The Geospatial Data Officer will lead and coordinate data abstraction, cleaning, and integration processes to support high-quality data management across research projects within icipe’s 4-H paradigm (Environmental, Plant, Human, and Animal Health Themes). The Geospatial Data Officer will also contribute to the development and optimization of data infrastructure, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely delivery of datasets, while supporting capacity building and scientific outputs through training, documentation, and collaboration on research proposals and publications.
Key Responsibilities
- Data Pipeline Management: Maintain and optimize data pipelines to support continuous updates and integration of spatial, epidemiological, and entomological data across multiple vector-borne disease (VBD) projects.
- Mentorship: Supervise and mentor junior staff and interns through structured onboarding, weekly check-ins, and skill-building sessions.
- Partnership Engagement: Engage with external partners, data custodians, and researchers to acquire, harmonize, and curate relevant datasets, including unpublished or restricted-access data, for expanded project use.
- Capacity Building: Design and deliver training workshops, webinars, and technical guidance to strengthen staff and partner capacity in geospatial data management, analysis, visualization, and application for research and decision-making.
- Platform Development: Collaborate with developers and GIS experts to co-develop automated data abstraction platforms that enhance the user interface and functionality of VBD platforms in icipe.
Requirements and Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Population Biology, or a related field from a recognized University.
- Experience: At least 4 years of work experience in a relevant area.
- Technical Skills:
- Knowledge and skills in big data analytics.
- Good understanding of data security, data infrastructure, and governance.
- Proficiency in programming languages (e.g., R, C++, Python, and PERL).
- Experience in genomics, population genetics, data manipulation, and computational biology.
- Software & Tools: Knowledge of commonly used tools for variant detection (samtools, bowtie2, BWA, IGV, ANNOVAR, and GATK) and file formats (BED, VCF, FASTQ, BAM, and FASTA).
- Databases: Knowledge of commonly used and publicly available bioinformatics databases (e.g. GenBank, Uniprot, DDBJ, Ensemble, GEO, SRA, ExAC, ESP, ClinVar, VectorBase, KEGG, HGMD, OMIM, PubMed, and UCSC).
- Soft Skills: Self-motivated with strong organizational, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply online via the icipe recruitment portal at recruit.icipe.org. Alternatively, applications can be submitted through the portal link: https://www.myjobmag.co.ke/apply-now/1165146.
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