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Data Manager

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

POSITION SUMMARY - This position could be based in Bogota-Colombia, San Jose-Costa Rica, Quito-Ecuador, Brazil (remote), Mexico City-Mexico, Lima-Peru, Nairobi-Kenya, Cape Town-South Africa or Brussels-Belgium

Conservation International recently established a system to track global impact. We are seeking a data expert to help (a) serve as a day-to-day technical project manager to ensure data collection, data management, and data quality control with our global program teams and subgranting units, (b) to run the quantitative analysis needed to measure our impact, under supervision and (c) to develop and implement new, forward-thinking approaches to meet institutional needs as our system advances.

The Data Manager will be responsible for communicating with program staff and partners to ensure that data is collected and submitted according to institutional requirements. This will require regular communication, reminders, training, and support with global staff. Much of Conservation International’s site-level data is captured via GIS shapefiles, and as such, the Data Manager should have knowledge of GIS systems and as needed, function as a key GIS data technical resource for Conservation International’s country programs, Moore Center for Science, and Strategy & Impact team. As data is submitted, they will quality control submissions, compile data including GIS information, and synthesize data into organized datasets and useful products, to enable spatial analyses. The Data Manager will work closely with key stakeholders across CI to identify data needs, envision how we can best communicate our impacts internally and externally, and produce results that serve current and future needs in the form of reports, presentations, factsheets, and other data visualization products. They will serve as the key point person for institutional impact data requests as needed for donors, leadership, and internal support.

This role requires not only a detail-oriented eye for technical day-to-day project management but the ability to create strong collaboration across internal teams and guide CI’s vision for long-term institutional impact data uses.

This position does not directly manage staff. Work duties are performed under general direction.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management

  • Serve as the lead data collection project manager for Conservation International’s impact metrics system. You will lead a cross-divisional team and ensure coordinated collaboration. This includes working with global staff and partners to collect spatial datasets by providing clear instructions and guidance to data providers; managing timelines; and providing support and feedback to ensure high-quality, standardized, and on-time data submissions that enable institutional-wide impact analysis.
  • Manage program communications across CI: Champion the impact data program and communicate vision across divisions; communicate regularly during data collection with country programs, partners, and other analysis team members to focus the team on clear needs, requirements, and timelines; develop training and capacity building support that will include conducting instructional webinars or seminars and providing daily guidance and support to non-technical staff.
  • Ensure quality data results, by serving as the data analysis project manager for Conservation International’s impact metrics system. This includes coordinating Moore Center scientists and IT staff by managing timelines and expectations for collection, cleaning, analysis, reporting, and final deliverables.

Data Collection, Analysis and Capacity Building

  • Run spatial data processing and analysis in ArcGIS and Google Earth Engine: data review, quality control, synthesis, and cleaning (e.g. ability to create/digitize shapefiles, correct geometries, test topography, join spatial and tabular files and work in both geodatabase and shapefiles formats).
  • Run analysis using AWS Batch, Python, and R with Moore Center guidance.
  • Generate statistics summarizing impact metrics within or across country programs and serve as a GIS lead, responding to requests from upper-level management, country programs, and other divisions.
  • Produce and Visualize data, information, maps, and related information to make data informative and useful to a non-technical audience using tools like PowerBI. Summarize analysis and document findings in graphs, reports, presentations, factsheets, and other communication mediums.
  • Manage spatial and nonspatial database, including through the use of spreadsheets, relational databases, and GIS databases.
  • Serve as a GIS resource for Conservation International’s programs and including building GIS skills and capacity among staff who lack experience, by developing and conducting trainings and providing direct support; help internal and external partners manage and use GIS information and tools to accomplish program objectives and provide timely analysis of impact data to inform conservation work. Implement additional strategies to increase capacity.
  • Develop tools, standard operating procedures, and other resources to guide staff and partners who submit data.

Problem Solving and Systems Thinking

  • Identify findings and insights that inform CI’s conservation work, internal management decision-making, strategy, and planning efforts – through data synthesis and by understanding key institutional data uses and decision points.
  • Support the organization in connecting existing metrics and deliverable systems for alignment and reporting purposes.
  • Help enhance the system and ensure connection among institutional datasets by anticipating future uses and needs, understanding stakeholder requirements, determining and leading system enhancements based on user needs, and setting a vision for the program with leadership.
  • Other related duties as assigned.

WORKING CONDITIONS

  • Work is performed in a typical office environment.
  • Flexibility to travel as needed.
  • Ability to work irregular and extended work hours to meet deadlines.
  • Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process.
  • This position may manage contractors and vendors as needed but does not directly manage staff.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in GIS, environmental geography, or related field with relevant coursework in statistics, spatial ecology, or computer science.
  • 4 to 6 years of experience in the field of spatial data analyses, GIS, and data management.
  • Experienced GIS user of Esri solutions (for example, ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS for Desktop for data processing and management to create/digitize shapefiles, correct geometries, test topology, join spatial and tabular files, and work in both geodatabase and shapefiles formats, perform spatial analyses against other datasets using standard tools and basic Python scripts).
  • Experience with Excel and PowerBI for querying and generating reports.
  • Demonstrated experience conducting analysis in Google Earth Engine in JavaScript and/or Python.
  • Experience with AWS Batch, Python, R and database management.
  • A creative problem solver with an interest in learning and thinking outside the box; able to see the big picture strategy and develop technical solutions to achieve large goals.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to translate technical data to a wide audience with the big picture in mind
  • Experience in developing and delivering user training and user support
  • A patient team player and the ability to effectively partner and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including a diverse team of people (from different cultures, different first languages, and different types of technical and non-technical roles)
  • Ability to project manage others, lead without authority, and manage many workstreams at once

Preferred

  • Technical knowledge of conservation science.
  • Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, or French fluency preferred.

To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility-committed employer. We are proud to have a diverse, global workforce where employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, position requirements, business needs, market conditions, merit, and other legitimate nondiscriminatory factors.

As a science-based organization, CI follows CDC recommendations for COVID-19 and other vaccines. Accordingly, for the health and safety of our employees, their families, and our community, subject to applicable local law, all Conservation International staff are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, vaccination is no longer a mandate or condition of employment and employees are not required to provide proof of vaccination. This means we will not require an individual to be vaccinated to enter a CI office, attend CI events or travel on CI-related trips. This applies for our community partners as well. This vaccine expectation applies to all team members working remotely, in a hybrid work arrangement, and on-site. Job applicants are NOT required to state their COVID-19 vaccine status in their application.