Overview
WRIseeks a candidate for a Liberia Technical Assistant to join the Global Forest Watch (GFW) Initiative’s Liberia team.
The GFW Liberia Technical Assistant will be based in Monrovia working as part of the Africa Forests team and in close collaboration with the Global Forests Watch team and partners. The position will largely focus on leading the development of Liberia specific GFW applications (largely GIS based), developing data management and diffusion protocols, compiling data content, conducting research and analysis related to forests and building the capacity of WRI’s partners in Liberia in the use of GFW tools to apply information to management of forest resources. The Technical Assistant will report to the GFW Liberia National Coordinator. The GFW Liberia program is relatively new and thus this position will play a significant role in shaping the direction of GFW’s work, as well as leading the technical implementation for GFW in Liberia.
GFW’s mission is to make high-quality information about forests universally accessible and useful for people worldwide, so as to empower them to manage forest landscapes sustainably and improve the livelihoods of local people. The GFW platform (www.globalforestwatch.org) unites satellite technology, open data, and human networks to provide free access to the most timely, reliable, and actionable information about forests around the world. The GFW initiative supports governments, civil society, and the private sector to apply this information to solve critical forest monitoring and management challenges (see also www.forest-atlas.org).
Responsibilities
The WRI-GFW Liberia Technical Assistant will support the WRI-GFW National Coordinator in the following:
- Lead development and implementation of technical aspects of WRI-GFW’s activities in Liberia – beginning with the development of the Liberia Forest Atlas
- Lead the conceptualization, development and implementation of GIS-based tools and analytical methods in support of WRI-GFW’s Liberian partners (with a focus on the Forestry Development Authority);
- Support communicating about forest data and analysis (from GFW and the Liberia Forest Atlas) to technical and non-technical audiences at national and international levels (e.g. by producing maps, graphs, figures, contributing to writing blog posts and articles);
- Respond to technical inquiries related to WRI-GFW’s Liberia work;
- Represent WRI-GFW and give presentations at conferences and workshops, when necessary;
- Provide technical assistance to relevant processes such as land use planning, monitoring of logging activities, enhancement of protected areas management;
- Carry out field activities to ground truth data;
- Provide training for WRI-GFW Liberia personnel and partners in GIS, remote sensing, management of forest databases, as well as in the application of forest data to key forest management processes;
- Produce documents of communication, synthesis and posters in line with WRI quality standards.
- Contribute to building a strong GIS community in Liberia.
- Provide support in developing strategies for acquiring new datasets relevant to GFW, in the context of identified thematic and geographic research priorities;
- Prepare and analyze spatial data, including deriving spatial statistics by using of geoprocessing tools (e.g. Model Builder and other analytical tools using ArcGIS and Python);
The successful candidate will be a creative problem-solver who likes to be challenged and is looking to work on forest information management and improving forest governance – particularly through the use of GIS and remote sensing technologies in Liberia.
Qualifications
Required:
- Degree or certificate in Geography, GIS, Information Systems Natural Resource Management or other related field;
- Minimum 2 years of full time relevant GIS work experience;
- Proficiency in standard GIS software (ESRI, Quantum GIS) Strong analytical skills, including raster analysis, generating statistics and indicators from spatial data, automating common tasks;
- Ability to work on a variety of projects while meeting tight deadlines;
- Ability to work and thrive as part of a diverse, international team;
- A demonstrated ability to take initiative and get things done with little supervision.
Desired:
- Programming experience using Python, Java Script or other program languages for delivery of fast and powerful GIS analyses;
- Experience working with the Google Suite of tools (i.e. Google Earth Engine);
- Previous experience building web GIS applications;
- Proficiency in graphics software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop and/or Illustrator) with an ability to produce high quality maps for publication;
- Strong communication skills, including presentation experience;
- Demonstrated experience with remote sensing and image analysis, including familiarity with software (ENVI or Erdas Imaging);
- Deep understanding of the forest sector and land use trends in Liberia;
- Ability to communication in French.
Final candidates will be required to take a writing test.
Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience and skills. WRI offers a generous, comprehensive benefits package.
Duration:Full-time
Location: Monrovia, Liberia
The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org/wri) is an environmental and development research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people’s lives. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, protected veteran status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI's policy research and analysis. WRI, therefore, encourages applications from U.S. minorities, persons from other countries (especially developing nations), and from women of all backgrounds.
About WRI
Established in 1982, WRI is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization respected globally by policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and corporate leaders.
WRI’s reputation is grounded in its excellent analysis, non-partisan approach, and high-impact results. We measure our success based on how our work helps to create real-world change on the ground—and approach we call “Managing for Results.”
WRI’s work is united by and driven by our values: Innovation, Integrity, Urgency, Independence, and Respect.
WRI fosters a culture of innovative ideas, working collaboratively, and thinking independently. WRI employees are driven by the organization’s mission and have the satisfaction of helping to create a more prosperous and healthy planet.
Learn more about our organization at www.wri.org.
HOW TO APPLY:
Qualified applicants should apply by sending their application tojgamys@wri.org with copy totmaschler@wri.org. All applications must be submitted to these two people in order to be formally considered.
Please attach CV and Cover Letter in the following format:
- CV: lastname_name_cv.pdf
- Cover letter: lastname_name_cl.pdf
