This position is Hybrid or office based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Nairobi, Kenya or Kigali, Rwanda; WRI Africa Regional Office. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission. WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

WRI Ross Center builds on WRI’s global and local experience in urban planning and mobility and uses solutions to increase energy efficiency, manage water risk, improve social equity and economic opportunity, encourage governance and make the fast-growing urban environment more resilient to new challenges. The Cities Data Initiative is focused on applying new streams of data to allow more informed, integrated, strategic, and collaborative urban planning. We help focus data toward meeting the needs of urban decision makers and we build tools and local capacity to create relevant insights from data innovations. https://www.wri.org/cities African cities are being built now, creating a once-only opportunity to follow a sustainable path. WRI Africa works to ensure that these latest cities become growth engines for their surrounding regions. Our Thriving, Resilient Cities program uses two approaches. First, improving planning for resilience and access to services through making cities livable, compact and connected. Second, promoting stronger links between cities and the surrounding landscapes that provide their water, food and energy.

Job Highlight:

You will help WRI Africa shape our strategy related to urban data and guide the development of data products—both datasets and digital applications—to meet the needs of important urban stakeholders. You will ensure user research is at the heart of a data and product strategy. You will manage stakeholder relationships, make recommendations for digital products, and manage teams to support use of these products. You may also be called upon to directly manage the delivery of important projects. The near-term projects you will support have goals ranging from planning for sustainable urban growth; avoid extreme urban heat; fill gaps in data on African cities and climate resilience for the most vulnerable urban residents. You will sit in the Cities Program in WRI Africa and be affiliated with Urban Data & Tools team in WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities and the WRI Data Lab.

You will report to the Director of WRI Africa Cities and work with the global manager of Cities Data and Tools and the Global Network Lead for WRI’s Data Lab.

What will you do:

Guide Strategic Direction of Data Products and Programs (40%):

• Develop a cohesive strategy for urban data and associated tooling in partnership with managers and technical teams
• Contribute to the design of new data applications and products, ensuring they stay true to a cohesive overall strategic direction and are responsive to user needs
• Manage small, matrixed teams of analysts, coordinators, and specialists, both internal and external resources, to achieve projects with oversight from managers
• Stay up to date with developments and changes in the landscape of data for African sustainable development, and ensure WRI’s strategy remains aligned. This will involve conducting market research for new tools and programs
• Work with senior staff from the Cities and Data teams on the strategic development and management of urban data work in Africa
• Support fundraising, including encouraging new project opportunities and prospective donors and preparing proposals
• Partner with internal staff to coordinate fundraising opportunities within the Africa Cities team related to urban data

Project and Product management (30%):

• Initiate new projects, creating initial work plans, budgets and organizational structures designed to align the project to goals and main success criteria
• Guide the delivery of large-scale products through the whole product lifecycle through best practices in technical delivery.
• Maintain clear and comprehensive project documentation
• Communicate work to non-technical, senior audiences internally and externally to ensure clarity and understanding
• Work with Monitoring and Evaluation teams to define methods and metrics for measuring product success. This can include product analytics and Indicators
• Oversee vendor procurement and relationship management, including contracts, creating work plans, and managing deadlines and budget

Relationship Management, User Research (20%):

• Develop relationships with stakeholders and current and prospective product users
• Collaborate with communications colleagues to lead outreach to reach target audiences and initiate opportunities for collaboration and engagement with partners
• Work with the Data Lab’s User Research Lead to organize and run events for user research and engagement, such as interviews, trainings or workshops
• Design and manage user research activities, with User Research Lead, to support the development and testing of products and services
• Monitor user engagement throughout the lifecycle of a product or service. Use these findings to inform ongoing development, engagement, continuous improvement and measurement, evaluation, and learning

Communications (10% of time):

• Communicate to internal and external audiences using clear writing, data visualization, and presentation skills
• Guide analysts in developing analyses and data communications materials required to meet project needs
• Lead the drafting of blogs, technical notes, and papers
• Apply basic knowledge of frontend frameworks for data visualization
• Apply basic knowledge of cartographic principles and map design tools and practices

What will you need:

• Education: A BA or BS degree in a relevant field
• Experience: Minimum 5 years of full-time work experience. Implement user research best practices.
• Experience Lead technology product development, working with external vendors
• Coordinate partnerships of partners, donors, and governments
• Facilitate vendor procurement processes
• Experience with project management practices.
• Past work in an urban policy or planning context or with urban data.
• Languages: You have verbal and written proficiency in English and additional fluency in more or more language spoken in WRI Africa focus countries
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization

Potential Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply: Please submit a resume with cover letter by the date of November 1 2023. You mustapply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• A competitive salary.
• 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, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work.
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI.
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours.
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure.

About Us:

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that 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, Colombia and 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, Independence and Respect.

Our culture:

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

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.