GIS Analyst (Newsperson)

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world's population sees AP journalism every day.

The Associated Press seeks a geographic information systems analyst who is eager to use data, statistics and maps to understand what’s taking place in American elections and in the electorate. We’re looking for someone with experience working with GIS and elections data to create, maintain and – most critically – innovate AP’s maps of election outcomes and results. This analyst will also play a key role on the team that collects precinct vote totals. This position on our Election Analytics team is based in Washington, D.C., although exceptional candidates in other locations will be considered. It is covered by AP’s agreement with the News Media Guild.

Responsibilities: Reporting to the director of polling and election analytics, you will work on the team that counts the vote and declares winners in U.S. elections as part of AP’s unique role in the American democracy. In this role, you will maintain AP’s election maps, from those used for internal analysis to those that make up a key component of our news report and digital experience on apnews.com. They include maps of counties, townships, precincts, congressional districts and state legislative seats, which need to be kept current as boundaries and districts change.

You will also be a key part of the team developing novel and inventive ways to use election results and related data to show the how and the why of winning and losing. That includes analyzing U.S. Census data, public opinion surveys and other types of demographic data, and offering leadership across the AP Elections Services team on how best to use maps and geospatial data.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in cartography, computer science, geography, geospatial information systems, statistics or journalism with an emphasis in data or computer science, or equivalent experience, such as at least one year of full-time work as a GIS analyst or cartographer.
• Experience working with spatial data in a data science or general-purpose programming language, such as Python, R, JavaScript or Node.
• Proficiency with GIS software such as QGIS or ESRI ArcGIS is required, as is experience working with geospatial file formats such as ESRI shapefile, GeoJSON and TopoJSON.
• All applicants must have authorization to work in the U.S. or be able to gain permission to do so.
• The ability and willingness to work at night and on weekends, as AP is a 24/7 operation and polls almost always close after the end of the business day.
• Advanced-level professional competency in written and spoken English. Professional competency in a language besides English is a plus.
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Preferred Qualifications:

You’ve got a portfolio of visually appealing maps to share, and you have basic web development skills. Experience with front-end mapping tools and libraries such as d3-geo, MapboxGL/MapLibre, Leaflet, ArcGIS and JSAPI is a plus.

But we’re just as interested in how you create maps and solve problems as in the tools you’ve used to do so. You are a highly motivated, independent and detail-oriented analyst and journalist who is committed to using your technical skills to advance the strong, fact-based reporting of AP’s staff. You embrace best practices, standards and agile methodologies, and you keep an eye on new technologies and enjoy developing creative solutions, even under tight deadlines.

You understand that there’s always more to know, and you expect to learn from your teammates in addition to sharing what you know. You’re looking for a collegial environment that involves consistent communication, and you enjoy sharing ideas with people from diverse backgrounds, areas of expertise and experience.

We will consider strong candidates who do not meet every listed qualification. You may use a cover letter to describe the unique qualifications you would bring to this role.

This position is covered by The Associated Press’ contract with the News Media Guild, which provides for an annual salary for Class A staff of between $53,477 and $85,214 based on location and years of professional experience. Additional compensation is negotiable based on a job candidate’s skills, qualifications and market location. Employees are eligible to participate, according to the terms of the official plan documents, in a 401(k) plan and employer-sponsored health insurance plan, and are eligible for paid time off and holidays in accordance with AP policy. 

Application deadline is August 11, 2025, at 11:59PM EST.

AP seeks to build an inclusive organization grounded in respect for differences. We support all aspects of diversity and provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, status as a veteran, or other characteristic protected by law.