GIS & Remote Sensing Officer – based in N’Djamena, Chad At IMPACT Initiatives

IMPACT AND REACH

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two international NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). The objective of REACH is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that improve the decision-making and planning capacity of the humanitarian community in emergency, reconstruction and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) needs and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; and (c) provision of databases and (web) mapping facilities and related expertise.

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization manages several initiatives, including the REACH initiative. The IMPACT team is composed of specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO headquartered in Paris and present in around thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, allowing IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support in its areas of intervention.

ASSIGNMENT

We are currently looking for a GIS & Remote Sensing Officer in Chad

Title : GIS & Remote Sensing Officer

Contract duration : 12 months

Work location : N’Djamena, Chad

Start date : February 2025

COUNTRY PROFILE

The humanitarian situation in the eastern provinces of Chad has seriously deteriorated due to the new influx of refugees and returnees from Sudan – more than 700,000 and rising (including 164,000 returnees) as of 16 March 2024. This situation increases the vulnerability of the 1.9 million members of the host communities in these three provinces, most of whom were already vulnerable before this new crisis.

To respond to this humanitarian crisis, IMPACT Initiatives will begin operations in October 2024. Initial priority activities will focus on the east of the country, with monitoring of refugee camps and sites, market analysis, and public health assessments.

FUNCTIONS

The GIS & Remote Sensing Officer will report to the Research Manager. He or she will have the following duties to perform:

PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES

• Digitization and updating of the Common Operational Dataset, in order to fill information gaps, particularly concerning existing axes and localities.
• Capitalization of information collected from the field, so that it is correctly integrated into the Common Operational Dataset for effective sharing of updated information.
• Development and implementation of research cycles, particularly for emergency and analysis mapping activities, as well as support for sampling assessments.
• Identification of GIS training needs for REACH teams, developing training tools of a nature that will ensure knowledge transfer and replication of the training by other REACH GIS employees.
• Monitoring of IMPACT Initiative processes regarding the production of cartographic content and will liaise with headquarters (IMPACT/REACH) to ensure the quality of production.
• Implementation of personal data protection policies on databases.

REQUIRED PROFILE

• University degree in cartography and GIS or a related discipline
• Relevant experience in the field of geographic information systems and/or cartography
• Experience in the field of using satellite data and imagery for environmental mapping / natural disaster management mapping purposes desired
• Good experience and knowledge in database management and analysis (R, SPSS, Stata, Excel, etc.) and use of GIS computer programs (ArcGis Pro, QGIS, etc.)
• At least 2 years of experience in humanitarian contexts and/or in project management (cartographic or other) desired
• Knowledge of tools such as InDesign, Illustrator as well as familiarity with offline/online dashboard development software desired
• Very good capacity for exchange, transfer of skills, training
• Organizational capacity, flexibility, interpersonal and intercultural skills.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• For this position, the salary ranges from CHF 2,300 to CHF 2,520 per month (before income tax) etc. plus a monthly living allowance of USD 300. NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary scale based on the grade of the position and the education level of the staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied to account for the fact that some staff are required to work in difficult locations where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
• Accommodation and food in a guesthouse. NB – IMPACT is hosted by ACTED in this country.
• Membership in a Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approximately 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance
• This base is not a family duty station.
• Airfare every 6 months and visa fees covered (in-country travel and business expenses are fully covered)
• R&R after 2-3 months (airfare up to $500 + $200 living allowance) if duty station allows
• Contribution to baggage transport: between 20 and 100 kg, depending on the duration of the contract (+ baggage and personal property insurance)
• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Leave for family or compassionate reasons, if applicable.
• Pre-departure initiation – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives headquarters in Geneva + one week of pre-departure training at ACTED headquarters in Paris, including a 4-day on-site security training
• Enrollment in the IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Programme within the first 3 months of contract start.
• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among other things, up to €1,000 per year in psychosocial counseling costs.