Senior Project Officer, Geo Information Systems

Nov 18, 2019 | PAX
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PAX means peace and is the leading Dutch peace-building & conflict-transformation NGO. Together with people in conflict areas and concerned citizens worldwide, PAX works to build dignified and peaceful societies across the globe. PAX brings together people who have the courage to stand for peace in various conflict regions in the world.

The Humanitarian Disarmament programme at PAX seeks to address challenges around the use and proliferation of weapons and their impacts on security and the protection of civilians in armed conflicts. Within this thematic programme, PAX works on a diverse set of subjects, ranging from nuclear weapons to conventional arms trade, and is looking to build expertise and knowledge on the relationship between conflict, climate, the environment, and peace. The current concentration of this work is on the environmental dimension of armed conflict. PAX aims to focus our research capacities on earth observation and remote sensing to identify and monitor environmental damage impacting the lives and livelihoods of people. The research will be aimed at analysing the observed effects of military activities on pollution levels, agriculture, water use, and biodiversity, among other environmental concerns.

PAX is currently seeking a Geo Information Systems (GIS) expert to contribute to building our knowledge and expertise on the conflict and environment nexus through research and analysis. The results of this project will be used, in cooperation with the international humanitarian community and United Nations organizations, to document conflict-related environmental damage. PAX intends to utilize the following outputs in its advocacy work with states and international organization on these issues.

Due to the extension of the programme, from 1 December 2019, PAX is seeking:

Senior project officer, Geo Information Systems

Responsibilities and tasks

The Senior Project Officer will be part of PAX’s Humanitarian Disarmament team and will closely cooperate with the Project Leader on Conflict & Environment. The complete set of duties will be carried out under the supervision with the Project Leader and contains the following activities:

  • Conduct research and analysis of conflict-linked environmental damage through earth observation and remote sensing
  • Contribute to the development of expertise on land use, vegetation, biodiversity, and related areas
  • Contribute to the development of GIS using open source data sets and making these tools accessible for staff members
  • Write articles and supporting advocacy materials, contributing to research and the application of GIS in conflicts in cooperation with partners.
  • Proactively contribute to the development and writing of policy briefs relating to strategies, annual plans, project reviews.
  • Attend and report on relevant seminars and conferences in the Netherlands and abroad (mainly in Europe)

Who are we looking for

We are looking for a dynamic and hard-working team player who can also work independently. Our ideal candidate would be someone who is proactive, decisive, precise, and has strong communication skills. As PAX values inclusivity and diversity, a successful candidate must be culturally sensitive and able to tactfully operate in politically sensitive environments.

Position Requirements and Qualifications 

  • Completed academic training, with preference in the area of Geo Information Systems, Remote Sensing, Environmental Science
  • At least 2 years of professional experience on related issues
  • Demonstrable expertise with ArcGIS/QGIS, experience with working with Sentinel-2, Landsat, Google Earth Engine, high-resolution imagery for environmental analysis, as well as production maps and visualization of data
  • Affinity for the goals and methods of Conflict & Environment project
  • Affinity for the mission of PAX
  • Strong communication skills, particularly with regard to translating GIS data into policy language
  • Able to represent PAX at meetings and international for a.
  • Excellent proficiency of English
  • Willingness to travel

What we offer

  • An interesting and innovative job in a dynamic, informal and international focused work environment.
  • Based in Utrecht, the Netherlands
  • Starting as soon as possible
  • Appointment for 16 hours per week (0,44 fte) initially for 12 months, but with possibility for extension and full time contract, conditional on additional funding.
  • Salary scale 9 according to the Working Conditions PKN (depending on experience) € 2.518,02 tot € 3.660,15 gross, with a fulltime job of 36 hours
  • 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% end-of-year allowance
  • Full transportation costs, coverage 2nd class

Application Instructions

For more information about the specific programme, please visit PAX’s Conflict and Environment page.

For more information about the position, please contact Mr Wim Zwijnenburg (Project Leader Humanitarian Disarmament), by phone +31 (030) 233 05 92.

Your application, cover letter and CV can only be submitted by using the application form on the bottom of this page., including attn.: Wim Zwijnenburg in the subject line.
The deadline for submission is 24 November 2019.