REACH Data officer

Position: REACH Data Officer
Department: REACH
Duty Station: Nairobi
Starting Date: 05/01/2026
Type of Contract: Fixed Term
Duration: 3 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

Under the line management of the Senior Data officer, the REACH Data Officer is responsible for the production of REACH’s analysis products, including the preparation of research design, support in designing sampling methods, data analysis plans, data collection tools, data cleaning scripts and processes, analysis scripts, analysis outputs and production of web maps and information management systems. The Data officer will support in the dissemination and evaluation stages of the research cycle.

In his/her mission, the Data officer will be employed by ACTED and will be under the direct responsibility and management of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, Security, Logistics, and Finance issues.

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The REACH Data Officer responsibilities include the following:

I. Research Planning

• Contribute towards the identification and implementation of effective and adapted data management and analysis solutions for REACH research in Somalia and Kenya, in line with REACH’s relevant research and data guidelines.
• Support as designated by line manager sampling design, creation and management of data collection tools (ODK or KoBo), training on data cleaning and management techniques, support for data analysis set up (specifically conducted in the R environment).
• Contribute to draft research ToRs with a specific focus on sampling, data collection tools, the data analysis plan, as well as data management plan;
• Support the development of qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, ensuring requirements of research cycle/assessment are met;
• In coordination with relevant assessment and GIS officer(s), support construction of quantitative sample; Keep track of progress and delays of all assigned tasks throughout the research cycle. Ensure that delays or identified problems are reported by writing and orally in a timely manner.

II. Research Implementation

• When relevant, support the identification and training of enumerators for primary data collection.
• When relevant, support oversight of data collection, in line with agreed TORs (including their Annexes), including data cleaning processes, checks and data cleaning scripts.
• In coordination with relevant assessment officer(s), document all changes in data collection that lead to a modification in the agreed TORs, ensuring that the Research manager, GIS Manager, IMPACT CC, and IMPACT HQ are informed and agree on the modifications.

III. Data Management, Cleaning and Analysis

• Monitor accuracy of data collected in line with IMPACT’s Data Cleaning Minimum Standards Checklist.
• Cross check data collected in the field, ensure regular updates, and solve eventual discrepancies.
• Maintain, update and expand R-based systems of data management and analysis for data dissemination and reporting;
• Support statistical analysis and quantitative reporting on assessments.
• Develop interactive data visualizations and dashboards using Power BI or R Shiny

IV. Drafting of Products

• Ensure that all REACH analysis products meet the requirements of REACH and concerned partners.
• In support of the Research Manager or CC, as requested, provide regular communication with IMPACT HQ on progress and deadlines for analysis outputs
• Ensure the drafting of timely and accurate data and analysis products (such as factsheets, graphics, web maps, dashboards), which comply with IMPACT’s guidelines;
• Ensure findings are accurately reported given the data collection and analysis methodology planned in TORs.
• Ensure that all analysis outputs are validated by IMPACT HQ before external release.

V. Knowledge sharing and learning processes

• Provide content and contributes to lessons learned exercises

VI. Capacity building

• In coordination with line manager, conduct induction for new staff members, including training in basic technical data processing and analysis competencies
• Support the REACH GIS Manager in the development and implementation of capacity training plans for data and other team members within the Horn of Africa.
• Be available to provide regular support and technical backstopping to all teams and units within the country office.

VII. Internal Coordination

• Actively participate in regular team meetings.
• Ensure regular coordination and exchange with relevant colleagues.
• Engage in the development and implementation of IMPACT’s strategy in Somalia and Kenya.

VIII. Data Confidentiality and Protection

The Data Officer will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes, ensuring full compliance with IMPACT’s data protection policy and SOPs. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners or collected during his/her assignment with REACH.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

• Masters’ degree in a relevant discipline (Computer Science, Data Engineering, Information Management Systems, Statistics, Mathematics, etc.). Or, Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline with relevant work experience;
• 5 years of experience in Data Science, Statistics, programming or GIS, preferably in a humanitarian context;
• Excellent analytical skills;
• Proficient knowledge of R programming language, Python, and other relevant data management software
• Experience with cleaning and analyzing large datasets required.
• Ability to design interactive dashboards using Power BI or R Shiny
• Proficiency in Git/GitHub for collaborative coding and reproducible workflows
• Ability to build ETL pipelines for cleaning and transforming data efficiently.
• Ability to apply machine learning techniques for humanitarian data analysis, such as Predictive modeling and Classification and clustering for population segmentation.
• Strong skills in Excel required;
• Good understanding of various sampling frameworks;
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
• Ability to work independently and remotely;
• Written and spoken fluency in English required;
• Experience with or willingness to learn: ArcGIS Online environment, QGIS, FME, Google Earth Engine, OpenStreet Map, and/or Tableau;
• Experience with Kobo, ODK or similar mobile data collection tools.
• Experience with AWS, Google Cloud, or similar platforms for data storage and processing 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 kenya.jobs@acted.org and received on or before 5.00PM on 24.12.2025 with the subject line “REACH Data 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 shortlisting will be done on a rolling basis and only the 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.

ACTED is an Equal Opportunity Employer.