At a Glance
- Tasks: Use your data engineering skills to support humanitarian efforts and save lives.
- Company: Join MapAction, a leading humanitarian mapping charity with a strong reputation.
- Benefits: Gain valuable experience, enhance your skills, and make a real difference.
- Other info: Flexible volunteering opportunities with potential for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Be part of an impactful team that collaborates with global partners to aid vulnerable communities.
- Qualifications: Degree in Data Science or related field; experience in data engineering and Python required.
The Opportunity
Are you a Geospatial Data Engineer Volunteer wanting to use your skills to help people in a humanitarian crisis and ultimately help save lives? MapAction can enable you to volunteer to do just that. Volunteers have been the heart of MapAction for over 20 years but the range of skills needed continually evolves. Now we are looking for an enthusiastic Geospatial Data Engineer professional who has a desire to commit to a great team, and to help MapAction make a difference that has a lasting effect on vulnerable communities. MapAction works with a range of humanitarian partners, from local organisations who are closest to the ground to a range of global UN partners. Come and be part of something that is exciting and impactful!
Why MapAction?
MapAction is a leading humanitarian mapping charity, delivering information services and products to enhance decision making in disasters and conflicts. In collaboration with our partners, this mapped information helps responders understand vulnerabilities and target their response effectively, contributing to saving lives and minimising suffering. We work through a team of skilled volunteer professionals and a small paid staff team. We have built a strong reputation in the humanitarian sector, and are a technical partner of the United Nations, Non-Government Organisations and Civil Society Organisations, the Red Cross, Red Crescent Movement, regional entities and national authorities. The humanitarian sector is evolving, and technical expertise such as GIS, mapping, information management, data processing and visualisation are becoming increasingly utilised for improving decision making in complex humanitarian response. MapAction and our partners are uniquely positioned to provide technical expertise in support of this.
Responsibilities
As a volunteer, you will be able to work with technical staff and volunteers on different opportunities. Once your onboarding is complete, you will be able to choose the tasks and projects that best fit your skillset and interests. Below are some activities that our data engineer volunteers can support with:
- MapAction external projects that require a Data Engineer skillset (e.g.: data pipeline automation, hazard exposure platforms, multi-risk models, conflict incident reporting, etc…)
- Work with external partners such as UN agencies, International NGOs and Academic Institutions
- Conduct and automate data collection and processing scripts
- Create and maintain optimal, performant data pipeline architectures, both internally and externally
- Propose improvements to infrastructure, schemas, platforms, toolchains and configurations
- Assist in the automation, provision and management of development environments, source-code, build-tools, pipelines and deployments
- Support ad-hoc Data Processing during MapAction’s Emergency Responses in collaboration with MapAction’s GIS team
- Support internal systems maintenance in collaboration with MapAction’s IT Support Engineer
- Attend and/or represent MapAction on technical conferences
- Train other volunteers or external organizations on Data Engineer tools and processes
What are we looking for?
If you feel you are a good match but do not feel like you meet all the requirements, we are still happy to receive your application! The core skills we look for in all of our team members are the following:
- A desire to use their skills, experience and dedication in the cause of humanitarian ends
- Good team player with leadership and/or project management experience or ambition wherever possible
- Exceptional communication skills, to explain your work to people who don't understand the mechanics behind data analysis, and experience in understanding partner needs and requirements, in particular working with non-technical clients
- Adaptable, resilient and solution-oriented
- Self-motivated and organised
- Time to commit to MapAction, for more details on the time commitment, please refer to the “What does it mean to be part of the MapAction team?”
Essential:
- Degree or equivalent experience in the field of Data Science, Data Engineering, Computer Science, Software Development, Information Technology or a related field
- Three or more years of professional experience working in a data or information management team, as a data engineer, data scientist, developer or other similar role
- Experience and proficiency working with Python and Jupyter Notebooks
- Data pipeline design skills
- Knowledge of cloud platforms like GCP, AWS or Azure
- Experience and understanding of CI/CD pipelines
- Project management experience
- Experience in understanding partner needs and requirements, in particular working with non-technical clients
- Collaborative code management using Git
Remote Geospatial Data Engineer Volunteer in Surrey employer: MapAction
MapAction is an exceptional employer for those passionate about making a difference in humanitarian crises. With a strong commitment to employee growth, we offer 30 days of holiday, a workplace pension, and paid training opportunities, all within a supportive remote work culture that values collaboration and innovation. Join us in our mission to enhance decision-making in emergencies while working alongside a dedicated team and skilled volunteers, making your contributions truly impactful.
