IGAD nationals: GIS and Remote Sensing Assistant

Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)

Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪

Position title:                             GIS and Remote Sensing Assistant

Reference:                                  ICPALD – GIS-RS

Organizational Unit:               ICPALD

Reports to:                                  Head of Socio-Economics Unit

Number of positions:              1

Duty Station:                              Nairobi

Employment Duration:         12 calendar months, with possibility for extension based on performance and availability of funds.

Date of Posting:                        18 January 2023

Deadline for Applications:    8 February 2023

Background

IGAD was established in 1986 to mitigate the effects of recurrent drought and environmental degradation, boost agricultural production, and facilitate sustainable management of natural resources. IGAD came into being to also protect the environment while simultaneously pooling resources for their regional development efforts. With the emerging political, security, and socio-economic challenges, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in 1996 resolved to expand IGAD’s mandate to include areas of cooperation and integration, peace and security, and socio-economic dimensions. IGAD region members consist of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda. IGAD’s mandate is to promote the resilience of the region through regional cooperation and integration, fostering peace and security, boosting agricultural sector development, facilitating sustainable management of natural resources, and environmental protection.

The IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD) was established in July 2012 as an IGAD Specialized Institution mandated to “promote and facilitate sustainable and equitable drylands and livestock development in the IGAD region.” To fulfill its mandate, ICPALD provides a platform for regional cooperation and coordination in drylands, pastoralism, and livestock development. ICPALD thrusts in the improvement of animal health, production and marketing, enhanced dryland production and pastoralism including value added alternative livelihood products from non-wood rangeland products (NWRP) and artisanal minerals (in areas of production) with the aim of bringing positive impacts on food and economic security, especially in rural pastoral populations. Regional cooperation and coordination of actions based on evidence of risks to shared resources, animal feed security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, animal health, and the evaluation of other factors of production and consumption remain the principal means of achieving these benefits.

The Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) seeks to advertise for the position of GIS and Remote Sensing Assistant for the IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD) in Nairobi. The Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing Assistant’s responsibilities will be to continue to strengthen ICPALD’s existing and continually developing mapping, geospatial planning, and modelling capacities and technologies. Furthermore, the employee will be instrumental in disseminating the knowledge and skills the Centre has amassed over the years in the area of spatial data management to other centers and IGAD Member States.

 CORE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The GIS and Remote Sensing Assistant will be required to maintain a comprehensive spatial database for the ICPALD operation areas (geographic and thematic) and to provide technical assistance on GIS and remote sensing across the ICPALD programs and support spatial analyses, such as monitoring and modelling land use, animal disease, rangeland and rangeland resources, animal population, and other relevant socioeconomic and biophysical data. The work will provide support for both field interventions and policy development. The employee will support and undertake the collection, storage, analysis, mapping, modelling, imaging, and communication of geospatial information. The position will be based in Nairobi, with regular trips to the field.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

  • Identify, prioritize, collate, retrieve, process, and analyze primary and archived spatial data according to the needs and requirements of ICPALD and the subject matter specialists in the organization.
  • Maintain the organization’s internal geodatabase, including backups and linkages to other databases,
  • Acquire and value add GIS and Remote Sensing data available from internal and external sources to make them usable and accessible to ICPALD and other IGAD office users,
  • Capture GIS data in different formats using satellite images, aerial photographs, or other electronic spatial data recorders, digitizers, and other means. Catalog and inventory these GIS data, including metadata creation,
  • Support the development of the IGAD Atlas Map,
  • Support the maintenance of a geospatial database containing GIS, remote sensing, and other spatial and non-spatial data of the intervention areas, including the location of infrastructure or development activities,
  • Continually identify, acquire, and enrich the database with external spatial data relevant to ICPALD activities.
  • Identify and develop new methods of data compilation, data logging, analysis, and dissemination using new database systems such as smart phones, online tools, the web, and others.
  • Provide technical support to the development and maintenance of the database applications and any other database program and functions requiring programming and analysis,
  • Provide training, technical assistance, and mentorship to programmatic staff regarding all aspects of database development and management, including data compilation, logging, analysis, and access.
  • Provide advice on appropriate GIS, spatial analysis, and database software to ensure that the software used is of the appropriate standard.
  • Provide GIS support to the ICPALD Programs, including the development of thematic maps such as modeling distributions,
  • Support the analysis of remote sensing data (e.g. satellite images) in order to assess land use and land use change in the target landscapes, undertake ground truthing as needed, in conjunction with field staff, in order to verify the maps and spatial analyses produced and to determine levels of accuracy,
  • Model the distribution of target variable (species, diseases, soil, vegetation, etc.), building upon other data sources available to ICPALD,
  • Support in project formulation and undertake other task assigned by the supervisor

EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPRIENCE

  • Master degree in livestock, rangelands or in relevant field combined with Geospatial Engineering, Computer Science or GIS and Remote sensing, from a recognized University
  • At least one or more of the following GIS Software: ArcGIS, ERDAS, eCognition, QGIS or ENVI, ArcMap
  • Be able to analyze Remote Sensing Data like Landsat, RapidEye, MODIS, ALOS, SPOT as well as Aerial Photographs to create series of visual maps;
  • Be able to use Multi Criteria Analysis in GIS
  • Experience in using SPSS, Stata or a similar statistical software package to carry out social science data analysis would be an advantage;
  • 5 years of relevant work experience, 2 of which should be as GIS/ Remote Sensing
  • Experience with an international organization is an added advantage

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of French is an added advantage.

  1. HOW TO APPLY

Appropriately qualified applicants from IGAD Member States are eligible to apply. Interested candidates should send their applications in PDF format enclosed with a cover letter, Curriculum Vitae, academic documents, copy of passports/ ID cards biometric page, three reference persons including the last employer and Completed application form attached with this vacancy announcement (Application Form ICPALD – GIS. The application should be sent by E-mail to the following addresses: E-mail address: recruitment@igad.int with subject line ‘ICPALD – GIS-RS’.

Closing date for application will be on 8 February 2023. Due to the large number of applications we expect to receive; only successful candidates who meet the required experience & qualifications for this position will be contacted. Contact: + 25321354050

IGAD is an equal opportunity employer. Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Download attached Announcement and Application Form documents in PDF Below

Vacancy Announcement – ICPALD GIS Officer Final

Application FormICPALD – GIS-RS Final[96]


POSITION TYPE

ORGANIZATION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

DEGREE REQUIRED

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