Technical Associate – Environmental (GIS and Coding) - Retainer

Overview

Provide GIS and coding support for the UN Biodiversity Lab (UNBL) and related projects to advance nature-based solutions for sustainable development.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with GIS data management and spatial analysis for the UN Biodiversity Lab (UNBL), including processing, uploading, maintaining, and updating spatial datasets.
• Provide coding support for scripts, GitHub repositories, the elsaR package, and related data-processing and implementation pipelines.
• Support geospatial analysis for ELSA activities, including preparing data layers and spatial data stacks and assisting with country-specific ELSA tools.
• Assist with stakeholder engagement and training activities, including sessions with governments, UN agencies, NGOs, academia, and other partners.
• Provide technical and operational support to UNBL, including platform testing, user support, guidance materials, knowledge management, minor website updates, and related coordination.
• Review data on UN Biodiversity Lab against UNBL data standards.
• Maintain an inventory of current data on the UN Biodiversity Lab platform.
• Determine data update frequency and develop/implement a timeline for data updates.
• Support the development of data sharing agreements with data providers.
• Gather, process, and upload datasets, build data pipelines, or correct data access parameters and configurations into the UN Biodiversity Lab platform.
• Perform GIS processing to render data into required formats for the UN Biodiversity Lab platform.
• Update and create thematic data collections on UNBL.
• Carry out geoprocessing and analyses of data layers to create data stacks for identifying ELSAs.
• Create bespoke ELSA Tools in countries’ secure workspaces on the UN Biodiversity Lab and upload data or connect via API to national data.
• Beta test new UN Biodiversity Lab features and functions, including identifying and testing bug fixes.
• Monitor requests from UN Biodiversity Lab users, including general user inquiries and data, success stories, and feedback submission forms.
• Assist with UN Biodiversity Lab communications efforts, including drafting user stories and impact information.
• Assist the spatial planner in the development of scripts and general code.
• Work in and maintain various git (GitHub) repositories.
• Support development of the elsaR package (R language familiarity) and related downstream implementation pipelines.
• Assist in the writing, maintenance, updating, and translation of UNBL online guidance materials in the five UNBL languages using MK Docs.
• Attend team meetings, including across the full UNBL partnership, as necessary via Zoom or other online services.
• Provide general administrative support including taking meeting minutes, setting up meetings, etc.
• Coordinate translations of UNBL-related materials with relevant team members.
• Coordinate with the web development team to manage tasks necessary for implementing minor website updates and fixing bugs.

Required Experience

• Relevant experience is defined as work experience in at least one of the following topics at a conceptual and/or practical level: international environmental policy, natural resource management, biodiversity/climate change; spatial planning; GIS analyses; remote sensing; computer science.
• Desired: Experience with open-source GIS and spatial database software, including, PostgresSQL/PostGIS, R and R-shiny, GDAL/OGR, Python, Google Earth Engine, and QGIS. Experience using version control and git (GitHub). Familiarity with Linux/Unix based operating systems and/or command line interfaces. Familiarity with remote work and securely connecting to remote services via standard protocols. Experience engaging with the UN and government. Experience with applied science, particularly around using spatial data and planning for conservation action.

Qualifications

• Required: Secondary school diploma (or high school equivalent) and six (6) years of relevant experience are required.
• First-level university degree (undergraduate, bachelor, or equivalent), preferably in environmental management/sciences, Geography, GIS, remote sensing, computer science, or research around topics prioritized by the Global Programme on Nature for Development with two (2) years of relevant experience, will be considered an asset.
• Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) preferably in environmental management/sciences, Geography, GIS, remote sensing, computer science, or research around topics prioritized by the Global Programme on Nature for Development with no relevant experience is desirable.

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