Overview

Work Location: Remote within the Caribbean region
Application Close Date: April 17, 2023
Estimated Start date: May 8, 2023
Department: Open Mapping Hub - Latin America and the Caribbean
Reports to: Regional Hub Director (proxy to Head of AMPS team)
Terms: Full time, one year initial contract
Travel: Frequent travels within the region and occasional international travels
Level: 6

About HOT

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) sits at the nexus of participatory mapping, community-led development, humanitarian response, open data and tech. With a talented and diverse team spread around the globe, HOT is an NGO that supports a dynamic global community of thousands of dedicated volunteers using maps and open data for humanitarian response and the Sustainable Development Goals. Working with humanitarian and development partners like the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, UN agencies, governments and others, the HOT community maps in solidarity with those affected by or at risk of disaster, contributing the maps and data aid workers need to do their lifesaving work.

In 2020 the work of the HOT community was recognized by TED’s Audacious Project, a collaborative philanthropic initiative that serves as a springboard for social impact on a grand scale, leading to an exciting new phase of growth. HOT is expanding its activities: opening four regional hubs and scaling up its support to local mapping communities with the audacious goal of mapping an area home to one billion people in 94 countries at high risk of disasters or experiencing poverty - mapping with communities before they are in crisis.

About the Open Mapping Hub - Latin America and the Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region of diversity which shares the common threat of natural disasters based on the geographic location. The small country sizes and rough terrain of these developing countries makes it inherently difficult to recover from these frequently occurring events. Every year, the island nations and territories stand guard to the inevitable passing of tropical storms and hurricanes from the north Atlantic Ocean. Rough terrains of these volcanic landforms have most of the population concentrated in coastal and low-lying regions. This increases the vulnerability of flooding and storm surge to its inhabitants. Further exacerbating these existing conditions is the potential risk for earthquakes which present themselves more violently per occurrence than other regions with this similar threat. Bearing also in mind the increasing threat of climate change, this array of destructive events and the existing developmental issues of the region, creates the need for concerted efforts in disaster preparedness, and response on a basis above the norm.

HOT as an organization was born out of the need for such a response in the Caribbean region itself, through efforts of the Haiti 2010 earthquake. The decentralization based on the large number of small countries makes it difficult for individual countries to attain the relevant resources and data needed to buffer the effects of natural disasters. The need for a dedicated specialist regarding the different issues at all stages of the disaster cycle from a mapping and data collection perspective, would be a natural imperative within HOT’s Caribbean team.

About the Role

The Disaster Services and Training Specialist is the regional focal point for HOT’s disaster response and disaster risk reduction activities and training support on OSM tools. As such, the incumbent will support, develop, document, and assist the communities with coordinating in the Caribbean region for emergency management training and exercises. They will also guide, and where necessary lead, mapping related disaster response and preparedness activities for the region in facilitating data use in response efforts regionally. The role will bridge among HOT’s global staff engaged in Disaster Services, regional hub teams and local communities.

Responsibilities

Priority responsibilities:

Disaster response and anticipatory action:

Coordinating with Local Communities, response and aid organizations, and HOT colleagues during disasters. This role will focus on the response workflows on the ground, coordinating between OSM communities and disaster response and aid agencies locally;
Work with the core Caribbean team to support the creation and implementation of partner engagement and outreach strategy where this pertains to disaster response, preparedness & early recovery;
Maintain relations with disaster management agencies and partners at an operational level, and build local volunteer response capacity;
Work with the HOT/Red Cross Climate Centre focal point to support the use of OpenStreetMap in the region as required [e.g. when National Societies in the region are responding to a disaster, or integrating geospatial data in Early Action Protocols]
Work with the core Caribbean team to support the creation and implementation of partner engagement and outreach strategy where this pertains to disaster response, preparedness & early recovery;
Stay up-to-date on initiatives being planned for Anticipatory Action in the region, trends, learnings by engaging in relevant networks (e.g. Anticipation Hub, Start Network)
Support global volunteer management strategy by resourcing, training, and retaining volunteers to nourish the “Activator” (volunteers in disaster services) community in the region;
Future: Catalyzing the regionalisation of HOT’s strategy for disasters and climate resilience, including participating in HOT global Disaster Services development meetings and the Activation Working Group (AWG)

Training:

Capacity development with OSM communities: set up and provide training and workshops to local and regional partners working in the areas of disaster management, OpenStreetMap communities, and hub staff on HOT’s disaster response workflows to empower local response;
Identify training needs, design curricula, and develop training materials (or tailor the existing materials) in coordination with the Hub’s Director, the core Caribbean team; and Learning and Training Task Team.
Lead both introductory and advanced level training on OpenStreetMap, QGIS and other relevant technologies to OSM community members, government agencies, corporate partners, humanitarian actors, and other interested groups in the region;
Contribute to the development of technical documentation and training materials, and adapt these to local needs, circumstances and languages.

