The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is a global centre of expertise established in 1998 to monitor and report on the situation of people who become displaced within their own countries. IDMC curates and analyses data from a wide range of sources, provides insight into the risk, scale, causes and impacts of the phenomenon and supports partners around the world in identifying and implementing solutions to it.
IDMC monitors all countries in the world for which we provide verified, consolidated and multi-sourced estimates of the number of people internally displaced or at risk of becoming displaced by conflict, violence, disasters. Our data and evidence are published on our website and via our Global Internal Displacement Database. Our flagship report, the Global Report on Internal Displacement, published every year in May, is the world reference on IDP statistics, featuring trends and thematic analyses, country and regional spotlights, including maps.
The Data Management and Risk Analysis Hub supports the improvement of storage, processing, analysis, and sharing of IDMC data and is the custodian of IDMC’s data infrastructure, by supporting the development, improvement, and maintenance of the IDMC data. The Hub also leads the data-driven analysis of drivers and future risk of internal displacement.
IDMC is now looking for a creative and detail-oriented Data Systems Engineer - Technical Officer to support the development and maintenance of IDMC’s Information Management and Infrastructure (IM&I) (mainly back-end systems) associated with our monitoring work.
What you will do
As a Data Systems Engineer - Technical Officer you will support data science projects using scientific techniques, procedures, algorithms, and systems to extract information and insights from noisy, structured, and unstructured data, as well as to apply that knowledge and actionable insights to a variety of application areas. You will also facilitate internal and external project coordination with consultancy firms to ensure adherence to best practices. Moreover, the role will contribute to strengthening our monitoring capacities by enhancing systems to improve the timeliness, comprehensiveness, and quality of our internal displacement data. Additionally, you will streamline data processing and information sharing through automation to expand coverage and provide near real-time data on internal displacement to our diverse user base.
Your main responsibilities will include:
Support data science projects using scientific techniques, procedures, algorithms, and systems to extract information and automatize redundant tasks attached to the monitoring of internal displacement situations worldwide. Support the development of internal databases and the integration of data between backend and front end. This includes working with the Data management and Risk Analysis hub and the Communications team to design and develop the databases, as well as applications integrating the data between the front-end and back-end applications. Support coordination with internal stakeholders and consultants, document, develop, test, implement, maintain, and enhance databases and web applications. This includes gathering requirements, designing and supporting application development, and deploying to production. Run and analyze code quality assessments to ensure that code follows industry standards. This includes using automated tools to assess the quality of the code, as well as manually reviewing the code to identify any potential problems and improvements. Participate in the development and maintenance of front-end web applications. This includes working with the IDMC communications team to design and develop the front-end of the web applications, as well as maintaining the applications once they are deployed to production. Managing back up and overall security of IDMC’s data and optimizing the performance of databases. Deploy web applications, including API (Application Programming Interface) and widgets to production, monitor web applications, and perform maintenance tasks. This includes deploying the web applications to production, monitoring the applications for performance and errors, and performing maintenance tasks as needed. Automate tasks, such as deploying applications, monitoring performance, and troubleshooting problems. This includes using automated tools to perform tasks, such as deploying applications, monitoring performance, and troubleshooting problems.If you are curious and would like to learn more about this opportunity, please see here for the full job description.
What you will bring
We are looking for a self-motivated, creative and detail-oriented Data Systems Engineer with a university degree in computer science or related field and minimum 2 years of experience in information systems analysis and programming, systems administration and maintenance, software development, project management of digital projects or related area. You should have a strong ability to research, collate, and summarise information from different sources and an ability to translate technical language to key messages for a broad audience.
In addition, you will have:
Experience any of the following in PostgreSQL; Django; AWS or Microsoft Azure; Bootstrap; React, Vue or Angular; Docker; D3js or similar; GitHub, Python, Jupyter Notes. Experience in handling the development of innovative information technology solutions is desirable. Committed and passionate about the issue of internal displacement. Flexible, innovative and effective in working collaboratively as part of a multicultural team. Aptitude for critical thinking, analysis, and problem solving. Enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and can successfully deliver on short deadlines. Fluency in written and spoken English and French is a plus.What makes this position attractive?
A challenging and exciting opportunity with an international team dedicated to advancing practical, data-based solutions to internal displacement. A 12-month full-time contract with IDMC/NRC in Geneva (candidates need to be EU/EFTA citizens or have a valid work permit for Geneva, Switzerland in order to be eligible for this role - please ensure to include this information in your application); Flexible working arrangements according to the NRC Geneva Hybrid working policy. Duty station: NRC Geneva, Switzerland (other locations where NRC has an office may be considered).We are also looking for people who share our values:
To be dedicated in what we do; To be innovative with our solutions; To act as one unified and inclusive team; To be accountable to the donors that make our work possible.Are you interested? Please apply through our online application tool, and make sure to attach a cover letter and your CV.
For reasons related to the procedure for work permits in Switzerland, only candidates with an EU/EFTA nationality or a valid work permit for Geneva, Switzerland can be considered for this role. Kindly specify your permit in the application if relevant
We look forward to receiving your application!
Important information about the application process:
Internal candidates only: please click on the suitcase icon labelled “I am an employee” to be redirected to NRC’s internal careers site. When creating your profile, include your full name as given on your passport. Complete all the system-required fields for experience, employment history and education. Submit your application, cover letter and CV in English, taking care to attach your latest CV. Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. NRC is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role and you meet most, but not all the requirements, we encourage you to apply anyway. Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered. Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We receive many applicants for each vacant position. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to give detailed feedback to applicants who have not been shortlisted.