Marine Spatial Data Analyst (Maternity Cover) Job Blue Ventures Nairobi, Kenya

Summary Job Description

We are currently recruiting a Marine Spatial Data Analyst to provide technical stewardship of Blue Ventures’ spatial data system, ensuring the continued delivery of high-quality spatial data, dashboards and decision-support tools that support community-based fisheries management.
This role will combine spatial data management, database administration, data visualization and user engagement, while supporting marine spatial planning analyses and the development of user-centred decision-support tools. Working closely with the Head of Spatial Ecology, Ecological Data Scientist and the wider Data Science team, the successful candidate will play a key role in maintaining and improving Blue Ventures’ spatial data infrastructure, ensuring it remains reliable, well-documented and responsive to programme needs. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in spatial data management and analysis, excellent problem-solving skills, and a passion for using data to support community-led conservation.
Reporting to the Head of Spatial Ecology, this is a full-time remote role, with occasional international travel to work closely with colleagues, partners, field teams and communities.
Roles across the Data Science team are highly interdependent, and candidates must be equally comfortable working independently: competently driving their own tasks and team priorities, and thriving within a small, collaborative team. Given BV’s global, distributed structure, applicants must demonstrate experience coordinating effectively across regions and cultures, with genuine sensitivity to differing working styles, communication norms, and paces of work.
This requires flexibility not just in schedule, but in mindset; meeting each team and context with openness, curiosity, and a genuine willingness to adapt.

Key Responsibilities

Spatial Data Management (40%)

• Maintain and enhance spatial data pipelines for data storage, processing, and analysis.
• Develop and maintain scripting and automation techniques to improve workflow efficiency and data quality.
• Monitor, troubleshoot, and continuously improve spatial data infrastructure, ensuring system reliability and performance.
• Manage the integrity, quality assurance, documentation, and version control of spatial datasets and PostgreSQL/PostGIS databases.
• Provide technical support and guidance to field teams on spatial data collection methods, quality assurance, and best practices
• Collaborate with the Head of Spatial Ecology to maintain data alignment with organisational mapping protocols (e.g. habitat, fishing ground, and management boundary mapping), ensuring documentation is accessible and consistent.

Dashboard and Tool development (30%)

• Maintain and continuously improve the performance, usability, and integration of the Spatial Dashboard (QGIS Lizmap) and associated backend systems.
• Maintain and enhance decision-support tools (primarily R Shiny and QGIS Lizmap) for spatial data exploration and management.
• Support user-centred improvements to dashboards and tools by incorporating feedback from programme teams and end users.
• Ensure maps, dashboards, and visualisations effectively communicate key ecological, fisheries, and spatial information..

Data Analysis and Interpretation (20%)

• Analyse spatial datasets using R and/or Python to generate indicators and identify spatial patterns (e.g. ecological survey data, remote sensing datasets).
• Support the delivery of marine spatial planning analyses using spatial prioritisation tools (e.g. Marxan), incorporating connectivity (larval dispersal) data where appropriate.
• Contribute to the development and application of connectivity and larval dispersal analyses to inform marine spatial planning and management recommendations.
• Improve methods for integrating spatial, ecological, and fisheries datasets into management analyses and decision-support products.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to interpret analytical results and provide evidence-based insights that support programme objectives.

Collaboration and Capacity Building (10%)

• Work closely with data scientists, GIS specialists, and programme teams to ensure spatial data systems meet organisational needs.
• Develop training materials and deliver training on mapping, QA/QC, spatial data analysis, and dashboard use.
• Support knowledge sharing across teams to improve data literacy and use of spatial data in decision-making.

Qualifuications

• Bachelor’s in Marine Ecology, Environmental Science, Fisheries Science, Data Science, Geography or a related field. A Master’s degree or equivalent additional professional experience is an advantage.
• Experience in small-scale fisheries, marine conservation, marine spatial planning, and community-based natural resource management.
• Experience integrating fisheries, ecological and spatial datasets for analysis and visualisation.
• Experience working with marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass, or mangroves.
• Knowledge of mapping approaches (e.g. habitat, fishing ground, management boundary mapping).
• Knowledge of remote sensing or Earth observation datasets.
• Understanding of spatial and non-spatial relational databases and Structured Query
• Language (SQL) such as: SQL Server, Oracle, Esri SDE, PostgreSQL, and PostGIS extension
• Knowledge of API development and integration, ensuring smooth data flow between tools and systems

Skills

• 4+ years of experience in mapping, spatial data analysis or marine spatial planning.
• Strong proficiency in R (required) and/or Python for data analysis, including experience with reproducible workflows.
• Experience with spatial data and GIS tools (e.g. QGIS, PostGIS).
• Experience developing or supporting interactive tools (e.g. R Shiny, QGIS Lizmap).
• Experience in the use of JavaScript for web development

How to Apply

Click here to apply