Senior GIS Officer for South Sudan

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises of specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO whose headquarter is based in Paris and is present in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, enabling IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support in its fields of intervention.

We are currently looking for a Senior GIS Officer to support our teams in South Sudan.

Department: REACH

Position: Senior GIS Officer

Contract duration: 1 year

Location: Juba, South Sudan

Starting Date: March 2023

COUNTRY PROFILE

IMPACT, through REACH, has been implementing programming in South Sudan since 2012. Responding to the Sudan Border Crisis, REACH initially engaged through coordinated information management support – in the form of refugee camp mapping and service provision analyses, thematic assessments, and multi-sectoral needs assessments – in Maban County, Upper Nile State and Pariang County, Unity State. IMPACT was engaged by DFID to provide a series of impact evaluations of their BRACE programming across Greater Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile States in 2013; a programme with run for two years, included 5 total assessments, and reached a total of more than 20,000 households. Immediately following the conflict of December 2013, REACH expanded its programming to include the IDP response, participating in Initial Rapid Needs Assessments of hard to reach areas, flood mapping and vulnerability analysis, market monitoring and supply chain analysis, analysis of tensions and conflicts over access to natural resources, and third party monitoring of humanitarian and development programming. In 2019, REACH expanded its role within the technical space, increasing involvement in Integrated Phase Classification (IPC), Needs Analysis Working Group, UN technical agencies, and academics. In response, REACH has also expanded into multiple new research cycle streams beyond humanitarian needs monitoring, including sector specific, population movement, and AAP research.

POSITION PROFILE

IMPACT is seeking a candidate with strong GIS skills and experience in a managerial or focal point role. Previous humanitarian experience is preferred. Candidate should be well-versed in in ArcGIS Pro, remote sensing software (incl. Google Earth Engine for imagery analysis), and cartographic standards. Knowledge of R scripting, Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, Tableau, and Kobo/ ODK is preferred. Candidate should be comfortable coordinating GIS and data activities for the mission, supervising technical officers within the unit, and representing REACH externally where needed.

Under the supervision of the Deputy Country Director – Programs, the Senior GIS Officer (SGISO) is responsible for providing technical backstopping for all GIS activities on the mission. The SGISO will provide technical supervision to 2-3 GIS Officers split between two units. The SGISO will coordinate technical activities and workload across the team, represent the GIS and Data Unit within REACH’s Senior Management Team, and contribute to regular appraisals for GIS staff. In coordination with the relevant RMs and Specialists, the SGISO will also support assessment planning in line with project and program objectives.

The position is based in Juba, South Sudan.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities of the SGISO include the following:

TECHNICAL COORDINATION:

• Monitor GIS-related deliverables and deadlines across the mission and keep updated on progress and workload for GISOs;
• Attend bi-weekly Senior Management Team (SMT) meetings on behalf of the GIS and Data team;
• Coordinate/ delegate internal and external map requests;
• Support assessment planning and ToR development from the GIS side;
• Support procurement and maintenance of GIS equipment and software.

STAFF MANAGEMENT

In collaboration with the Research Managers who oversee the programming units that the GIS officers support,

• Direct management of international and national assessment team members, including recruitment, appraisals, and capacity building;
• Day-to-day management of GIS unit members, including the development of work plans and performance indicators, and development and implementation of capacity training plans to improve efficiency and performance;
• Conduct regular check-ins with staff within the unit, and promote team building, productivity and staff welfare as the main pastoral focal point for GIS staff;
• Take on additional work streams and management responsibilities as well as advise in strategic mission decision-making as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) as required, in coordination with the other research managers.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Provide technical oversight for 2-3 GIS Officers across the mission, including contributing to regular appraisals and contract renewal decisions;
• Chair weekly meetings of the GIS and Data team, in coordination with the Senior Data Officer;
• Internally validate maps and dashboards before submitting for HQ validation;
• Maintain and update team workplan in collaboration with Senior Data Officer.

GIS ACTIVITIES

• Ensure that all collected data is stored in line with IMPACT’s Data Management Guidelines, and with the ToRs;
• Support Senior Climate Officer in generating flood and drought estimates from Google Earth Engine scripts;
• Create maps for special thematic assessments;
• Develop and maintain dashboards in conjunction with Senior Data Officer;
• Produce analysis and maps for monthly Needs Analysis Working Group activities;
• Development and maintenance of country-level databases for the consolidation of all assessment- related and GIS data in country.

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

• Link with relevant partners to consult and involve them in the GIS components of a research cycle;
• Represent IMPACT in relevant meetings/working groups and support the presentation of research.

CAPACITY BUILDING

• Support GIS capacity building across the mission, train GIS Officers in new skills, and support GIS Officers in other IMPACT missions when time allows;
• Be available to provide regular support and technical backstopping;
• Liaise with GIS and data staff to improve data collection standards, including visiting field bases to conduct trainings where appropriate.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO COMMUNITIES AND BENEFICIARIES

The SGISO is responsible for ensuring that all interactions with South Sudanese communities are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner. Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about IMPACT programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies. This is the responsibility of every IMPACT staff member.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA PROTECTION

The SGISO will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners, or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT.

REQUIREMENTS

• Academic: Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree in GIS, Remote Sensing, Data Science, Computer Science or related disciplines;
• Theoretical knowledge: Should understand GIS at a theoretical level (projection, scale, raster vs vector data etc.) and be comfortable explaining it to others in an accessible way; should ideally have remote sensing theoretical knowledge (raster resolution, type of satellite images, band combination etc.);
• Research skills: Advanced experience with geo-spatial information management and analysis, and excellent spatial analysis skills;
• Software skills: Advanced knowledge of ESRI suite software (ArcPro, ArcMap, ArcGIS Online); working knowledge of Google Earth Engine; advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office including Excel; knowledge of Tableau an advantage; knowledge of R an advantage; knowledge of Adobe Suite, particularly InDesign and Illustrator, an asset;
• Years of work experience: At least 3 years of progressively responsible work experience in a GIS-related role; humanitarian experience preferred;
• Familiarity with aid system: Experience in a complex humanitarian emergency is not required, but is an asset;
• Communication/reporting skills: Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
• Multi-tasking skills: Ability to multitask with tight deadlines on numerous research cycles;
• Level of independence: Proven ability to work independently and provide supervision to others;
• Cross-cultural work environment: Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility and respect;
• Experience in geographical region: Past experience in the region is desirable;
• Language skills: Fluency in English required; knowledge of Arabic or other regional languages an asset;
• Security environment: Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment.

CONDITIONS

• Salary defined by the IMPACT salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance provided in country by IMPACT’s partner ACTED
• Food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)
• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package