Position: REACH GIS Officer
Department: REACH
Duty Station: Nairobi
**Starting Date:**1st August 2025
Type of Contract: Fixed
Duration: 5 months
About ACTED/REACH
Since 1993, as an international non-governmental organization, ACTED has been committed to immediate
humanitarian relief to support those in urgent need and protect people’s dignity, while co-creating longer term opportunities for sustainable growth and fulfilling people’s potential. ACTED endeavours to respond to humanitarian crises and build resilience; promote inclusive and sustainable growth; co-construct effective governance and support the building of civil society worldwide by investing in people and their potential. We go the last mile: ACTED’s mission is to save lives and support people in meeting their needs in hard-to-reach areas. With a team of 7000 staff, ACTED is active in 42 countries and implements more than 550 projects a year reaching over 20 million beneficiaries. More on www.acted.org
IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis, GIS and Remote Sensing. REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts, supporting and working within the framework of the humanitarian reform process. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database & (web)-mapping facilities & expertise.
COUNTRY PROFILE
In Kenya, Acted has been present since 2007 to meet the humanitarian and development needs of communities affected by natural calamities, population displacement and inadequate access to basic services. Acted has a capital office in Nairobi and operational bases in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) counties in RiftValley and Northern Kenya. The teams work with local governments and partners to support the most vulnerable households through Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), food assistance and disaster preparedness programmes.
REACH has been operational in Kenya since 2016, providing information management support to humanitarian actors on the needs and intentions of refugees and vulnerable populations as well as the needs and vulnerabilities of the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands counties of Kenya. REACH Kenya is looking to expand information support to the humanitarian response in several key areas, including IDP settlement profiling and monitoring, multi-sector needs assessments, durable solutions and improved remote data collection. Key strategic aims are to increase geographic and sectoral coverage and to enhance advocacy capacity through strengthened data collection and information targeting.
FUNCTIONS
REACH is seeking a GIS Officer with at least two years of experience in GIS, cartography, and remote sensing. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical foundation in spatial analysis and visual communication and be comfortable working with both static and interactive geospatial products.
Under the supervision of the REACH Senior GIS Officer, and with technical support from the IMPACT HQ GIS/Remote Sensing Unit, the GIS Officer will support the design, analysis, and production of GIS outputs to inform humanitarian and development programming in Kenya and Somalia.
KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Support the planning and implementation of GIS and remote sensing components in line with the REACH Research Cycles and project objectives.
- In coordination with relevant assessment officer(s), support assessment, planning and generation of sampling framework in line with project and program objectives and with IMPACT’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines. (MSNA, Cash and Markets, DSRA, HSM and Others)
- Conduct spatial verification and quality control during field data collection
- Analyze Geospatial data and produce timely and accurate GIS products (Maps, interactive dashboards or Web Maps)
- Contribute to remote sensing tasks using tools like Google Earth Engine and support maintenance of existing RS scripts
- Ensure proper integration of spatial and non-spatial data and maintain geodatabases
- Support validation of GIS products with IMPACT HQ before external release
- Document workflows and contribute to team knowledge sharing
- Participate in internal and external coordination meetings, including presenting mapping products at stakeholder forums
- Maintain confidentiality and comply with data usage/licensing protocols
- Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
Academic qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in GIS, Geospatial/Geomatic Engineering, Remote Sensing or a related field.
Specific Skills
- Minimum 2 years of experience in GIS and/or remote sensing roles, preferably within a humanitarian or development context
- Proficiency in ESRI suite software (ArcPro, ArcGIS Online)
- Should be familiar with remote sensing tools and datasets; understanding climate hazards
- Experience with geo-spatial information management and analysis
- Knowledge of Adobe Suite, particularly InDesign and illustrator is desirable
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft office including Excel; knowledge of Python, R & STATA is an added advantage
- Experience with mobile data collection (ODK, KoBoToolbox, Survey123).
- Ability to work autonomously and remain flexible in case of shifting priorities.
- Fluency in English. Swahili/Somali is an asset.
Essential Skills:
- Basic proficiency in GIS software (ArcGIS, QGIS) and remote sensing concepts.
- Familiarity with data visualization (static/interactive maps).
- Strong interest in developing humanitarian challenges.
Soft Skills:
- Strong organizational and communication skills
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines
- High attention to detail and commitment to data quality
- Fluency in English; knowledge of Swahili and/or Somali is an advantage
How to apply
Qualified national persons with the required skills are invited to submit their applications accompanied by detailed curriculum vitae and cover letter as a single document i.e. with the cover letter being on the first page and the CV starting on the second page, detailing three work related referees and contacts to [email protected] and received on or before 5.00PM on 11th July 2025 with the subject line “GIS Officer, Nairobi”
Please do not attach any other documents while sending your applications, if required they will be requested at a later stage.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
ACTED will at no stage of recruitment process request candidate to make payments of any kind. Further, ACTED has not retained any agent in connection with recruitments.
-Acted has a zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) and strives to recruit those who share our values.
– All candidates will be subject to a pre-employment check that includes satisfactory references, screening, and criminal checks in line with legal requirements.
– All candidates who have been offered a position will sign and respect Acted’s Code of Conduct and related policies as part of their work contract. All staff are expected to abide by the standards of behaviour outlined in those documents.
– Managers will have a special responsibility to foster a safe environment.
– Misconduct can lead to serious disciplinary sanctions.
