Principle Digital Cartographer & Map Experience Lead

Define and drive the end-to-end cartographic strategy across AllTrails products, owning and evolving a scalable cartographic system including style sheets, symbol hierarchies, labeling systems, and reusable components

Create visually compelling, legible, and context-aware maps tailored to outdoor exploration, elevating maps from pure utility to inspiration, storytelling, and decision-making

Define and own KPIs for the map experience (e.g., engagement, performance, navigation usage), lead a culture of experimentation and A/B testing around map styles and labeling density, and continuously optimize based on user behavior and performance constraints

Translate complex geospatial datasets (trails, POIs, terrain, land ownership, etc.) into intuitive map layers, partnering with Data Science and Maps Backend to bring intelligence, personalization, and performance into the map experience

Lead the development of 3D mapping experiences powered by high-resolution elevation data (e.g., LiDAR), shaping terrain visualization approaches such as hillshading, slope, aspect, and advanced rendering techniques

Ensure map experiences are globally scalable and locally relevant by adapting to regional cartographic conventions, driving multilingual labeling strategies, and making region-specific visual adjustments while maintaining a consistent user experience worldwide

Shape map experiences for offline and low-connectivity environments—core use cases for outdoor exploration—partnering with engineering and product teams on tile packaging, storage optimization, and sync strategies to ensure clarity and usability in the field

Partner closely with Engineering to evolve next-generation tiling systems, rendering pipelines, and performance optimizations, contributing to architecture decisions across vector tiles, raster overlays, and hybrid approaches to ensure scalability and consistency across global regions

Ensure high standards for data accuracy, trust, and responsible representation of geographic information, establishing principles and practices that reinforce user confidence in AllTrails maps

Act as AllTrails’ cartographic authority, driving deep cross-functional collaboration across Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Design, managing a broad set of stakeholders, and operating with a forward-looking, industry-shaping mindset

10+ years of experience in digital cartography, geospatial design, or map product development

Deep hands-on expertise with tools like Mapbox (GL JS, Studio, mobile SDKs)

Strong experience working with elevation datasets, including LiDAR-derived products

Understanding of vector tile schemas, tiling strategies, and rendering performance

Experience with GIS tools (e.g., QGIS, PostGIS) and geospatial data pipelines

Familiarity with terrain visualization techniques such as hillshade, contours, and slope shading

Ability to collaborate deeply with engineers on implementation details and system design

Exceptional eye for cartographic design, hierarchy, color, typography, and usability

Ability to simplify complex datasets into clear, intuitive visual systems

Passion for outdoor recreation and creating experiences that inspire exploration

Strong stakeholder management skills across technical and non-technical audiences

Ability to operate at both strategic and hands-on levels

Track record of driving global-scale impact through product and platform decisions

Experience building or contributing to proprietary geospatial datasets

Background in outdoor recreation, navigation, or adventure mapping

Familiarity with real-time data, offline maps, or GPS navigation systems

Experience with emerging 3D or immersive mapping technologies

Proven track record building map experiences at companies like Strava, Stamen, Gaia GPS, or similar geospatial platforms

Competitive and equitable compensation, including ownership through equity and performance-based bonuses

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage to support your physical and mental well-being

Unlimited PTO in addition to company holidays 

Dedicated time once a month to test and improve our product through company-wide no-meeting days

Fully paid parental leave to birthing and non-birthing parents

401k Match & access to financial wellness resources through Origin

Remote work stipend to help you design a comfortable and productive home office

Annual learning stipend to invest in your long-term professional growth and skills

Exclusive discounts on our subscriptions and merchandise for you and your friends & family

An authentic investment in you as a human being and a professional—we value your identity as much as your output