Data Analysis and Automation Lead, Ukraine

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Program / Country Office Summary

Mercy Corps’ Ukraine crisis response seeks to meet the humanitarian needs of vulnerable Ukrainians and other conflict-affected people where they are: displaced inside Ukraine, refugees in Poland, Romania and Moldova, or trapped behind frontlines. We aim to reach 500,000 vulnerable people with multi-purpose cash assistance, in-kind humanitarian support, and protection services across four countries. Almost all of our impact will be delivered in partnership: with Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian and Moldovan civil society organizations through a granting program that matches humanitarian action with capacity strengthening, and with peer international NGOs through a consortium in Ukraine. Mercy Corps is responding to the Ukraine crisis with large-scale consortium programming with a focus on Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA). The Ukraine Cash Consortium (UCC) is a partnership between four international humanitarian aid agencies to model and deliver innovative, effective cash and other humanitarian assistance programs to support people affected by the Ukraine crisis within Ukraine.

General Position Summary

The Data Analysis and Automation Lead (DAAL) sits on the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team and is responsible for the design and development of UCC program data systems, including: mapping program data flows, working with the consortium partners to align data standards and structures, leading technical teams to create and execute on system specifications, and ensuring overall technical quality and data security. Technologies that are available and to be used across UCC partners include CommCare (Dimagi), WhatsApp (Meta), SMS/IVR, Twilio, SalesForce, Azure (Microsoft), and Power BI (Microsoft). They will manage a team of data engineers, data analysts, and MEL Technology (MEL Tech) specialists and will ensure that participant privacy is respected and sensitive data is appropriately protected. They will continuously coordinate with the other MEL team members leading data collection across the response effort, work to collect feedback from stakeholders, and work to make the data flows more efficient, automated, and simpler to operate throughout UCC activities. They will ensure that analysis and visualizations derived from the UCC data systems are accurate and delivered to decision-makers in reliable, timely, and digestible ways, and work with UCC program leaders to interpret the data and fill information gaps. This includes informing local response activities and aggregating data across UCC program activities, regions, and partners.

As needed, the DAAL may also participate in the program’s overall strategic discussions and development, attend operational meetings, and support team recruitment. This position will work in strong coordination with the UCC MEL Manager, Learning Manager, Data Architect/ Engineer, and PAQ lead and regional and HQ-based MEL teams.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROGRAM DATA MANAGEMENT, INTEGRATION & ANALYSIS

• Lead a thorough requirements gathering process for the UCC data systems that includes all partners and stakeholders, and details all forms of analysis and reporting that the consortium will need.
• Map all sources of consortium data that will be used to meet the data system requirements (both primary data collected by the three partners and secondary data used in analysis) and ensure updated catalogs of UCC data are maintained.
• Participate in the development of any Data Sharing Agreements necessary for data centralization across partner organizations, and work within Mercy Corps and with partners to put them into effect.
• Work with partners to develop shared data standards and structures, and ensure data from different activities and partners can be harmonized with minimal (if any) manual effort and automatically synced with the UCC database.
• Lead the design of the UCC data system(s), including the preparation of technology for databases and data analytics, selection of technical methods for data ingestion from partner or third party systems, creation of system specifications, and creation of technical workplans for data engineers, architects, and MEL Tech Specialists.
• Coordinate with technical partners (e.g. Dimagi/Commcare, Microsoft) on an ongoing basis to troubleshoot system design/operation and improve system efficiency.
• Collaborate with peers across Mercy Corps programs in the regional Ukraine response to align data standards, structures, and tools with the rest of the regional response.
• Ensure that all MEL Technologies deployed by UCC partners in all offices for routine MEL data collection are compatible with the UCC data systems, and that all necessary data sources are connected to the UCC data systems.
• Coordinate with analysis partners (e.g. Mercy Corps’ Crisis Analytics team) to integrate third party sources of data into the UCC data system and develop advanced analysis of the context.
• Work with technical teams to develop appropriate safeguards and permissioning structures around the data systems, in compliance with Mercy Corps’ Responsible Data Policy and with best practices for humanitarian data privacy and participant protection.
• Ensure technical SOPs for data protection are created and ensure they are implemented in consortium activities.
• Continuously evaluate the quality and security of the data system(s), collect feedback on system operation from all stakeholders, and prioritize necessary changes or additions to the UCC systems.
• Support data quality assessments and audits, and lead efforts to address any problems identified in DQA findings.
• Work with UCC MEL team members across the different implementing offices to implement and improve data collection processes.
• Collaborate with MEL team members, Evaluation Specialists, program implementers, and program stakeholders to create effective data visualizations and analysis outputs, and coordinate informational sessions and data discussion activities for consumers of the visualizations/outputs.
• Ensure that UCC has established effective data automation pipelines that allow for aggregation of program data across UCC program activities, regions, and partners
• Ensure data pipelines allow for aggregate analysis of activities to be able to report aggregate results as part of donor reporting

