Position: Spatial Analyst - Markets 

Reports to:Lead – Technical Standards for Natural Climate Solutions

Positions Managed:N/A

Location:Kigali-Africa Regional Hub

Country Program/Sector:East Africa, Madagascar, and East Indian Ocean Regional Program

Position Type:Full-time

Type of Contract:Fixed term – 6 Months with potential to extend

Coordinate with:Director of REDD+

About Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): 

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organisation established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed the biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. Working with local communities and organisations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the quality of life of poor rural people whose livelihoods depend on the direct utilisation of natural resources.

More information at www.wcs.org

Job Summary 

This role is to provide fixed-term data analysis leadership to a set of initiatives seeking to finance nature conservation through natural climate solutions (NCS), with a focus on forest carbon projects in Africa.

Several large workstreams involving data analysis in the forestry and greenhouse gas footprinting are anticipated for the WCS Markets team in 2026. 

Currently, these are anticipated to include:

• Evaluation of approaches to Jurisdictional REDD+ monitoring for Rwanda
• Monitoring and reporting on forest-sector GHG emissions in a protected area of Madagascar
• Analysis of GHG abatement potential for project concepts in Tanzania, Mozambique, and Nigeria
• Additional activities that emerge during employment. 

This role will work as an integral member of a team with a broad experience in NCS and diverse technical backgrounds, including data analysis. However, this should not be seen as a entry level position; the successful candidate must demonstrate that they bring substantial technical skills that expand or deepen the capacities of the team.

The successful candidate must be highly self-motivated in problem-solving and execution for quantitative analysis in an environment with imperfect data and across a range of subject matter that may be unfamiliar.

The candidate will be rewarded with first-hand engagement with some of the leading challenges in site-based nature conservation in Africa.

Major Responsibilities:

• Develop and oversee digital data entry workflows for environmental and social data collection
• Organise, archive, and document data holdings in coordination with multiple remote and overlapping teams.
• Source, access, and critically evaluate publicly available data to be incorporated into analyses 
• Conduct quality control on data developed and provided by WCS field offices
• Create, maintain, and document automated data analysis scripts for use by the broader team
• Draft of technical results of analysis for inclusion in monitoring reports and other program documentation

Data will be in the following forms:

• Land cover and land surface data derived from remote sensing
• Field data from surveys of forest resources, biodiversity monitoring, and sociological surveys
• Tabular data about programmatic activities and associated costs

Minimum Requirements and Job Skills (Required):

Required

• Existing work authorisation for Rwanda, if you are not a Rwandan national
• Formal education at university level or higher in data analysis, environmental analytics, or an adjacent field
• Minimum 3 years professional experience with significant responsibilities leading business-critical data analysis, including spatial data analysis
• Strong background in spatial data analysis
• Experience with predictive risk modelling, especially spatially explicit modelling
• Advanced proficiency for original data analysis and tool creation:
  • ArcGIS, including ArcPy
  • Excel, including advanced use of data analysis modules and data tables
  • Python for data analysis, including pandas or other related packages 
• Professional spoken and writing proficiency in English
• Ability to devise and implement cloud-computing data analysis workflows

Desired

• Proficiency in additional data analysis environments, such as R and QGIS.
• Working proficiency in French
• Experience with any of the following subject matters:
  • quantification of GHG emissions and GHG foot printing;
  • Remote sensing for environmental observation
• Experience coordinating activities across a multi-country team, including technical and non-technical members.

Application Process:

Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications, should submit their application
at africaapplications@wcs.org by emailing an application letter and CV as one PDF document by the January 31, 2026 deadline. Please include " Spatial Analyst - Markets " in the subject line of your email.

WCS is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all employment and labour laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and looking for future team members who share that same value. The organisation provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organisation does not discriminate against employment based on age, colour, disability, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by laws and regulations.