Geospatial Analyst

Project Drawdown is seeking a creative and independent Geospatial Analyst to join the Drawdown Science team. The Geospatial Analyst will work with other members of the science team to advance quantitative understanding of climate solutions by implementing and managing geospatial analysis and data acquisition, manipulation, and archiving.

About Project Drawdown

Project Drawdown is the world’s leading resource for climate solutions.

Our mission is to help the world stop climate change – as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible. To do this, we pursue three key strategies:

• Advance Effective, Science-based Climate Solutions and Strategies: We do the science no one else does to cut through the noise and find effective “whole system” solutions and strategies for stopping climate change.
• Foster Bold, New Climate Leadership: We inform, inspire, and empower business leaders, investors, and philanthropists to take bold, new positions, act more strategically, and rapidly bring climate solutions to scale.
• Promote New Narratives and New Voices: We work to shift the conversation about climate change from “doom and gloom” to “possibility and opportunity” and elevate new, underrepresented climate heroes through storytelling and “passing the mic.”

About the Role

The ideal candidate will be a talented, independent multi-tasker eager to provide geospatial analysis and data management support for Drawdown Science. The Geospatial Analyst will:

• Discover, assess, and obtain datasets related to climate solutions
• Develop and execute workflows for ingesting, managing, curating, and archiving geospatial datasets
• Develop maps of potential, suitability, or impact of climate solutions
• Write codes (in languages such as Matlab, Octave, Python, Javascript or R) to access APIs and manipulate moderate size databases
• Other duties as assigned

The Geospatial Analyst will need to work with independence and self-direction yet thrive in collaboration to manage and assist with simultaneous projects and meet deadlines. Prior experience in climate work is not a requirement, but eagerness to learn is.

The position will report to the Senior Scientist, Data Science.

Project Drawdown welcomes people of all backgrounds, identities, and beliefs to join us in helping the world reach Drawdown quickly, safely, and equitably. We are a 100% remote organization based in the U.S.       

Qualifications

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g. geography, computer science, physics, engineering).
• Experience with coding in at least one of the following MATLAB, python, R, javascript.
• Familiarity with ArcGIS or QGIS.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage workflow on deadline.
• Experience with code management (i.e. git).
• Fluency in English.

The ideal candidate will possess a combination of the following:

• 3-5 years of experience with geospatial analysis and coding; open source software practices; data analysis. 
• Prior experience working with scientists.
• Familiarity with statistical and machine learning methods (e.g. regressions, random forest classification/regression, clustering).
• Familiarity with Google Earth Engine and remote sensing products.
• Excellence in FAIR data practices (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability). 
• Experience with both vector and raster datasets.
• Ability to track and coordinate priorities, themes, and research. 
• Excellent writing, grammatical, and proofreading skills and demonstrated attention to detail. 
• Ability to work effectively as a team member and to carry out projects. 
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently and as a member of a remote team.
• Capable of managing own time and meeting deadlines.
• Flexibility, creativity, and can-do attitude.

In addition, candidates are required to be:

• Comfortable with teleconferencing, remote work, and virtual collaboration. 
• Available to participate in video conferences weekdays 9:00 am–5:00 pm in a continental US time zone.
• Able to use Asana, Google Sheets, and Google Docs for delivering individual work products and collaborative projects.
• Willing to assist with other tasks as requested.

Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary people, and BIPOC are less likely than others to apply for jobs if they don’t believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a background less traditional to our field of work, and that’s okay. We would strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.

Position Details and How to Apply

This is a full-time, salaried position with benefits with an expectation of 40 hours/week. The salary range for this position is $75,000 - $95,000 / year. We work hard to ensure our salaries are competitive with similar leading nonprofits in major cities across America. In addition, Project Drawdown provides exceptional benefits, including generous time off, health insurance, and matching 401k.

As with all positions at Project Drawdown, this role will be 100% remote. Employees can work anywhere within the United States. Candidates currently authorized to work in the United States (United States Citizens, green card holders, and work visa holders), who reside anywhere in the U.S. may apply. Employees are expected to attend a yearly in-person team meeting. 

To be considered for this position, submit your application at https://form.jotform.com/242196463700152 including:

• A cover letter that describes your experience and fit for this role, with an example of a coding project you have carried out (with an optional link to a public github repository containing the example code).
• Most recent resume or CV.
• One recent writing sample – ideally an example of technical writing (a research paper, report, or journal article) or of popular writing (an op-ed, essay, or plain language article).
• A well-documented example code in Matlab, Octave, R, Python, or Javascript, saved as a .txt file. Please use the naming convention Lastname_Firstname.X.txt, where X is m, R, py, or js.

Applications will be accepted until August 29, 2024 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. Interviews are expected to begin in mid-September. Applicants selected for interviews will be required to provide at least two professional references.

Project Drawdown is an equal-opportunity employer committed to having a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Project Drawdown does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by law, and we will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. We strongly encourage all qualified persons currently authorized to work in the United States to apply for this position. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and the organization’s needs.