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 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 Data Scientist will report to the Predictive Analytics Team Lead under the
overall direction of the Lead for the Centre for Humanitarian Data. The
incumbent will be expected to work closely with the rest of the Centre team and
collaborate with the OCHA Regional Office for Southern and Eastern Africa.