Employment Opportunities
Posted on behalf of CarbonSolve's partner, Soils for the Future Africa
Now Hiring: KRCP GIS Specialist and Data Analyst – Soils for the Future Africa (SftFA)
Location: Kajiado, Kenya
Job Type: Full-time, in person at SftFA headquarters (Kajiado)
Reports To: KRCP Monitoring and Evaluation Director
The Kajiado Rangelands Carbon Project (KRCP) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist and Data Analyst (DA) will be responsible for leading the collection of all spatial data and its analysis for the project, and where needed, further support Soils for the Future Africa’s (SftFA’s) carbon project activities. The GIS/DA will provide technical leadership, guidance, and support to the organization's monitoring and evaluation programs, which include soil, vegetation, livestock, wildlife, biodiversity, and socio-economic data gathering across a landscape of more than 1 million hectares. A goal of this position is to help ensure the integration of all monitoring and evaluation activities into all project activities and to facilitate ongoing learning and adaptive management by project personnel and the communities with which the project engages. The GIS/DA will be responsible for ensuring that project outcomes are effectively tracked, measured, analyzed, and reported to support evidence-based decision-making and programmatic accountability. In particular, this position is responsible for the effective monitoring reporting required to validate and verify the KRCP’s carbon credits to Verra (www.verra.org, the international standards body), and for the monitoring reporting required to achieve Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) accreditation.
Responsibilities:
1. Develop and implement a comprehensive geospatial framework for the organization's carbon project activities that includes data collection tools, protocols, metrics, and data management systems.
2. Develop and maintain plans and schedules for all carbon project geospatial data collection, and also to ensure data is collected regularly and in a timely manner.
3. Provide technical assistance to SftFA staff in geospatial science products needed for compliance with international carbon project standards, including the selection and use of appropriate metrics and methods for geospatial data collection, management, and analysis.
4. Lead the collection, analysis, and reporting of programmatic GIS data to support ongoing learning and adaptive management. In particular, this will include working with local communities to map their community boundaries, as well as monitor the movement of livestock in relation to community-designed grazing plans.
5. As needed, collaborate with other organizations contracted to gather information on ecological and social systems in the KRCP project area.
6. As appropriate, support soil carbon and vegetation analysis in support of developing and using predictive carbon models.
7. Train KRCP and SftFA staff, as needed, on geospatial concepts, methods, and tools to build capacity within the organization.
Qualifications:
1. A Master's degree or higher in conservation, natural resources management, or a related field.
2. Five years (or more) of experience collecting, analyzing, and/or managing geospatial data for natural resource-based research/conservation/management programs.
3. Demonstrably strong geospatial skills with competency in quantitative analysis and interpretation of GIS data.
4. Demonstrated expertise in quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis, and reporting. Experience in predictive modeling a plus.
5. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex data into clear and concise reports.
6. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with project staff, partners, and stakeholders.
7. Experience managing and supervising staff and consultants. Experience with African personnel a plus.
8. Experience with soil science and carbon measurement and accounting a plus, as well as experience with carbon project development.
9. Fluency in English and Swahili is required, proficiency in Maa is a plus.
The GIS/DA will play a critical role in ensuring that Soils for the Future Africa’s soil carbon projects are integrated with a monitoring program that will achieve the requirements of the Verra registry and CCB certification. The position offers an exciting opportunity to work with a dynamic team of professionals and make a meaningful contribution to global climate change mitigation, social development, and conservation efforts via a partnership between SftFA and pastoral communities in Kajiado County, Kenya. The project entails a new approach to rotational grazing management with the explicit intent of sequestering more carbon in the soil, that in turn is converted to soil carbon credits to be sold on the voluntary carbon market to sustainably finance the project activities. Data and monitoring from these groundbreaking projects will also be of great scientific value, particularly biodiversity data. This is a thirty-year project that will also benefit the well-being of the people that live in this area, and the biodiversity it supports.
How to Apply:
Please send application materials via email to Francis Polong, Monitoring and Evaluation Director, at fpolong@sftfa.co.ke and in the subject heading state: Application for KRCP GIS/Data Analyst. Please include a cover letter, CV, and three references.