Data Analyst - Bryanston at African Parks Network

• As the Data Analyst, your role will be to develop informative analytical reports based on an intricate understanding of the data from the various parks and the organization as a whole, allowing the unit to make recommendations to the management team on what is and isn’t having the desired effects, and how we could improve our impact ecologically, socio-economically and financially. Given the department’s start-up phase and current status of African Parks’ data collection, the initial focus of the role will include developing and implementing clear data methodologies, frameworks and pipelines across departments and parks. African Parks needs an organized and structured thinker keen to sink their teeth into driving this change together with the head of Business Intelligence and technology teams, so that in time reliable data can be analysed and visualized from a single source of truth.
• You will be administering African Parks’ reporting system(s) and work closely with the park teams to ensure data integrity and meaningful metrics are available for tracking. The Business Intelligence Unit will also be contributing to pushing the organizations’ frontiers when it comes to applying novel impact measurement methodologies and building automated dashboards in close collaboration with experts from the technology, research and community departments.

Requirements

Key Functions and Responsibilities:

• Data Stewardship. Ensure data is collected and stored as per the developed metrics framework across the entire portfolio. This requires managing African Parks’ reporting system(s), training users and conducting data audits for timely and reliable data across platforms. You will directly manage African Parks’ reporting and aggregation system currently housed on ERPNext;
• Dashboard & Data Pipeline Development. Collaborate closely with the African Parks Technology Unit to build data pipelines for identified metrics so that you can build out informative and automated dashboards from tools such as PowerBI;
• Data Analysis & Reporting. Conduct rigorous data analyses and translate these into informative reports, data-driven narratives and powerful graphics about our activities and impact. You deliver visually strong presentations and, together with the Business Intelligence team, deliver clear insights and recommendations relevant for decision makers. While most of the reporting will be on a structural basis, you would be the go-to person for ad-hoc data requests, as needed by various departments/parks;
• Stakeholder Needs Assessments. Support with the mapping of stakeholders’ information needs and grasp what decisions they need to be able to make based on the data. This informs the development of standard reporters and dashboards, but also which new metrics the Business Intelligence Unit needs to develop and make data available for to the organization. This includes scanning for external developments so that African Parks is at the forefront of applying innovative impact measurement techniques.

Capabilities, competencies and experience needed for the job:

• At least 4 years of professional experience in a role that required data analysis skills, ideally in the conservation, international development or philanthropic sector;
• University degree in a related field;
• Great skills in analysing and cleaning data;
• Good data visualisation and presentation skills. You are comfortable with tools such as PowerBI or Tableau. Some experience with digital design would be a plus;
• Technical experience in setting up Data Pipelines or exposure to the facilitation thereof;
• You have a passion for nature conservation and are able to grasp the interdisciplinary nature of African Parks’ holistic protected area management model, as well as the realities of both the teams on the ground and at head office;
• A solid understanding of Monitoring & Evaluation, theories of change and evidence-based decision making;
• Pragmatic and solution oriented, the ability to learn quickly and adapt to solve new challenges;
• Excellent attention to detail;
• Good relationship management skills.

Beneficial skills

• Cartography and GIS skills using platforms such as ArcGIS Pro and QGIS;
• Statistical programming skills such as R, Python or SQL;
• Technically savvy and experience in managing reporting systems. Back-end platform management would be a plus;
• Speak French and/or Portuguese.