Data:

Work with current and new partner organizations to identify suitable and relevant datasets to be integrated and/or imported into OpenStreetMap. This will include coordinating the data management process with the relevant online community/communities and adhering to the policies set forth by the OpenStreetMap Foundation - the governing body of OSM;
Coordinate with and be active in the national and/or regional OSM chapters of the Caribbean region.
Participate in the Quality Control and Assurance Working Group, and “Validator” (quality assurance volunteers) meetings to support and learn global quality objectives, techniques and challenges;
Identify priority areas for mapping and data validation from a disaster perspective.

Secondary responsibilities:

Coordinate with HOT’s Data team to monitor data completeness as well as identifying quality assurance and validation needs of projects and grant projects;
Coordinate GIS training, geospatial data workflows and GIS support on the production of maps, data products, and assistance in data analysis to support local and regional disaster agencies, and OpenStreetMap communities;
Coordinate training, workflows and support on the production of maps, data products, and assistance in data analysis to support project or grant recipients. This will include not just training, but providing ongoing support and accompaniment to grant recipients wanting to create in depth data analyses for their projects.
Interact with HOT’s Disaster Mapping Coordinator to ensure effective coordination of responses and training activities

Qualifications

Essential

Care deeply about the mission: passionate about humanitarian & development work demonstrated through prior professional experiences.
A minimum of 3 (ideally 5+) years working directly with disaster response agencies in the Caribbean region, and with a strong personal network relating to the position.
Experience living or working in multiple Caribbean territories within the past 15 years.
Experience designing and carrying out coordinated OSM mapping exercises, field mapping, information management, teaching data quality assurance, collaborating with various stakeholders, and building capacity in partner organizations.
Experience in identifying training needs, designing curricula, developing training materials and delivering training workshops to varied audiences.
Experience in humanitarian aid, disaster response, or relief projects which relied on volunteers to be successful.
University or college degree in international development, GIS, disaster risk reduction, urban planning, data science, informatics, or equivalent length work experience in related fields.
Attention to detail, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication.
Good interpersonal skills, and ability to develop effective relationships online and in person.
Fluent in written and spoken English.

Desirable

1-2 years community or professional experience in OpenStreetMap or other mapping-related open source data platforms.
Experience in open data projects, including responsible and ethical data use.
Experience working with and alongside (large) volunteer groups and communities, such as open source, open data or the OpenStreetMap community.
Additional language proficiency in languages spoken in the region (French and/or Spanish).
Moderate to advance knowledge in relevant core IT principles (eg. database management, programming, software development, etc.)

Are you missing a few of the technical skills listed? We would still like to see your application. While the skills above fit our vision of this role, we are open to those candidates with a strong knowledge foundation that are fast learners and highly motivated to close any skill gaps.

Compensation and Benefits

HOT values transparency and equity. All HOT compensation globally is set according to a framework detailed on our website. HOT also offers:

Fully remote & flexible work arrangements
Flexible public holidays
Paid time off
Home Office Allowance
Healthy Staff allowance or group plan
Learning & Development Opportunities
Book Stipend
Coaching Program supported by The Humanitarian Coaching Network
Collaborating with a fast-growing, dedicated team who values humanitarianism, free, open-source, and accessible data

HOT is a leader in flexible working arrangements. As an innovative and open organization, we provide ample space and opportunity for personal initiative and growth.

Equal Opportunity

We seek to recruit persons that reflect the diversity of the communities we work with. HOT does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, physical ability, religious or belief systems, political convictions, or sexual orientation. Further, HOT seeks to support the development and advancement of staff within the organization. Our staff includes people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, lived experiences, and perspectives on the world. HOT is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to live our values and promote inclusivity in all locations. All of our staff work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of all is valued and respected.

HOT is committed to diversity within our team, and recognizes our role in closing the digital divide, including identifying obstacles that certain groups face in developing skills needed for roles in the humanitarian & technology sectors. Women, nationals of developing countries, and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

To Apply

Please complete the application by April 17, 2023. Your CV/resume should not exceed 2 pages.

The selection process will consist of the following steps:

Online Application
Written Exercise/Assessment
Panel Interview/s