Asia, Middle East & Europe Regional Data Coordinator - FEWS NET

Introduction

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is an integrated set of activities funded by the United States Government (USG) and is intended to provide timely, accurate, evidence-based, and transparent food insecurity early warning information and analysis. Created in 1985 in response to famines in East and West Africa, FEWS NET provides global coverage of acute food insecurity. FEWS NET’s work is implemented across several mechanisms by a team of partners that includes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the University of California-Santa Barbara’s Climate Hazards Center (UCSB-CHC), University of Maryland’s Department of Geographical Sciences, American Institutes for Research (AIR), and Chemonics International (Chemonics). Chemonics implements FEWS NET’s Decision Support Team (DST), which is charged with providing integrated monitoring and analyses of current and forecast acute food insecurity in countries worldwide to support the United States Government’s (USG) policy and programmatic decisions. The DST operates through a Washington-based technical office, regional FEWS NET offices, and national staff presence in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.

FEWS NET’s objective is to produce timely, evidence-based decision support to enable the efficient allocation of humanitarian assistance on the basis of need.

Based on an in-depth understanding of local livelihoods, FEWS NET monitors information and data on factors that affect food security, such as conflict, weather and agroclimatology, crops, pasture, markets and trade, and nutrition. The FEWS NET DST produces regular reports, including Food Security Outlooks and Outlook Updates, emergency alerts, market and price updates, and targeted analyses. FEWS NET makes reports available at www.fews.net and distributes them globally to governments, relief agencies, and other organizations engaged in humanitarian response and development programs.

The eighth phase of FEWS NET began in 2024. The work of the FEWS NET DST relies on close collaboration with international, regional, and national partners on food security-related data and information gathering and analysis. Major activities include joint monitoring and assessments, data sharing and exchanges, collaborative analysis and reporting, and support of local and regional food security networks.

Position Description

The FEWS NET DST contributes to the broader FEWS NET project goal of becoming a leading repository and distributor of trusted, open-source, multi-sectoral food security data and analysis globally. In FEWS NET 8, data are considered products in themselves, tools to help achieve broad goals that are important to FEWS NET and the US Government. The DST’s acute food insecurity early warning analysis and decision support products rely on a diverse set of qualitative and quantitative data sources. These data are collected, cleaned, and analyzed routinely for incorporation into a range of regular reports and briefings and to respond to ad hoc information requests from USG and other stakeholders. Data collection, organization, and management are, therefore, essential to achieving the FEWS NET DST’s core mandate.

During the previous phases of FEWS NET, USG funded the development of a FEWS NET Data Warehouse (FDW) to manage and archive many of the various databases project staff and other stakeholders use. The FEWS NET DST collaborates with the FEWS NET Data, Learning and Communications Hub (Hub), implemented by AIR, to develop essential database design components and data (both primary and secondary) to support the buildout of various data domains, including but not limited to: commodity prices, cross-border trade flows, agricultural production, acute malnutrition, historical food insecurity classifications, food insecure population estimates, and geographic shapefiles. Additionally, the DST utilizes a selection of mobile data collection and transmission system (MDTS) tools across its geographies to facilitate the collection and management of select primary data.

The FEWS NET DST Regional Data Coordinator, working under the supervision of the Data Management Advisor and in coordination with the field-based Data Management Senior Specialist, provides support to ongoing data management activities across the team’s sectors (e.g., Food Security Decision Support, Conflict, Markets and Trade, Livelihoods, Nutrition). This includes support for FEWS NET DST data management and engagement within FEWS NET and external audiences in relation to FEWS NET data management. While the Data Management Advisor leads and provides strategic oversight for the FEWS NET DST Data sector, the field-based DMSS may serve as a resource for the Regional Data Coordinator in identification and implementation of sectoral priorities.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the Regional Data Coordinator include but are not limited to:

• Assisting in the identification of country and regional-level primary and secondary data collection activities subject to FEWS NET and USG data documentation, storage, and transfer requirements
• Assisting with the formatting of datasets collected or acquired by the DST for upload into the FDW, in accordance with guidance from the Hub
• Ensuring data are processed, cleaned, and archived in a timely fashion, in line with Hub, DST and client requests. Undertaking this responsibility will include working closely with country and regional offices and sector specialists to ensure timely completion of data entry and processing tasks.
• Extracting data from unstructured source documents, such as PDFs and Excel sheets
• Geo-coding extracted data and uploading it into the FDW
• Tracking and resolving data upload issues with the Hub; creating and, as relevant, responding to helpdesk tickets using Jira system
• Identifying data irregularities and inconsistencies in source documents and processed datasets and proposing and implementing approved solutions
• Supporting and assisting in the design, implementation, and maintenance of the DST’s new and/or existing applications and initiatives to leverage MDTS processes and tools
• Supporting and assisting in the design, implementation, and maintenance of the DST’s new and/or existing applications and initiatives to manage, analyze, and visualize data for both regular and ad hoc reporting and decision support efforts
• Providing in-person and remote recurring and ad hoc capacity strengthening to DST staff on FDW processes and tools, including uploading files, data extraction, and the use of related offline tools
• Providing in-person and remote recurring and ad hoc capacity strengthening to DST staff on MDTS processes and tools
• Assisting in the management and supervision of subcontractor task orders associated with DST data processing, as requested
• Assisting in the management and coordination of in-country FEWS NET and/or multi-partner enumerator networks and food security monitoring networks
• Supporting ongoing and future initiatives related to data collection and survey tools, the production of high-quality visual analyses, and data visualization tools (including interactive data monitoring products and tools).
• Providing support to other data processing/data management tasks across the project, as needed
• At the discretion of the supervisor, this position may be expected to manage a limited number of staff

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience, including professional experience with GIS platforms, data science, data curation, mobile data collection technologies, and data and information collection networks.
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent work experience) in a relevant field such as computer science or related information systems field required; Masters degree preferred.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required; Competency in French, Spanish, Arabic, and/or additional languages of regional relevance are desired
• Technical skills and knowledge in Python programming language is an advantage
• Demonstrated previous experience with statistical tools to perform analyses, such as Excel, PowerBI, or Tableau, is required.
• Previous experience with mobile data collection tools (e.g., ODK, KOBO), methods, and management is required
• Additional skills with databases, scripting, and use of cloud services are desired
• Demonstrated previous experience using large socioeconomic datasets for analyses is desired
• Familiarity with Agile framework and software development methods and processes is desired
• Excellent research skills and ability to focus on details is required
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing is required
• Demonstrated ability to provide guidance and capacity strengthening to adult learners is required
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a multicultural team across numerous geographies is required
• In-depth knowledge of local/regional food security context, stakeholders and dynamics is required.
• Permanent, unrestricted work authorization in one of the relevant countries below (see Location and Reporting) is required.

Location and Reporting

This is a full-time position with a strong preference for candidates based in Jordan, but highly qualified candidates from Afghanistan, Burma, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen will be considered. The Regional Data Coordinator will work under the technical direction and supervision of the Data Management Advisor and in coordination with the field-based Data Management Specialist, while oversight of regional priorities and select administrative tasks will be provided by the Regional Team Lead, in coordination with the Data Management Advisor. S/He will also collaborate with the Washington-based technical and management teams and technical staff in FEWS NET country and regional offices, as well as with other FEWS NET implementing partners, as relevant. The RDC may be required to travel domestically and internationally, security and public health considerations permitting.

How to apply

Please apply using the following link by February 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. No telephone inquiries, please. Chemonics will contact short-listed candidates.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.

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