GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist Job Vacancy: Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat

Reference: ISP/GIS/2008
Location: Entebbe Uganda
Duration: One year (6 months probation period), with possibility of extension based on performance

Job Description

Post Level: National
Organizational Unit: Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat
Starting date: January 1st 2010

Project: Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), Institutional Strengthening Project (ISP)
Work Group: Knowledge management
Reports to: Knowledge Management Specialist

Principal Function

To lead the development and operation of a geographical information system (GIS) and spatially referenced information about the Nile river basin, as well as appropriate dissemination for utilisation in the Nile basin.

This will be a key step in capacity building and developing the knowledge base of NBI countries to improve management of the water and related natural resources of the Nile basin.

The GIS products are to be made available to decision makers / land users at many different levels, enabling countries to have the information available to make informed decisions to bring about change towards more productive and sustainable natural resources management systems.

Scope of Work

The GIS Specialist will support GIS/RS related functions which will include but not limited to:

• Develop and operate a computerized GIS for the NBI using appropriate softwares,
• Contribute to production, collecting, interpretation, maintenance and dissemination of the database inventory of available reports, aerial photographs, satellite images, digital data, scientific articles and other GIS materials related to land use and natural resources management in the Nile basin. These will include relevant studies addressing human and land use, resource management, degradation and agro-biodiversity which have been conducted in recent years in the Nile basin
• Begin Spatial analysis of the data collected, including interpretation of any available up-to-date digital satellite images. Initially, the priority is to begin to quantify the processes working across the NBI, linking poverty, water access and use, and environmental degradation to get an understanding of the driving forces of change, specific pressures on resources, and locate areas undergoing most serious degradation and areas/communities where sustainable resources management practices are implemented,
• Working with the water resources planning project, particularly DSS component, to verify the diagnosis at settlement / local/community; land use/farming system levels, and river basin as well as sub-basin levels to provide data for GIS analyses of the effect of projects/interventions and even policies (to the extent possible), in time and space across the river basin.
• Identify priority needs for map products and services, and manage response and prioritization of requests for map products and services.
• Manage the development, quality control and production of GIS products in appropriate formats for clients.
• Advocate and ensure compliance to data and mapping standards
• Identify, gather and incorporate external datasets into the NBI spatial data repository;
• Maintain and expand the data repository and related metadatabase
• Work with data to create themes and layers for use in to support IWRM functions.
• Conduct analysis and relate separate datasets to create analytical products as needed;

Essential Criteria

Required Qualifications

• At least a Bachelors Degree in GIS, Remote Sensing, Geography, Cartography, Surveying, Computer Science or related fields with a strong background in GIS and Remote sensing.
• At least 7 years of experience involving the use of remote sensing and GIS in planning development, monitoring, and management of natural resources systems. Particularly, in the retrieval, storage, archiving, processing and interpretation of RS data.
• The ability to attend to precision and detail is a pre-requisite.
• Skill in providing technical support and training in the use of Remote Sensing and GIS.
• Skill in reading, understanding, developing, manipulating, and analyzing geographic information in a variety of data formats, including raster and vector data.
• Proficiency in the use of ERDAS Imagine, ENVI, IDRISI, ArcView, ArcGIS or other similar software.
• Extensive experience in the use, calibration and validation of RS models that convert primary RS data to secondary RS information products is an advantage.
• Strong practical experience in using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is essential, specifically ESRI products such as ArcView and / or ArcInfo;

Desirable Criteria

1. Working knowledge and/or experience of a River and its water management issues
2. Actual working experience in an international context

Recruitment

NBI offers a competitive salary package commensurate with the qualifications and experience. Only the nationals of Uganda are eligible to apply for national position, while nationals of Nile Basin member Countries are eligible for the regional positions.

Women candidates are encouraged to apply.

Qualified candidates should submit electronically their application letters, including complete curriculum vitae to the Executive Director at: recruitment @ nilebasin.org .

The application letters should clearly indicate the position written on the application letter. The application letters should be submitted not later than 12th December, 2009.

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