Sr Specialist – Data Management, FEWS NET, East and Southern Africa (ESAF)

Chemonics’ East and Southern Africa Regional Business Unit is seeking a Sr Specialist – Data Management. 

The FEWS NET DS Team’s acute food insecurity early warning analysis and decision support products relies on a diverse set of qualitative and quantitative data sources. These data are collected, cleaned, and analyzed routinely for incorporation into a range of regular reports and briefings and to respond to ad hoc information requests from USAID and other stakeholders. Data management is, therefore, essential to achieving the FEWS NET DS Team’s core mandate.    

During the previous phases of FEWS NET, USAID funded the development of a FEWS NET Data Warehouse (FDW) to manage and archive many of the various databases project staff and other stakeholders use. The FEWS NET DS Team collaborates with the FEWS NET Data, Learning and Communications Hub (Hub), implemented by AIR, to develop essential database design components and data (both primary and secondary) to support the buildout of various data domains, including but not limited to: commodity prices, cross-border trade flows, agricultural production, acute malnutrition, historical food insecurity classifications, food insecure population estimates, and geographic shapefiles. Additionally, the EWT utilizes a selection of mobile data collection and transmission system (MDTS) tools across its geographies to facilitate the collection and management of select primary data.  

The FEWS NET EWT Data Management Senior Specialist, working under the supervision of the Data Management Advisor, provides support to ongoing data management activities across the team’s sectors (e.g., Food Security Decision Support, Conflict, Markets and Trade, Livelihoods, Nutrition). This includes support for FEWS NET DS data management and engagement within FEWS NET and external audiences in relation to FEWS NET data management.   

This is a full-time position based at the FEWS NET DS Home Office in Washington, DC, with remote options possible for well qualified candidates. The Data Management Senior Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Data Management Advisor. S/He will also collaborate with the Washington-based technical and management teams and technical staff in FEWS NET country and regional offices, as well as with other FEWS NET implementing partners, as relevant. The Data Management Senior Specialist may be required to travel domestically and internationally, security and public health considerations permitting.  

Responsibilities:

• Assisting with the formatting of datasets collected or acquired by the DS Team for upload into the FDW, in accordance with guidance from the Hub. 
• Ensuring data are processed, cleaned, and archived in a timely fashion, in line with Hub, DS Team and client requests. Undertaking this responsibility will include working closely with country and regional offices and sector specialists to ensure timely completion of data entry and processing tasks. 
• Extracting data from unstructured source documents, such as PDFs and Excel sheets. 
• Geo-coding extracted data and uploading it into the FDW. 
• Tracking and resolving data upload issues with the Hub; creating and, as relevant, responding to helpdesk tickets using Jira system. 
• Identifying data irregularities and inconsistencies in source documents and processed datasets and proposing and implementing approved solutions. 
• Supporting and assisting in the design, implementation, and maintenance of the DS Team’s new and/or existing applications and initiatives to leverage MDTS processes and tools. 
• Supporting and assisting in the design, implementation, and maintenance of the DS Team’s new and/or existing applications and initiatives to manage, analyze, and visualize data for both regular and ad hoc reporting and decision support efforts. 
• Providing in-person and remote recurring and ad hoc capacity strengthening to DS staff on FDW processes and tools, including uploading files, data extraction, and the use of related offline tools. 
• Providing in-person and remote recurring and ad hoc capacity strengthening to DS staff on MDTS processes and tools. 
• Assisting in the management and supervision of subcontractor task orders associated with DS data processing, as requested. 
• Supporting ongoing and future initiatives related to data collection and survey tools, the production of high-quality visual analyses, and data visualization tools (including interactive data monitoring products and tools). 
• Providing support to other data processing/data management tasks across the project, as needed. 
• At the discretion of the supervisor, this position may be expected to manage a limited number of staff. 

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 5 years of relevant experience, including professional experience with GIS platforms, data science, data curation, and mobile data collection technologies. 
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent work experience) in a relevant field such as computer science or related information systems field required, Masters degree preferred. 
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required; French, Spanish, and/or Arabic language skills are desired. 
• Technical skills and knowledge in Python programming language is required. 
• Demonstrated previous experience with statistical tools to perform analyses, such as Excel, PowerBI, or Tableau is required. 
• Previous experience with mobile data collection tools (e.g., ODK, Magpi, KOBO), methods, and management is required. 
• Additional skills with databases, scripting, and use of cloud services are desired. 
• Demonstrated previous experience using large socioeconomic datasets for analyses is desired. 
• Familiarity with Agile framework and software development methods and processes is desired. 
• Excellent research skills and ability to focus on details is required. 
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing is required. 
• Demonstrated ability to provide guidance and capacity strengthening to adult learners is required. 
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a multicultural team across numerous geographies is required. 

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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)