PROGRAM & GRANT ADMINISTRATION

• In coordination with UCC decision-makers, identify critical information gaps and develop/implement strategies to fill those gaps within UCC data systems.
• Present and lead discussions on program data and performance.
• Coordinate all data analysis activities required for grant reporting.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Recruit, onboard, manage, and develop a team of engineers, analysts, and technology specialists who will build the UCC data systems and support their use throughout the program data lifecycle.
• Introduce and lead all team management processes, and manage technical task assignments according to team member role and skills profile.
• Create a collaborative and respectful working environment where team members are able to contribute ideas, iterate on technical designs, and identify and address system errors/problems.
• Conduct regular check-ins with team members to assess performance and support them with delivering on assigned tasks.
• Support other team member recruitment efforts where needed.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: MEL Manager

Works Directly With: UCC Senior MEL Officers, PaQ Lead, UCC Program Learning Manager, Consortium MEL Director, Mercy Corps Headquarters MEL team and counterparts at MC HQ offices in Europe.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

Any skills you have gained through education, volunteer, work, or life experience that are relevant for the position will be considered. Be sure to fully explain transferable skills and success factors and how they apply to this position in your cover letter.

• Required
• Proficiency in oral and written English is required.
• 2 years of experience in international relief and development programming; especially in MEL or program management functions.
• Demonstrated experience in requirements gathering and specifications design for software, databases, and data products. Demonstrated ability to work with both technical and non-technical stakeholders to understand problems, brainstorm solutions, and adapt/iterate technical plans in response to shifting circumstances.
• Demonstrated experience in technical team management.
• Demonstrated experience with statistical and/or database programming (e.g. SQL, R, Python) and/or with cloud data solutions (e.g. Microsoft Azure, AWS).
• Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Demonstrated ability to critically evaluate data, identify errors and weaknesses, and communicate about data in meetings and decision-making contexts.
• At this time, candidates must have the right to work in Europe.
• Preferred
• Proficiency in Ukrainian or Russian is preferred.
• Experience facilitating technical trainings and consultations strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience using XLS forms and/or data visualization software (e.g. Power BI) strongly preferred.
• Experience with Microsoft Azure/associated tools strongly preferred

Success Factors

The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong understanding of field data collection and analysis technologies, as well as a strong understanding of database and data pipeline design. They will likely have a background in technical product ownership/management and/or a strong interest and some relevant experience in that field. They will have a personal commitment to data quality and security, a strong interest in using data analysis to reduce the time and effort required for field staff to make strategic decisions, and an ability to effectively lead a team of varying technical capacities. They will be an independent problem solver while also ensuring that country/program needs drive the technologies chosen and the support work conducted. They will have strong data communication skills and be able to help teams throughout the program understand their data.

They will further act in an ethical manner at all times regarding the privacy and security of program participant data, communicate ethical concerns up the chain of responsibility, and ensure the concerns are resolved appropriately. They will serve as an advocate for the data technology and analysis needs of response teams, and will demonstrate an ability to build trust among country/program staff and balance the needs of multiple countries/programs.

Any skills you have gained through education, volunteer, work, or life experience that are relevant for the position will be considered. Be sure to fully explain transferable skills and success factors and how they apply to this position in your cover letter.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This position is based in Lviv, Ukraine, but location within Ukraine is subject to reassessment given the dynamic context. Accommodations are being defined and access to services – medical, electricity, water, etc is in place but may change depending on the situation. This position requires travel to surrounding countries, as security permits. Given the emergency context, this position requires exceptional work schedules, including evenings and weekends.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to theInteragency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere toMercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.