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Data Specialist at UN-Habitat

UN-Habitat
2 Years
Busia, Kenya
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Posted:Dec 12 By:Hiring Kenya

Company Details
Name:UN-Habitat
Industry: Non-Profit Organization Management
Website: http://www.unhabitat.org/
Description: The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the UN agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. The Urban Economy Branch of UN-Habitat has the mandate to promote local capabilities of local governments to develop financial instruments to keep pace with the demands of rapid urbanization. The Urban Economy Branch has the mandate to promote plans and provide support for more efficient, socially inclusive, better integrated and connected cities that foster sustainable urban development.
Job Description

Duties and responsibilities  

  • The consultant would work under the direct supervision of the project manager and in close collaboration with the Data and Analytics Unit (DAU). 
  • He/She will perform the following duties and responsibilities:   

Data Systems, Analytics and Automation Build and maintain R/Python pipelines for: 

  • Data cleaning, validation, and integration; 
  • Indicator computation automation (cross-border metrics, UMF, SDG 11); 
  • Statistical analysis and modelling; 
  • Reproducible analytics for dashboards and reports.  
  • Maintain a data dictionary, metadata standards, and script repositories for all workflows. 
  • Develop modular, open-source scripts for long-term use by county and district staff. 
  • Decision-Support Systems & Dashboard 

Development Design, build, automate, and maintain decision-support dashboards for the Greater Busia Metro Urban Observatory (GBMUO), including: 

  • Market, mobility, facilities and infrastructure dashboards; 
  • Cross-border service delivery dashboards; 
  • Project-level M&E dashboards for GBM reporting; UMF & SDG 11 indicator dashboards 
  • Develop interactive map viewers integrating GIS layers, indicators, and analytics. 
  • Build data pipelines that update dashboards automatically using R/Python scripts. 
  • Develop the public-facing GBMUO Data Portal with map viewers, APIs, open data policy, and role-based access to government, partners, and the public 

GIS & Spatial Intelligence

Develop and maintain GIS dashboards and lead all spatial data operations including:

  • Spatial data integration;
  • Digitizing, geocoding, data cleaning;
  • Land-use analysis, buffers, clusters, hotspots;
  • Public service ccessibility and location-allocation models;
  • Flood risk and environmental overlays;
  • Market catchment analysis and mobility corridor mapping.
  • Maintain and expand the GBMUO spatial database and ensure geospatial standards are followed. 

Urban Observatory Operations & Governance 

  • Oversee daily operationalization of the GBMUO as a decentralized data-driven hub.
  • Establish and operationalize governance bodies (Steering Committee, Technical Working Group).
  • Align data workflows with UN-Habitat’s Global Urban Monitoring Framework (UMF). 
  • Develop SOPs, data-governance protocols, and maintenance routines. 
  • Ensure readiness for Global Urban Observatory Network (GUO-Net) certification.  

Evidence Generation & Knowledge Products

  • Produce geovisualizations, briefs, infographics, and analytical notes responding to evolving GBM priorities.
  • Contribute to the State of the Metro Report and GBM project reporting and M&E.
  • Prepare monthly and quarterly analytics products for governments and partners.
  • Translate complex analytics into accessible public-friendly content. 

Capacity Building & Technical Support

  • Train County/District officers, CSOs, local instituitons, and stakeholders on dashboards, GIS and data interpretation.
  • Develop and maintain a GBMUO Data Toolkit (manuals, R/STATA, Python scripts, templates).
  • Mentor junior analysts and interns working within the Observatory. 
  • Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-Border Coordination
  • Provide technical advice to regular harmonization of GBM data between Kenya and Uganda.
  • Facilitate multi-stakeholder data collaboratives, peer-learning events, and joint engagements.

Qualifications/special skills

  • Advanced degree in urban planning, geography, statistics, data science, or related field is required.
  • A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree
  • Minimum 2 years of experience in urban data systems, statistical observatories, or urban monitoring.is required
  • Proven track record in developing geospatial platforms, survey tools, urban dashboards, and applying geospatial analysis models is required
  • Experience working with survey experts and coordinating mixed-method data collection processes.is required Experience in cross-border or decentralized governance projects is highly desirable

Languages

  • For the position advertised, fluency in English is required
Salary: Discuss During Interview
Education: Diploma
Employment Type: Contract Based

Key Skills

data  Information Technology 
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