Vacancies at Rainforest Alliance

Position summary:

At the Rainforest Alliance, we believe in the value of data. The Data Management and Intelligence department is paving the way for enabling data-based decisions by focusing on the delivery of scalable data products to the market, supporting internal decision-making by unlocking the value of data, and creating a solid data foundation on which we can continue to build out our data offering. 

The Data Partnerships Manager, reporting to the Senior Manager, Data Products will be responsible for identifying and securing external data partnerships and seamlessly integrating this data into our organization. The Data Partner Lead will establish individual data-sharing agreements with other parties; determine whether to join existing data partnerships based on mutual benefits such as access to diverse datasets or when lacking the resources to build an independent partnership; establish and maintain data collaboratives based upon specified agreements; and/or build a data commons using an easily accessible shared pool of data resources for collaborative data analysis, experimentation and innovation.

  This role requires a strategic thinker with superb communication skills who understands RA’s business model and can collaborate effectively with various teams to ensure that the data generates significant value for our business and external partners.

Responsibilities:  

• Identify, evaluate, and secure external data partnerships that align with the company’s strategic goals;
• Lead the end-to-end process of data acquisition and integration from external partners, ensuring that the data meets quality and ethical standards and is compatible with internal systems;
• Create and maintain a data integrations roadmap, outlining the timeline, milestones, and key deliverables for integrating new data sources;
• Work with internal teams such as thematic expert teams and crop leads to identify data needs and collaborate with Technology and Product Development teams to ensure that data is integrated effectively;
• Establish predictive and prescriptive measures and indicators that monitor and report on the performance and impact of integrated data on business operations and decision-making processes;
• Stay up to date with industry trends such as AI/ML and best practices in data integration and partnership management as they apply to data collection, processing, management, and reporting.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Data Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or a related field. A Master's degree or equivalent experience is a plus;
• Solid understanding of data management principles, data integration tools and data visualisation tools;
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines;
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with multi-functional and distributed teams;
• Familiarity with data privacy regulations and compliance standards as they apply in international settings is a plus;
• Proven experience in data partnership management and data integration;
• Self-motivated, creative and results-oriented, with a passion for innovation and challenging the status quo;
• Draft clear requirements and specifications for both technical and non-technical audiences;
• Ability to travel a maximum of 20% per year, nationally and internationally; and
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written, with good communication skills.

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Position Summary:

To achieve our vision requires the smart use of technology to deliver capability and capacity at both scale and pace, so that we can do the most good. We are therefore looking for an experienced Senior GIS Officer to lead all aspects of the development both GIS operations and R&D activities in our organization.

Reporting to the GIS Manager, you will be responsible for identifying and leading new GIS research and development opportunities which are aligned to our organizational 2030 sustainability vision. As required, this will involve working with GIS organizations, educational institutions, government bodies and other NGO’s; to ascertain their GIS technological and organizational requirements. Then as appropriate, with the GIS Manager, develop opportunities and solutions that are aligned with our organization's objectives.

To be successful as the Senior GIS Officer, you should have an excellent technical proficiency, as well as superior GIS technology skills working in a distributed multicultural environment. You will need to demonstrate current knowledge of developments in different fields of remote sensing and hyperspectral satellite data analytics.

Role Responsibilities:

• Lead the management and execution of significant research initiatives in Remote Sensing and GIS, targeting, undertaking educational initiatives a major plus
• Develop GIS models of increasing sophistication using AI / ML to address critical environmental challenges, including but not limited to water quality, forest monitoring, landcover/land use, soil, and climate impact assessments with actionable results
• Work with RA, government and other NGOs as required to ensure GIS projects are aligned with RA, EU and UN global sustainability goals, experience with developing and writing program strategies, grant applications, or budget proposals is therefore essential
• Integrated cutting-edge methodologies to enhance environmental research accuracy and relevance.
• As appropriate undertake and or direct fieldwork data collection and analysis to support GIS model development
• As directed, work with educational programs and institutes to develop GIS related environmental programs, and training material in GIS and RS techniques
• Ensure a culture of design excellence, maturity, quality, collaboration, planning, and responsiveness in the engineering teams
• Communicating to a wide range of senior stakeholders, including other technology and data departments, aligning them to the GIS delivery roadmap and strategy.

