Senior Project Associate

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