Senior Project Associate

Description

Senior Project Associate - Data Solutions Architect, AgriAdapt & Urban Heat

Who we are and what we do?

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, non-profit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. Our work focuses on building sustainable and livable cities and working towards a low carbon economy. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, World Resources Institute puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being.

WRI India has the capacity to convene key stakeholders, and forge strategic partnerships with governments, business, foundations, civil society organizations, institutes and NGOs, to scale-up solutions that can bring game-changing results for the sustainable management of natural resources in India.

Program Overview for Sustainable Cities and Transport

At WRI India Ross Center we focus on to urban challenges. Through applied research, tools, hands-on advice, and by tapping our network of global experts, we accelerate transformative urban initiatives that have the power to change Indian cities into thriving, equitable and low-carbon places that are good for people and the planet.

Working at WRI India Ross Center offers you the unique opportunity to learn and grow as you collaborate with a diverse set of change agents across Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. As India’s biggest urban focused think and do tank, we seek thoughtful, enterprise-minded and sensitive individuals who can help us support this transformation and make a positive difference to citizens’ everyday lives.

About the project

AgriAdapt

WRI's vision for sustainable food systems includes building the climate resilience of agricultural value chains so that by 2028, at least one million people who depend on them (including marginalised groups such as women, youth, indigenous people, and those living in poverty) are more resilient to climate change impacts and able to recover more quickly when climate-related disasters strike. AgriAdapt is a creative project within WRI’s Climate Resilience Practice which aims to provide agricultural value chain actors with information about climate risks, alongside appropriate adaptation options.

Urban Heat

In the face of a changing climate, cities are exposed to life-threatening extreme heat. WRI’s urban heat initiative focuses on supporting cities to make investments in cool urban surface infrastructure that lowers temperatures and saves lives. These investments include expanded tree cover, increased solar reflectivity of buildings, streets, and other hard infrastructure, and expanded use of green infrastructure and permeable materials. To achieve this, we focus our activities in three areas: 1) Building to close data gaps, 2) Building decision support tools, 3) Scaling deployment of these data and decision tools.

About your role:

You will lead the development of data and software products that improve how we create, discover, and use data to support a more resilient and prosperous world. As the Data Solutions Architect, AgriAdapt and Urban Heat you will develop and implement data product roadmaps, managing data pipelines and overseeing the release of new features. This role is a combination of hands-on and an advisory role.

You will be supported by a team of data science, software engineering and product staff within WRI’s Data Lab, and subject matter experts from WRI’s Climate Resilience Practice and Ross Centre for Sustainable Cities. You will report to the Program Head - Spatial Data and Data Analytics at WRI India’s Sustainable Cities and Transport program.

You will be fully remote but could become hybrid depending on the available office space where you are located.

How your day will unfold: 

Translate user and stakeholders needs into technical solutions (50%):

· Assist the AgriAdapt and Urban Heat project teams (Cities, Data Lab, Climate Resilience Practice) in transforming insights collected from user research activities into locally relevant data solutions that meet the requirements of the stakeholders (government, universities, civil society, user community).

· Facilitate architectural and design workshops with AgriAdapt and Urban Heat project teams and stakeholders to understand project goals, propose and refine technical solutions.

· Identify technical challenges related to the implementation of urban heat data applications within different stakeholders’ contexts (integration with existing systems, data sharing and documentation, solutions architecture).

· Deliver target architecture and design documents to ensure the build of new data applications and features.

Manage the delivery of technical solutions (30%): 

· Lead the build of the AgriAdapt global data platform built on Resource Watch API, and our future products localized to India stakeholders needs and context.

· Build and demonstrate rapid prototypes and identify technical opportunities for scaling them.

· Provide technical support to Project Managers in coordinating the work of all consultants and sub-contractors, ensuring and quality delivery of expected outputs, cooperation among the sub-contracted activities, and ensuring the data and technology offer of the initiative meets internal and external needs following its vision and theory of change.

· Support on user adoption of technical solutions, including analyzing the usage of the tool, and providing training and capacity building to the user community.

Build data partnerships (20%):

· Identify and cultivate a set of important strategic data and technology partnerships to guide value creation for AgriAdapt and Urban Heat programs.

· Manage data partnerships through data sharing agreements and data collaborative strategy.

· Ensure integration of new data to the AgriAdapt web tool.

Qualifications and Requirements we seek: 

· Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Science, Human-Computer Interaction or related field is equivalent practical experience in lieu of a degree is accepted.

· Experience: Minimum of 5 years’ work experience in data-driven research and technology implementation projects involving application of geospatial analytics, remote sensing and big data is necessary.

· Working knowledge of software product development, working with external vendors and leading vendor procurement process.

· Experience coordinating partnerships of partners, donors, and governments.

· Excellent technical documentation and communication skills, including working knowledge of Confluence, Jira, Asana or similar software ticketing systems and knowledge repositories.

· Experience designing and conducting quantitative and qualitative data analysis.

· High level of comfort using data visualization and storytelling tools and frameworks such as PowerBI, Flourish, Observable, MapLibre, OpenLayers, Leaflet. Familiarity with Python, CARTO, ArcGIS, or GEE.

· A team player who is comfortable working with a globally distributed team across time zones, and, both with technology teams and with non-technical stakeholders.

· Substantive knowledge on digital transformation, climate applications, climate-smart agriculture and latest technologies is desirable.

·, Detail Oriented with demonstrated organizational skills and ability to work in a timely manner.

· Languages: fluency in English is important. Working knowledge of Hindi, Tamil, Telugu or other languages is beneficial.

· Other requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization.

Salary and Benefits: INR 11,00,000 to INR 13,00,000 CTC 

Salary shall be commensurate with experience and skills. WRI offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package.

Duration: 1 year (extendable based on performance and project requirements)

Location: Remote, India

Start Date:  At the earliest

List of Documents to be attached:

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) @WRI India

WRI India values and promotes diversity, equity and inclusion across all areas of our work and workforce. Integrating these values into our actions fosters a progressive and collaborative culture and can also enhance our impact. It is our responsibility to create a welcoming working environment for people of diverse cultures, backgrounds and experience to learn together. We are responsible for fostering a safe and inclusive workplace where questions, concerns and information about diversity, equity and inclusion are part of our ongoing dialogue and development.

Learn more about WRI India’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). 

People-centric to the core:

We keep our people at the centre of everything we do - from a welcoming work environment to benefits and a culture that encourages staff to stay healthy, happy, engaged, and growing.

Some of the non-monetary benefits that our staff get:
Health benefits:  We cover health insurance for you and your loved ones for up to INR 8 lakhs

Term Insurance:  Our term insurance policy covers life coverage of 50 lakhs per staffmember

Employee Assistance program:  Promoting mental well-being and supporting staff in achieving a satisfying work-life balance

Health & Nutrition:  Personalized diet recommendation from a certified dietitian based on the physical health condition and lifestyle

Flexible work schedule:   Alternative work arrangements for all who are eligible by nature of their job

Learning culture : Workshops and trainings to empower staff, encourage new learning opportunities

Rest and Recharge weeks:  We encourage staff to take time off to rest, rejuvenate, upskill, and pursue their interests.

Our leave policy:  Avail personal time off at 36 per year, along with public holidays, maternity, paternity, and adoption leaves.

Click here to know more about our benefits 

Equal employment @WRI India

We believe in equal employment, it is our policy to recruit, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to caste, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual preference, parental status, or disability.