REACH GIS Officer

Department: Programme

Position:GIS Officer

Contract duration: 6 months renewable

Location: Jordan, Amman

Starting Date: ASAP

I. Background on ACTED

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Our interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context. Our 3,300 staff is committed in to responding to emergencies worldwide, to supporting recovery and rehabilitation, towards sustainable development.

Our teams in the field implement some 340 projects in 34 countries covering the following sectors emergency relief, food security, access to health, education and training, economic development, microfinance, advocacy, institutional support, and regional dialogue, cultural promotion.

Based on considerable experience addressing the needs and situations of vulnerable communities, ACTED contributes to the international agenda towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals, through a wide range of partnerships, innovative initiatives, and campaigns.

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two INGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts, supporting and working within the framework of the humanitarian reform process. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

II. Country Profile

Capital Office : Amman

National Staff : 350 (November 2013)

International Staff : 41 (November 2013)

Areas : Amman, Mafraq, Za’atari Refugee Camp, Azraq, Azraq Refugee Camp

On-going programmes: 9

Budget : estimated $25m (2013)

The ACTED Amman is the Regional Coordination Office for MENA region. Through the Regional Office, it supports civil society development through a regional program across Jordan, Palestinian Territories, Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. In addition, the Regional Coordination Office provides support to the MENA region, including operations in Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Yemen, as well as those mentioned earlier. This provides the support for the Syrian refugee crisis being responded to across the region.

ACTED Jordan has expanded recently to support the Syrian refugees being hosted both in the communities and four refugee camps. In Za’atari camp where there are approximately 100,000 refugees, ACTED is providing water supply, solid waste management, hygiene promotion, repairs and maintenance, and constructing water supply network; in Azraq with a potential for 130,000 refugees, ACTED is expected to provide (once open) water supply, solid and water waste management, hygiene promotion, and food distributions. Moreover, in the host communities where over 500,000 refugees reside. ACTED is supporting individual vulnerable households as well as whole communities through WASH, Shelter, cash, NFI, and other interventions. ACTED is also a partner of REACH, that provides information management support to working groups and sectors across the region.

The responsibilities for this position include oversight of all activities in Za’atari refugee camp, supported by the Area Coordinator, Technical Coordinators, Deputy Country Director, and Country Director. The direct lines of management include expatriate project managers (Water and Sanitation PM, Hygiene Promotion and Community Mobilisation PM, Water Supply Construction PM and WASH Repair and Maintenance PM). In addition, the position is expected to facilitate external public relations with camp level stakeholders, capacity building of expatriate and international staff, ensuring adequate follow up of all finance, logistics and administrative procedures, and security focal point. The position will also be overseeing field-based program development, reporting, assessment, monitoring, and evaluation activities.

III. Position Profile

The GIS Officer reports directly to Area Coordinator

GIS Officer responsibilities include:

1. General

• Preparation, conception and production of maps, including the supervision and monitoring of mapping-related data collection and ensuring dynamic linkages between GIS data and ACTED Database;

• Co-developing GIS components in proposals and supervising the implementation of these GIS components in approved projects;

• Train the AMEU team on usage of maps and GPS;

• Represent ACTED in GIS related coordination meetings.

2. Preparation, conception and production of maps

• Identify map information needs;

• Identify and access map information sources;

• Work closely with the Database Manager to ensure an accurate link between the GIS and the Database data, cross check data collected in the field and to develop dynamic links between Database and GIS data and to ensure regular updates and solve eventual discrepancies;

• Ensures that the produced maps meet the requirements of concerned ACTED departments.

3. C. Supervision and monitoring of mapping related data

• Conceptualize methodologies for collecting GPS and other GIS related data, as according to need;

• Organize and supervise GIS field missions;

• Managing and supervising the GIS assistant and the staff on the GIS;

• Monitor accuracy of data collected.

IV. Qualifications:

• Flexibility and adaptability are essential, as well as the ability to plan, take initiative and organize work independently. In addition Impartiality, objectivity and confidentiality are imperative;
• Good command of GIS software (especially those used by ACTED), Excel, Word and Database software such as Access or Foxpro. Familiarity with other information and data sources related to GIS to be recommended to ACTED for better GIS practices would be an asset.
• Understanding the nature of the work carried out by programs is necessary for ensuring the relevancy and usability of the maps produced. Therefore a proactive and self-motivated attitude towards gaining a good understanding of ACTED programs, innovating GIS activities and developing new GIS components for proposals is essential;
• Willingness to learn and capacity to innovate: The GIS Manager must be inventive and eager to improve his or her own skills, and be capable to adapt, shape and develop tools best suited for ACTED’s activities
• Ability to travel to the field for data collection, cross-checking the data and provide training to field staff;
• Good organizational and communication skills with international and national staff and rural communities.

V. Conditions:

• Salary defined by the ACTED salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance
• Free food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)
• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package

How to apply:

VI. Submission of applications:

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV, and three references tojobs@acted.org

Ref : GISO/JOR/SA

For more information, visit us athttp://www.acted.org