INTERNSHIP TITLE: Geospatial Analytics & Mapping Intern
INTERN WORKSITE LOCATION: Remote (US BASED ONLY)
DATES OF INTERNSHIP: November 2024 - May 2025
HOURS PER WEEK: 20 hours
INTERNS SUPERVISOR & CONTACT INFORMATION: Geospatial Technology Manager
FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE INTERNSHIP: $1603.50/month
Mercy Corps Responsibilities
For the duration of this internship assignment the intern will receive:
- Training and supervisory support
- Access to Mercy Corps online tools
- All other tools, materials and communication requirements for this project
Intern Responsibilities
Intern will remain responsible for all costs associated with:
- Laptop for working remotely
- Accommodation, travel and living expenses
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
The field of GIS and Earth Observation is growing rapidly within the humanitarian community. In light of these developments, Mercy Corps is developing a maturity model for its geospatial operations, support and products that will allow it to have the correct tools, data and structures in place to harness these powerful technologies to meet the immediate needs of programs and teams in carrying out their humanitarian and development work.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- The intern will learn about and contribute to applied GIS and Remote Sensing for humanitarian contexts including the specific needs of Mercy Corps teams and programs, the use cases for analysis and mapping and the core data and analytical needs for operational success.
- The intern will have the opportunity to learn and employ skills productionizing workflows in a cloud environment, using cloud and desktop geospatial tools, and internal capacity building at an international humanitarian organization.
DELIVERABLES:
The Geospatial Intern will support the objectives of the T4D Data Science team in the following ways:
- The intern will work with the Geospatial Technology Manager to develop standardized mapping approaches and templates for proposals and program design. Products could use out-of-the-box GIS tools such as QGIS or ArcGIS, code-based solutions like Python-based packages and Google Earth Engine and/or leverage web-mapping capabilities in line with the T4D tech stack.
- Create training materials (demonstration videos, documentation, or live training) on how to use mapping workflows and templates.
- Support with ad-hoc analyses as needed by T4D, New Initiatives, TRaQ, and country teams. This may be analysis using desktop software (e.g. QGIS) or programmatic workflows (Python, Google Earth Engine, etc). Some examples of possible tasks could include:
- Sourcing, cleaning and preparing data for analysis
- Calculating, mapping, and interpreting remote sensing indices to support country team program design and adaptation
- Developing/contributing to software packages to access commonly used APIs for geospatial analysis
- Supporting teams with making maps for reports or monitoring
- Researching and reporting or developing training tools on new geospatial tools, resources, and data sources
- Producing an inventory of geospatial tools and analysis across the organization
- Productionizing geospatial analyses using cloud platforms
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE HAS THESE QUALIFICATIONS:
- University degree in progress or recently completed (within 1 year) in relevant discipline (GIS, Geography, Remote Sensing/Earth Observation, Geoinformatics, Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering, and related fields)
- If you have one, we would love to see a link to your GitHub or other online portfolio on your resume
- Note: Bootcamp and self-taught students without prior professional experience in this field are welcome to apply; these applicants must demonstrate their skill set to the hiring manager through an online portfolio.
- Experience with geospatial analysis using GIS software such as QGIS or ArcGIS.
- Experience with geospatial programming in Python and Google Earth Engine.
- Familiarity and/or experience with geospatial data formats, projections, transformations, and structures.
- The following experience/skills are not required but will be considered strong assets if a candidate possesses them:
- Cloud development (AWS, Azure)
- Full Stack Development
- Education/curriculum development
- Interest/experience in working in a multi-cultural and decentralized office environment.
- A strong desire to learn new skills and apply them.
- Comfort with ambiguity, and personally motivated.
- Creativity in thinking and solution-oriented.
Mercy Corps interns represent the agency both during and outside of work hours and are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Mercy Corps Diversity Statement
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.
We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
As part of our commitment to keeping our community safe and providing a safe working environment, Mercy Corps has a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for US interns based in Mercy Corps US HQ offices. Interns must be fully vaccinated per CDC requirement or have an approved exception, either (1) sincerely held religious convictions, or (2) a disability that prevents them from receiving a COVID-19 vaccination and comply with regular testing, within 10 business days of starting. Failure to comply may impact your internship.
Mercy Corps Headquarters: 45 SW Ankeny Street, Portland, Oregon 97204
Mercy Corps: https://www.mercycorps.org/
In your statement, you are encouraged to discuss any relevant experience, and demonstrate your interest. Your application will be reviewed by the Mercy Corps team and shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly for interviews.
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