services for GIS support.  

Anyone interested in an entry level GIS Position through NYS Office of Information Technology Services Geospatial Services needs to start the process through Civil Service Information Technology Specialist 1 & 2 Examinations. For more information about the various program areas and potential rols at the Geospatial Services, click here.

Geospatial Services is working hard to fill positions supporting our programs which so many have come to rely on.  If you or someone you know might like to join Geospatial Services when these positions come available, there is an important and necessary step to take.  We typically bring new staff into the civil service title Information Technology Specialist 2. Your first step would be to go to this website and apply for an “exam”. At this point you don’t actually sit for an exam, instead you fill out a survey of your relevant college course work, experiences, certifications, and capabilities.  Then when an opening at Geospatial Services becomes available, job relevant characteristics are selected from the same catalog, which hits the database with your survey results. Candidates are then scored by how well their profile matches the selected characteristics needed to fill a particular opening. At that point, unknown to you, you have just taken the "exam".  From that process, Geospatial Services is provided a list of interested candidates. We then validate the survey entries, look at resumes, and start the interview process. 

Please note there is no charge for the application process. In addition, be aware that when filling out the survey GIS classes count towards ITS qualifications.

Additional resources for job seekers include:

• NYS Information Technology Services Employment Opportunities Website, click here
• The NYS GIS Association List of GIS Jobs, click here.