This remote position may be based in the US, Europe, or any Mercy Corps office. This is a 12-month position.
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long-term impact.
The Team
The Technology for Development (T4D) team is housed within the Program Department’s Technical Support Unit. It collaborates with Mercy Corps’ global teams and external partners to unlock new possibilities that increase program quality, impact, and innovation, helping improve more lives through the power of technology. We think beyond today’s context, exploring how we can use current and emerging technology to shrink the global digital divide and help people in vulnerable communities adapt to and overcome evolving challenges. Our mission and purpose are to drive sustainable program impact through responsible application of existing and emerging digital technologies (i.e. digital identity, digital payments, big data analytics, etc.). Mercy Corps is focused on driving the use of digital technologies to maximize scale, efficiency, and impact within key strategic outcome areas, such as Food Security; Economic Opportunity; Water and Climate Adaptation; Peace and Governance; and Humanitarian Response.
Mercy Corps has been engaged with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to pilot and scale-up projects utilizing cloud, artificial technology, and data analytics to better understand humanitarian contexts especially in Crisis Analytics and Food Security & Resilience.
The Position
The Data for Impact AWS Developer is responsible for implementing analytical infrastructure on AWS, integrating external technologies with ETL and analytical pipelines, as well as collaborating with Data For Impact Advisors on web dashboards and data visualizations. The D4I Developer is a creative and flexible technologist with experience working with technical and non-technical users. The D4I Developer will also contribute to organizational conversations around the use of data, data management, and sustainability of cloud architecture.
They will develop expertise in the technical architecture supporting AWS data projects for both the Crisis Analytics and Food Security & Resilience workstreams, as well as practical expertise in the use and deployment of these services to Mercy Corps country teams.
Essential Responsibilities
Data Engineering & AWS Development (70%)
- Design, implement, and support analytical infrastructure on AWS
- Interface with Data For Impact Advisors to extract, transform, and load data from a wide variety of data sources using SQL, Python, and AWS technologies; Support efforts to surface data to external tools
- Manage AWS resources including IAMs permissions and AWS users
- Collaborate with Data For Impact Advisors and Mercy Corps teams to implement algorithms for statistical analysis, prediction, and machine learning
Front-End Development (10%)
- Provide web development capability; work with Data For Impact Advisors and Mercy Corps teams to design and deliver dashboards and visualizations to surface information to users
- Explore and enable AWS data flows to OOB visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, and QGIS for ad hoc analysis
- Develop web applications as needed to support data collection and data visualizations
- Coordinate with the Mercy Corps IT team as needed, especially to integrate internal tools with Mercy Corps SSO technology
Data Strategy and Best Practices (10%)
- Explore and learn the latest technologies to provide new capabilities and increase efficiency
- Collaborate with Data for Impact advisors to recognize and help adopt best practices in reporting and analysis
- Help continually improve ongoing reporting and analysis processes, automating or simplifying services for Mercy Corps teams
- Participate in developing strategy recommendations for data use and management
Security (5%)
- Implement and maintain robust security protocols for sensitive and confidential data on AWS or any other relevant platform.
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership wherever implementations are conducted.
Supervisory Responsibility
None
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Data for Impact Senior Technical Program Manager
Works Directly With: Data for Impact Advisors
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field such as Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Computer Science, Business or equivalent professional experience
- 5+ years of relevant experience working in an Analytics environment
- Demonstrated experience using the AWS technology stack; specific experience with S3, Lambdas, Athena, RDS, Step Functions, and ECS is an asset
- Strong programming skills in Python; knowledge of other programming languages including Node.js, Java, HTML, or R is an advantage
- Experience with database, data lake, and data warehouse concepts and SQL; practical experience in implementing data management systems is an strong advantage
- Experience with front-end web development and/or building and deploying web applications is preferred; those with minimal front-end experience but a strong willingness to learn are encouraged to apply
- Ability to apply analytical, computer, statistical and quantitative problem solving skills
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in a quantitative field such as Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Computer Science, Business or equivalent professional experience
- Experience with humanitarian and international development organizations and data is highly desirable
- Experience working cross-functionally with technical and non-technical individuals; demonstrated skills in cross-cultural communication is highly desirable
- Firm understanding or experience with machine learning fundamentals
- Experience supporting, implementing, and developing OOB solutions for data visualization
- Experience with spatial data and GIS tools (especially imagery and remote sensing applications)
- Experience with other cloud services such as Azure and Google
Success Factors
Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative team setting. Ability to demonstrate sound judgement even in ambiguous situations. Ability to be adaptable and flexible in responding to deadlines and workflow fluctuations. Strong oral, written and presentation skills including the ability to lead group discussions and explain complex solutions to senior stakeholders. Analytical mindset, ability to see the big picture and contribute to strategic conversations
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
This is a remote position that may be based in the US, Europe, or any Mercy Corps office. Travel is not anticipated for this role.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.