Data Management Advisor, Decision Support , FEWS NET, East and Southern Africa (ESAF)

Chemonics’ East and Southern Africa Regional Business Unit is seeking a Data Management Advisor. 

Data management is a key component of FEWS NET’s work, given the range of data and information that the DS Team uses to conduct its analyses. The DS Team relies where possible on partner food security stakeholders for secondary data, and, where necessary, the DS Team has been increasingly engaged in managing data and ensuring up-to-date data streams are available. Since 2015, FEWS NET has contributed data to the FEWS NET Data Warehouse (FDW). The FDW currently includes the following data domains: commodity prices, remittances, exchange rate, secondary price index, cross-border trade, agricultural production, definition of “seasons,” nutrition, Historical Food Insecurity Classification (HFIC), Food Insecure Population Estimates (FIPE), shapefiles, and others. Additional data domains may be created in the future. 

The data management advisor (DMA) is expected to set the technical direction for this sector’s work and advise the FEWS NET DS Senior Management Team (SMT) on associated technical and administrative priorities. The DMA has three main domains of responsibility. First, the DMA is responsible for developing, maintaining and implementing policies, strategies, and management protocols, in accordance with USAID regulations and in alignment with FEWS NET Data, Knowledge, and Learning Hub (Hub) guidance, for data created or collected by FEWS NET DS. Second, the DMA is responsible for management and oversight of the DS team’s work on data systems managed within the greater FEWS NET project, including advising on technical design specifications and data collection, processing, cleaning, and validation protocols and implementation. Finally, DMA is responsible for strategic engagement on data management and data systems across the FEWS NET DS technical team, with other mechanisms within the broader FEWS NET team, and with external audiences. 

The data management advisor is a full-time position and is preferred to be based in the Home Office in Washington, D.C. though remote options may be considered for well-qualified candidates and works under the supervision of the deputy chief of party-innovation (DCOP-I) or their designee. The data management advisor will collaborate with the Washington-based technical team, regional technical experts, and other technical staff in the field. Occasional international and domestic travel may be required, security permitting. 

Responsibilities:

The main responsibilities of the data management advisor include, but are not limited to: 

DS data management  

• Overseeing and leading data management, processing, and strategy for FEWS NET DS, and providing guidance and input to SMT on data-related issues, including on best practices and USAID and USG regulations 
• Developing, maintaining, and managing the overall strategy and implementation of ingestion, cleaning, storage, protection, transfer, and documentation of FEWS NET DS data and information in accordance with USAID and USG regulations.  
• Working with the FEWS NET Hub, developing, maintaining, and managing the overall strategy for, and implementation of FDW data management processes for the DS Team, including, but not limited to: 
• Engagement with the Hub to ensure FDW management, oversight, and strategy implementation for DS domains 
• Managing and overseeing the collection, processing, and submission of georeferenced agricultural, nutrition, FIPE, HFIC and cross-border trade data for FEWS NET coverage countries for the FDW 
• Identifying gaps and quality issues in newly submitted and existing data in the DS FDW domains, liaising with staff to resolve data quality issues and locate missing data sets in a timely manner 
• Coordinating DS staff contributions to and engagement with the FDW  
• Developing, documenting, communicating and enforcing database management best practices and policies, such as role-based access control policies, data storage, and encryption 
• Identifying opportunities and gaps within the project’s sectors to establish/improve data management practices in the Home Office, Regional Offices and Country Offices 
• Advising on data and information collection tool structure and data processing for FEWS NET DS primary data collection efforts 
• Leading in data preparation, as needed, to facilitate regular review of the consistency and accuracy of FEWS NET DS integrated analyses 
• Leading and coordinating with other relevant DS Team members on the development of targeted trainings on data management and ICT support 

Supervision of data sector staff 

• Supervising DS home office data management specialist, GIS specialist, regional data managers, and ICT and GIS consultants, as applicable,  
• In coordination with the DCOP-Innovation, Methods and Learning and the capacity development sector, develop and help ensure continuous adherence to learning pathways for each staff member within the data sector 
• Ensure staff receive clear guidance and direction in accordance with respective scopes of work 
• Work with the operations staff and project management unit to ensure staff follow all Chemonics guidance and protocols, along with careful management of leave  

GIS and ICT leadership  

• Advising USAID and DS Team members on data management and data systems technologies; advising on ICT tools and innovative solutions to refine DS Team data collection and management, such as Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and mobile data collection technologies 
• Identifying GIS support needs for the DS Team and appropriate technical solutions to meet those needs for DS work 

Strategic engagement across broader FEWS NET team and with external audiences 

• Serving as the DS liaison to the FEWS NET/USAID Management Team and the FEWS NET Knowledge Base activity and other FEWS NET mechanisms on data-related issues  
• In collaboration with USAID and the Hub, leading DS contributions to the design and implementation of FDW output features, including refreshable workbooks, the FEWS NET Data Explorer (FDE), and data visualization tools 
• Directly liaising with the FEWS NET/USAID Management Team and the Hub on FDW data management issues, including data privacy and security, the spatial framework, and cross-data domain linkages 
• Serving, as needed, as an advisor and DS liaison to the FEWS NET Management Team and USAID/BHA more broadly, the FEWS NET Hub, and IFPRI on design, data collection, and implementation of the FEWS NET Humanitarian Assistance Decision Support Tool.  
• Managing and overseeing the DS Team’s engagement with the FEWS NET Data Explorer, including responding to USAID and the public on relevant data queries, and ensuring regular updating of content 
• Overseeing the process of submitting FEWS NET data to the USAID Development Data Library in line with USAID guidance and procedures and contract requirements, as well as data and information to CKAN as required 
• Leading DS participation, as appropriate, in Agile framework activities, such as sprint planning and weekly scrum calls with the FEWS NET/USAID Management Team and the Hub 
• Serving as the DS technical representative with other FEWS NET implementing partner stakeholders in data sharing and coordination. 

In addition to items listed, incumbents are expected to follow organization policies, adhere to organization processes and programs and perform other related duties as assigned. 

Requirements:

• Minimum 8 years of experience relevant to the data management work of FEWS NET, including a combination of data management and ICT support.  
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent work experience) required, Masters degree preferred. 
• Minimum three years' experience managing staff or teams preferred  
• Fluency in English required; French, Spanish, and/or Arabic language skills are desirable. 
• Experience in supporting the coordination of multi-stakeholder activities  
• Experience with US Government data policies and procedures 
• Excellent writing and presentation skills 
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work well with field-based, local staff via telephone and e-mail 
• Excellent computer skills; GIS applications and mapping, and statistical software skills are an advantage 
• Experience with Google environment is desired

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Application Instructions:

Please apply by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, November 1, 2024. No telephone inquiries, please. All internal applicants are required to notify their supervisor(s) before applying. As outlined in Section 1(Q.) Intra-Company Transfers and Rotations in Chemonics Policy Manual, Chemonics expects all employees to remain in their divisions for at least 12 months.

Chemonics is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Chemonics is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, age, or other legally protected characteristics. Military veterans, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision
Chemonics will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by Chemonics, or (c) consistent with Chemonics legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)