Gis Research Associate

This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days/month intheoffice. You can be based in our office in Washington DC; WRI Global Office (US).Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

Land & Carbon Lab (LCL) is an initiative working to provide decision-makers with the essential geospatial monitoring information needed to address the increasing competition for the world’s finite land resources. As part of the LCL initiative, our team of GIS Analysts and researchers collaborates with partners to produce, compile and analyze geospatial data and turn it into meaningful insights for a variety of users, including commodity supply chain actors and stakeholders. To help inform priority insights, our team of GIS Analysts liaises with WRI’s Supply Chains team, which coordinates efforts across WRI’s various programs and international offices to advance responsible supply chains. The Supply Chains team seeks to enable responsible production, trade, and monitoring of commodities to protect human rights, forests and other ecosystems, and reduce GHG emissions from land-use change.

Job Highlight:

Reporting to the Supply Chains Research Manager, you will work with other LCL researchers and partners to build datasets that enable the monitoring of conversion of natural grasslands, savannas, and wetlands to agricultural land uses. You will also help develop methods for accounting of conversion within corporate supply chains. You will collaborate with researchers working on Global Pasture Watch, Global Forest Watch, the SBTN Natural Lands Map, global land cover products, and improved definitions of natural non-forest ecosystems to advance monitoring of lands beyond forests.

What will you do:

Research and Analysis (70%):-

• Assess available non-forest monitoring products with global or regional coverage
• Co-develop a new dataset for monitoring conversion of natural open ecosystems with existing land cover and land use remote sensing products
• Manage the storage, processing and preparation of large data products for analyses with cloud storage and analysis platforms
• Develop methods for calculating and reporting natural ecosystem conversion at multiple spatial scales and with varying levels of supply chain traceability

Working with partner organizations and funders(10%):-

• Work with partner organizations, corporate partners, and sustainable supply chain initiatives to test out and collect feedback on new conversion monitoring data products and methods

WritingandCommunication(20%): -

• Write technical notes or publications to support the creation of spatial datasets
• Write blogs and communication materials for sharing and explaining new data

What will you need:

• Education:You have completed abachelor’sdegree ina relevant field (e.g.,Geography, environmental science or other relevant field
• Experience:You have a minimumof5years offull-timeprofessional experienceworking with global raster datasetswith astrong background in GIS and remote sensing
• Ability to quickly learn new technologies and best practices
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with teams of colleagues
• Experience creating original research methods using spatial data in a workplace setting
• Interest in problem solving and in contributing to solutions for today’s most pressing environmental and/or international development problems
• Experience working with distributed and international team members
• Preferred: Familiarity with distributed processing tools like Dask or Spark
• Preferred: Familiarity with GIS tools like GDAL, rasterio, geopandas, Google Earth Engine and cloud native geospatial data formats (Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF, GeoParquet, STAC...)
• Preferred: Knowledge of relevant sustainability metrics and reporting frameworks, such as the Accountability Framework Initiative and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
• Language:You have written and oral fluency in English.
• Requirements:Existing work authorization is required where this position.WRI is unable to authorize visa workauthorization

Potential Salary:US salary range is between84Kand92KUSD.Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply: Please submit a resume with a required cover letter by the date of23May2024. We are unable to consider your application without a cover letter.

You mustapply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, LatinAmericaand theUS
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission drivenorganizationwith access to varied learning and training opportunities.
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of ourwork
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future ofWRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible workinghours
• Generous leavedays that increase with tenure

About Us:

Founded in 1982,World Resources Institute(WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global researchorganizationthat turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities,and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico,Colombiaand the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency,Independenceand Respect.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to ourorganizationaland programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities inemployment;we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply.Recognizingour strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.