UNOPS East & Southern Africa:

Located in Nairobi, Kenya, the East and Southern Africa Multi Country Office manages a growing portfolio of engagements. The ESAMCO sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Nairobi/Kenya which manages a portfolio of engagements in multiple countries in East and Southern Africa. This includes transactional projects in partnership with the Nairobi based UN Agencies, UN-Habitat and UNEP, and multiple ‘operational’ projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi.

Background Information – Technical Services Unit:

The Technical Services Unit (TSU) engages in multidisciplinary design and design review, assessments and advisory work for infrastructure related UNOPS projects.  The team currently comprises approximately 18 permanent and 60+ retainer (consultant) personnel including architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, GIS and specialist infrastructure practitioners (for dams, ICT, safeguards, biomedical works inter alia) and CAD technicians in addition to support personnel.  Current / recent projects are based in Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Madagascar.  These projects comprise a range of types of horizontal and vertical infrastructure.

The Unit is based in Nairobi, but works extensively in other locations, via travel and by using the network of retainer (consultant) personnel based elsewhere in Africa and beyond. The team has been increasingly tasked with advising on wider issues within the built environment, such as peer reviewing designs, mapping, data analytics, safeguards and infrastructure carbon. The TSU is a business unit for the Multi-Country office and comes under the direction of the Director for East and Southern Africa office (ESAMCO).

The primary objectives of this role are:

• Geospatial data acquisition and management
• Data analysis and visualization
• Technical support to projects
• Reporting and compliance with relevant technical standards and UNOPS policies

 Functional Responsibilities

The Geospatial Data Analyst will be responsible for the following tasks:


1. Data Acquisition and Management:

• Collect, process, and manage geospatial data from multiple sources, including satellite imagery, aerial photography, GPS, and spatial databases.
• Incorporate open-source geospatial datasets where appropriate to complement project-specific data.
• Validate data to ensure quality, accuracy, and consistency, applying appropriate control procedures.
• Develop and maintain a structured geospatial data system, including metadata management and secure storage.

2. Analysis and Visualization:

• Conduct spatial analysis, including time-series or change detection, using GIS and remote sensing tools to identify trends and support monitoring.
• Create maps, charts, dashboards, and storymaps. Ensure outputs are accessible, inclusive, and relevant to diverse stakeholders.
• Run spatial models and simulations to support scenario planning and evidence-based decision-making.

3. Technical Support to Projects:

• Provide technical input to project teams on geospatial data use and interpretation.
• Support field teams with ground-truthing and deliver practical training on geospatial methods as needed.
• Contribute to project reporting through regular updates, visuals, and geospatial analysis summaries.
• Collaborate with engineers, planners, and community representatives to integrate spatial insights into design and delivery.
• Present technical information clearly and concisely to audiences with varying levels of expertise.
• Contribute to capacity strengthening of project teams in geospatial methods and tools.

4. Reporting and Compliance:

• Comply with UNOPS policies and procedures, including those related to procurement, finance, and reporting.
• Maintain complete, accurate records and documentation of geospatial activities.
• Ensure ethical handling and protection of sensitive geospatial data, following relevant data protection policies.

Impact of Results:

• Clean, structured geospatial datasets.
• Interactive web-based maps or spatial portals, where applicable.
• Thematic maps, GIS dashboards, and interactive storymaps.
• Spatial models and technical analysis reports.
• Documentation of methods, tools, and workflows.
• Reproducible scripts for data processing, e.g., in Python or similar.
• Training materials and user guides for geospatial tools and workflows.

 Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Geospatial Engineering, Geography, Geomatics, or a related field is required.

Education:

• Fluency in written and oral English is required.
• Fluency in French will be an asset. 

Experience:

• Minimum two (2) years of experience geospatial data analysis is required.
• Proven expertise in GIS platforms such as ArcGIS, QGIS, Google Earth, or similar is required.
• Prior experience working in Africa is required.
• Experience in Python will be an asset.

 Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and enc…

 Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA) – Retainer Contract. 
Contract level: Local ICA Specialist – 8 (ICS 8)
Contract duration: One year initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability.