GIS Specialist Job Vacancy


Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Vacancy Announcement No: FAO/06/2012
Issued on: 14th February 2012
Deadline for Application:29th February 2012
Position Title: GIS Specialist (SWALIM)
Grade Level: KP-1
Duty Station: Nairobi, Kenya with travel to Somalia
Organizational Unit: Somalia Country Office
Duration: 11 Months
Eligible Candidates: Kenyan and Somali Nationalities


Anticipated Start Date: As soon as possible
Under the overall guidance of the FAO Officer in Charge for Somalia, the direction of the SWALIM Chief Technical Advisor, and the direct supervision of the IM and Capacity Building Coordinator, the GIS specialist will lead SWALIM geo-spatial data management, analysis and capacity development.
Specifically, the GIS specialist will:
·         Consolidate SWALIM GIS standards, procedures and guidelines to ensure efficient data entry, storage, retrieval and backup. Enhance SWALIM GIS data structure including time series and other data
·         Support SWALIM geospatial analysis for all activities and surveys including those for hydrogeology survey, water sources assessment, surface runoff analysis, weather data analysis, etc. Compile and report results of geo-spatial analysis.
·         Develop curriculum and training materials for all GIS related courses including Arc GIS, Dynamic Atlas, GPS, Map reading, Google earth and Irrigation Information Management System (IIMS). Support GIS training for liaison office and ministry staff and other partners.
·         Improve GIS facilities at the liaison offices and line ministry by ensuring relevant software are installed and properly setup, databases are frequently updated and operational standards, procedures and guidelines are followed.
·         Analyze client spatial data request and service performance to identify information gaps, underserved needs and potential areas for improvement. Develop and support implementation of proposals for improving spatial data service.
·         Contribute to GIS data processing by SWALIM staff, liaison office and line ministries and support partners collaborating with SWALIM (including academic institutions) develop GIS data generation, processing and analysis skills and incorporate GIS and other geo-spatial technology in their work.
·         Manage SWALIM Geo-network by maintaining metadata for all records, preparing datasets for upload and monitor traffic to analyze service performance. Support SWALIM information officer in creating awareness of SWALIM geo-network service.
Minimum Requirements
·         Advanced university degree in Geographic Information System with aspects of remote sensing and relational database management
·         Demonstrated experience in the use of geo-spatial software including Arc GIS, Arc View, Arc Info, ERDAS, MS Access, MySQL, etc. Skill in appropriate scripting languages will be an advantage.
·         Working knowledge of English with good interpersonal and communication skills.
·         Ability to work with minimum guidance.
Selection Criteria
·         Relevance of academic qualifications and experience in geographical information systems, remote sensing and database management
·         Extent of practical knowledge of ESRI GIS products, image processing software and relational database;
·         Extend of understanding of the role of geo-spatial technology in water, land and environment management
·         Extent of oral and written communication skills, including ability to write concise reports;
To Apply: 
Send your application to:    
Candidates are requested to submit a covering letter quoting the Position Title and Vacancy Announcement No. FAO/06/2012 along with their current/detailed Curriculum Vitae and FAO Personal History (PH) form (available at http://www.fao.org/VA/adm11e.dot – see following page for guidelines on how to fill it out).
E-mail is the preferred means of receipt and the application should be sent to HR-Somalia@fao.org.
The subject line of the e-mail message should read CONFIDENTIAL – FAO/06/2012.
If making a hard copy submission, the envelope should be clearly marked CONFIDENTIAL – FAO/06/2012 and sent to the following address:
FAO-Somalia
UN-Somalia Ngecha Road Complex
Corner Lower Kabete Road/Ngecha Road
P.O. Box 30470-00100
Nairobi, Kenya.

Applications may also be faxed, again clearly indicating CONFIDENTIAL – FAO/06/2012 in the subject line, to +254-20-4000333.
Applications must be received by the deadline.  Late applications will not be considered.
Only short listed candidates meeting all essential qualifications will be contacted.