Technical assistant

Background

The Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) calls upon regional organizations with a role on DRR related to their mandates, priorities, and resources, including the promotion of regional programmes and establish regional collaborative centers to undertake research, training, education and capacity building in the field.

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) of the League of Arab States, under the chairmanship of the Executive Bureau of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE) and the Islamic Executive Bureau for Environment, jointly launched a Regional Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction on 4 March 2009, hosted by the AASTMT in Cairo.

During the Second Meeting of the Governing Board, the esteemed Members endorsed the proposed outline for a 3-year Strategic Business Plan 2011 – 2013 for RCDRR that was presented by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) of the World Bank.

The plan focuses on four clear lines of business aiming at achieving the RCDRR objectives. These four lines are: 1) Enable policy and planning for disaster risk reduction in the region, 2) expand education and training opportunities to build a culture of prevention in the region, 3) enable access to knowledge and practices relevant to the region, and 4) just-in-time advisory services.

RCDRR seeks to recruit a technical assistant to work on the third business line entitled “Building Capacity to manage disaster risk and climate change data, and enabling access to knowledge and DRM practices relevant to the region.”, under the supervision of the Disaster Risk and Climate Change Knowledge Programme Leader. The Programme Officer shall report directly to the leader.

Duties and responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of Disaster Risk and Climate Changes Knowledge Programme Leader, the incumbent will work closely with IT officer and will undertake the following tasks:

• Edit, Maintain and Update GeoNode data and Metadata, and Assist the IT officer on providing GeoNode Deployement and development, data uploading and system maintenaning.
• Assist in the installation, implementation and maintaining of Disaster loss database in the region (DesInventar).
• Contribute to the RCDRR website development and maintaining.
• Conduct internet search & information relative to create lists & support documents that will help in implementing RCDRR Risk knowledge program in the Arab & Islamic region.
• Participate in archiving, maintaining and updating Risk knowledge data including spatial and Geographic datasets.
• Implement and keep updated the RCDRR website and its database, including expert restore, library, best practices, etc.
• Perform other tasks related to Disaster Risk and Climate Change Knowledge programme as needed.
• Conduct any other duties requested by Disaster Risk and Climate Change Knowledge Programme Leader or the Executive Director.


Required skills and experience

Education:

• Diploma of Technical or BSc. in computer sciences, Geomatic or related field

Experience:

• Have at least three years experience as technical assistant with web development in database development and management and integration of databases on the web; or in Geomatic techniques.
• At least two years experience in the field of GIS / WEBGIS, advanced spatial analysis, spatial modeling related to hazard, vulnerability or/and environmental and/or climate change context.
• A basic understanding and experience of the use of earth observation data and satellite images processing techniques.
• Web applications: from HTML-standards over browsers and their CSS-issues to Javascript libraries and HTTP calls.
• Good communications skills,
• Experience with design and/or cartography desired,
• Knowledgeable in data management in relational database,
• Fluent in Arabic, English and/or French.