A career path from novice to GIS expert

Jesse Ludeman has always had a technical mind. But applying it to the niche yet essential specialty of geographic information systems (GIS) was never on his radar - mainly because he’d never heard of it before! Until he found Esri Australia, that is. Here, Jesse has become an expert in an exciting field and found true support that’s allowed him to excel in both his professional and personal life.  

‘No one else in GIS is doing what we’re doing. Everything we do is on the bleeding edge of technology’ 

Right as rain 

Queensland is nicknamed “the Sunshine State”, and for good reason. But Queenslanders are aware of a harsh reality: that our state is impacted by natural disasters more than any other. Being prepared for severe weather has become part of our way of life. So, when Jesse Ludeman and his wife were looking to buy a house, ensuring it wasn’t going to flood was a key consideration. 

“One of the tools we host at Esri Australia is Brisbane City Council’s Flood Awareness Map. I was able to look up the house we were looking at to see if it was in a flood zone, and thankfully, it wasn’t, so we put an offer in. So, thanks, Esri tech - that worked out well,” Jesse laughs.  

As our Senior Consultant, Managed Services, Jesse works in our cloud team to provide bespoke solutions that perfectly suit our clients’ software needs. Specialising in our powerful ArcGIS Enterprise software, which is hosted by Esri Australia and deployed globally, the cloud team streamlines the implementation process for our clients and works to continually improve the software’s automation and accessibility. 

“It’s pretty crazy to see what some of our customers are doing with this software. It can be applied to such a wide range of sectors: mining, gas, power, electricity, even national security. Having worked in the team for a while now, I can appreciate its versatility and the immense complexity that exists under the hood.” 

But the advantages of GIS don’t end there. Beyond the high-level impact it has on entire industries, Jesse sees how it affects day-to-day life in small, yet critical ways - from city planning to mapping weather occurrences, and even the potential to save lives. 

“When you get in your car, you open up Google Maps and type in the address you’re going to. It will tell you exactly how long it’s going to take you to get there, the traffic conditions, speed camera locations, any accidents or hazards. That’s all GIS. One of our customers even uses our software to determine which roads are more dangerous based on how many accidents have occurred there. It’s pretty ingenious.” 

Great people, great outcomes 

Although Jesse always knew that IT was his calling, his journey didn’t start that way. After leaving high school, he joined the Army Reserve, where he honed his critical and strategic thinking skills in mock battlefield situations. Although the terrain he explores at Esri Australia is far less dangerous, he credits the experience for getting him to where he is today.  

“After the army, I completed a Diploma of Information Technology in 2015 and have worked my way up to more senior, technical roles in the industry since then. Pretty much anyone working in IT wants to be at the forefront of new tech developments. So, when I discovered Esri Australia, I could see that no one else in GIS is doing what we’re doing. Everything we do is on the bleeding edge of technology. It makes it quite a technically attractive place to be.”  

Starting his journey with Esri Australia in October 2020 as a Systems Administrator, Jesse quickly became adept in operating technologies he’d never encountered before, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Ansible, Terraform and Chef. Yet, what really struck him was the incredible culture he experienced in his team. 

“If you’re not working with great people, it’s hard to deliver great outcomes. I love that at Esri Australia, there’s no egos. Everyone's really friendly, kind and all working towards the same goal. I don’t get to come into the office as often as I’d like, but when I do, it’s always a good day. There’s a lot of banter, laughs and getting to catch up with people on a more personal level.” 

When Jesse was approaching his two-year mark at Esri Australia, he made the difficult decision to pursue another opportunity. It was the best decision for him and his family at the time - plus, he knew that if he ever wanted to come back, the door would always be open. And we were excited to welcome Jesse back in 2023. 

“Sometimes when you leave an organisation, you think the grass will be greener on the other side. But that certainly wasn’t my experience. It actually made me appreciate Esri Australia even more, so I feel really thankful that I left on good terms and was able to come back after a few months. What really solidified that I’d made the right decision was how happy the team was to have me back. There’s a real sense of camaraderie here that I haven’t experienced anywhere else.” 

Supported to thrive 

One of the biggest things Jesse appreciates about working at Esri Australia is the flexibility he has to prioritise the “life” side of his work-life balance. Having triplet toddlers certainly keeps him on his toes, and as if he wasn’t busy enough, he’s also completing a Bachelor of Computer Science, which he’s due to finish in late 2024.  

“Everyone thinks we don’t sleep,” Jesse laughs. “I don’t know how, but we do. Having a solid routine and flexible work schedules helps, and the support Esri Australia gives us has been amazing. One of the executives has twins, so she understands how difficult it can be. She helped us out with accessing a government subsidy you can get for multiple births. The paperwork you needed for it was quite substantial, but she notified HR and they got it all ready to go for us. Without that, our circumstances would have been very different. It’s been a massive help.” 

Jesse has achieved so much during his time with us, and he knows it’s only the beginning. As he reflects on how he, his career and his life have evolved since joining Esri Australia, he says there’s still great excitement for what’s to come. 

“I met my wife in 2018 and joined Esri Australia in 2020, and it’s quite funny to think about how much has happened since then. We bought a house, got married and had three kids, all while studying as well. Now, thinking about the career aspirations I have, there are still possibilities I’d like to explore. The next step for me would be a Cloud Architect role - and I know I’m at the right place to help me get there.” 

Are you ready to make big ideas happen? 

Explore a career with Esri Australia today