Role Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Geographic Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field; a PhD preferred.
• Proven minimal of 10 years’ experience in leading GIS development and operations
• At least 5 years of management experience in an international GIS environment, developing and leading innovative projects in geospatial data analysis, ideally with significant contributions to climate change forestry monitoring, or water management.
• Experienced people manager with a proven ability to coach, supervise and motivate staff, ideally through continuous transformation
• Experience in remote sensing software such as ENVI, SNAP, and ERDAS.
• GIS Platform skills e.g. familiarity with using ArcGIS and QGIS.
• Programming & Data Analysis knowledge, e.g. experience in MATLAB, Python, R, SQL.
• Excellent English interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills, including ability to present ideas in a user-friendly non-technical language 
• Strong Analytical and Spatial statistics skills

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Position summary:

At the Rainforest Alliance, we are looking for a collaborative and results oriented Senior Associate, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL). The Senior Associate M&E is responsible for coordinating and carrying out a LandScale-based Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Performance Management Framework and activities in Rainforest Alliance’s Mount Kenya Sustainable Landscape and Livelihoods Program in Kenya. The Senior Associate M&E will lead the Mount Kenya Sustainable Landscape and Livelihoods Program by working with Rainforest Alliance staff, project consortium partners, consultants, and stakeholders to build, manage and incorporate a multi-stakeholder LandScale tool, a framework outlining core environmental and social dimensions of sustainability in landscapes and providing environmental, social, and economic indicators to measure sustainability.

  This role will include designing and evaluating implementation of program activities; training technical staff, project partners, and field consultants on M&E methods and tools; ensuring proper output and outcome indicator data collection, quality control, analysis, and management; and reporting on key findings. The position will also coordinate closely with other Rainforest Alliance units.

This role also includes supporting Landscape Management Bodies in rolling out and implementing LandScale-based, context adjusted systems to monitor their landscape´s performance. It will involve a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) system for the Action, while ensuring coordination of concerted efforts to build evidence and knowledge sharing across several landscapes.

Responsibilities:  

• The Rainforest Alliance’s Core Values are Impact, Change, Collaboration, Openness and Trust and as such they form the basis of the behaviours we demonstrate;
• Develop the program´s MEL Plan, including tools, processes, and responsibilities to track program progress, assess its achievements, address challenges and risks, and documents its lessons learned, in consultation with MEL expert, and Team Manager;
• In coordination with the Team Manager, technically supports a participatory process in Landscape Governance Bodies leading to the design and implementation by the program’s Landscape Governance Bodies of context-specific, Landscale-based M&E systems (including methods, tools and processes, employing GIS and satellite imagery) in each of the program´s target landscapes;
• Designs and provides support, directly and remotely to actors of landscape governance bodies on M&E methods, tools and processes, ensuring M&E best practices;
• Collaborate with the Team Manager in the design and conduction of field-based baseline, mid-term, and end of program studies to understand needs, gaps, and opportunities for achieving rural development outcomes in the context of business and local community needs, and to assess the program´s contribution to such outcomes; and
• Design and provide remote and person-to-person training and technical assistance to staff, program partners, and field consultants on M&E methods, tools and processes, ensuring M&E best practices;
• Implement and take responsibility for quality control procedures to ensure transparent, evidence-based M&E systems, based on reliable and timely field data collection, management and analysis, to generate and report high-quality output and outcome indicator values;
• Support the Program Managers in maintaining updated program information in the Project Management Platform and SharePoint-based project sites;
• Support Program Managers in the preparation of quality and timely program performance technical reports as required by donors, as well as in the preparation of presentations to partners, and other Rainforest Alliance colleagues and departments; and
• Ensure that Rainforest Alliance´s Key Performance Indicators are embedded in program design; and M&E best practices into the program.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Resource Economics, Statistics, Social Economics, Agricultural Economics, Natural Resources Management or related field;
• Demonstrated ability (5 years) in similar position, including minimum of 2 years of experience conducting project M&E activities including as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) officer for designing, delivery and impact assessments of programs and projects, and/or related studies;
• Experience in software programs including ArcGIS, QGIS, ERDAS Imagine, Global Mapper, ENVI, STATA, SPSS, KOBO Toolbox, CSPro, R. and computer Microsoft Office (Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Publisher);
• Has hands-on experience in co-designing and implementation of cost-effective performance-based and community-based monitoring systems, and the collection, management, analysis and reporting of high-quality output and outcome indicator data; 
• Experience advising and supervising field teams or consultants in the collection of field data on social, environmental and/or agronomic and/or socioeconomic indicators for performance assessment, and in the use of associated field methods and tools (household surveys, farm monitoring, etc.);
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; with required fluency in English. Fluency in Swahili is a plus;
• Demonstrated ability to build capacity for Program M&E among staff, partners and key actors in local communities;
• Ability to travel locally and internationally at least 40% of the time.