The United Nations Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) ha...
The United Nations Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has a Centre for Humanitarian Data in The Hague,
the Netherlands which is focused on increasing the use and impact of data in
the humanitarian sector. The vision is to create a future where all people
involved in a humanitarian emergency have access to the data they need, when
and how they need it, to make responsible and informed decisions. The Centre
has four workstreams: data services (managing the Humanitarian Data Exchange
platform), data responsibility, data literacy and predictive analytics.
An area of emerging interest in the
humanitarian sector is predictive analytics: asking what will happen in a
particular humanitarian context and using machine learning and the application
of statistical modelling to arrive at an answer. The Centre initiated its work
on predictive analytics through our 2018 and 2019 Data Fellows Programme, and
has continued to invest in this area through research into the development of
models related to different aspects of humanitarian response. In September
2019, the Centre created a new workstream for predictive analytics with a focus
on three areas: model development, a peer review process for partner models,
and community and capacity building.
The Centre is seeking to expand its team with a Senior Data Scientist
who has the skills and experience to assess available models, develop new
models and generate recommendations for their use in anticipatory action. We
are looking for a candidate who is self-motivated and can thrive in an
international, multidisciplinary team. The right candidate has the skills and
abilities to develop analytical models designed to turn data into action, be
proficient with the methods of humanitarian data research, and think
strategically about how to use data to create value for humanitarian emergency
and crisis response.
Reporting Relationships
The Senior Data Scientist will report to the Predictive Analytics Team Lead
under the overall direction of the Lead for the Centre for Humanitarian Data.
She or he will be expected to work closely with the rest of the Centre team.