Technical Project Manager (TPM)

Job Description
The Technical Project Manager will lead various Data Friendly Space initiatives, with a primary focus on product management of the DEEP/JAWS platform - an open-source solution for annotating, classifying, and analyzing humanitarian data (GitHub Repository). This role combines technical project management with product ownership responsibilities, managing multiple vendors, coordinating distributed teams, and prioritizing tasks aligned with a long-term roadmap. The candidate will work closely with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring the successful delivery of features that address user needs and organizational goals.

Key Responsibilities
Project & Product Management

• Develop an in-depth understanding of initiatives such as the DEEP/JAWS platform, roadmaps, and user needs.
• Lead feature planning, prioritization, and implementation in collaboration with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Envision and propose innovative features, providing technical specifications for development teams.
• Oversee release cycles, ensuring thorough documentation and quality assurance.
• Conduct and review continuous user research to align roadmap priorities with evolving user needs.
• Facilitate testing and integration of user feedback into feature development in coordination with UX/UI designers.
• Conduct partner visits to understand user requirements and promote the platform.

Remote Coordination & Team Management

• Coordinate distributed teams across multiple time zones, including software developers (Python, Django, React), NLP/ML teams, and UX/UI designers.
• Work closely with key stakeholder groups to ensure timely, on-budget delivery of features.
• Oversee hiring and onboarding of technical team members and external consultants.
• Foster effective communication and collaboration among globally distributed teams.

Stakeholder Management and Communication

• Act as the primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with the product vision, budget, and deliverables.
• Prepare tutorials, training materials, and presentations for users and partners.
• Regularly update stakeholders on development progress through reports, roadmaps, and visual presentations.
• Advocate for the platform by engaging with partners, advisory boards, and other humanitarian technology actors.

Partnerships and Business Development

• Build and maintain partnerships with academic institutions, NGOs, and private organizations to enhance platform contributions and research.
• Support fundraising efforts, including writing proposals and sourcing new funding opportunities.
• Collaborate with finance teams to budget, forecast expenses, and monitor allocated resources.
• Explore synergies with external technologies and resources to improve platform capabilities.

Required Qualifications

Technical Skills

• 5+ years of experience building or guiding technology-driven products.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies and the ability to adapt SCRUM processes to varying team needs.
• Hands-on experience with modern product discovery and user research techniques.
• Working knowledge of:
  • Project management tools (Jira, Confluence, Monday, etc)
  • Software development workflows
  • Cloud platforms (AWS)
  • Basic understanding of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine
    Learning (ML) concepts.
• Experience with technical requirement gathering and documentation.

Soft Skills

• Proven ability to manage multiple vendors and prioritize overlapping tasks.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to convey technical information to diverse stakeholders.
• Partner management experience, including collaboration with globally distributed teams.
• Ability to work effectively with UI/UX designers and ensure user-centered feature development.
• Resilience and adaptability in remote working environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the humanitarian, climate, or development sectors, including familiarity with United Nations/NGO systems.
• Understanding of humanitarian data workflows and secondary data review processes.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects involving multidisciplinary teams and consultants.
• While our working language is English, proficiency in Spanish or other languages is a plus.

Reporting Line
The Technical Project Manager will report to the DFS Chief Product Officer.

Additional Information

• Location: Remote, with a preference for candidates who can travel to collaborate with development teams in the USA and EU.
• Contract: Open-ended, with a competitive salary based on experience.
• Start Date: When filled.