Internal Displacement Monitoring and Data Unit Manager, IDMC

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) seeks a senior leader to manage its global monitoring and data unit. The role involves driving data strategy, overseeing technical infrastructure, and leveraging data science and AI to enhance evidence on internal displacement worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of organisational strategies (programme, fundraising, stakeholder engagement, etc.) and support their effective implementation.
• Coordinate closely with relevant colleagues and stakeholders to develop and implement an internal displacement monitoring & data strategy aligned with IDMC’s global strategy and supporting the sustainable running of data functions across departments.
• Identify and communicate institutional risks related to data infrastructure, data quality, and technical sustainability, and propose mitigation strategies to leadership.
• Establish and maintain IDMC's institutional data governance framework — including data quality standards, metadata management, data lifecycle processes, and access controls across all datasets.
• Ensure the maintenance of IDMC’s global monitoring standards and tools.
• Manage and develop IDMC’s core data infrastructure and systems in compliance with data governance framework (including Helix, GIDD, IDU, APIs, knowledge base platform, and website data components).
• Lead data science and innovation efforts including data automation workflows and innovation initiatives.
• Manage the delivery of organisational data products, workflows, and services (e.g. APIs).
• Lead the design of technically complex innovation projects, delivering transformative improvements to data volume, quality, and timeliness of IDMC data products.
• Coordinate and collaborate effectively with other programme departments to tailor data and innovation efforts to organizational needs and priorities.
• Ensure that projects or outputs under responsibility are effectively delivered in compliance with donor requirements, regulations and NRC policies and procedures; including timely reporting and appropriate use of organisational and donor visibility guidelines and tools.
• Ensure projects or outputs under responsibility are delivered in line with project cycle management standards including the development and oversight of programme work plans, procurement plans, MEAL plans, and budget allocation plans.
• Conduct regular budget forecasting and monitoring.
• Develop technical specifications and work closely with procurement to ensure sound contracts are established with third party suppliers.
• Supervise third-party contractors and ensure their compliance with contractual obligations.
• Supervise and line manage external consultants, of the unit, including planning of work and development, coordination of resources and ensuring achievement of deliverables.
• Contribute to the development of organisational and project specific HR plans and job descriptions (JDs), and lead recruitment, onboarding, and offboarding processes.
• Ensure staff and consultants under direct line management are clear on their roles, responsibilities and accountabilities through the effective use of NRC people management tools and workflows.
• Ensure direct reports’ adherence to donor regulations and NRC's policies and procedures, including Code of Conduct and PSEA standards and obligations.
• Nurture a positive and collaborative team environment of mutual respect, peer learning, and creativity.
• Lead & coordinate unit specific stakeholder engagement and represent IDMC in technical fora and expert groups, and strengthen partnerships that promote the sustainability of services.
• Contribute to outreach activities; conduct training workshops, seminars, etc.
• Support the institutional fundraising and reporting strategy to sustain and expand activities of the HUB, represent IDMC in relevant fora and develop a network of partners and contacts to help IDMC obtain analyse and validate data on internal displacement.
• Contribute to the development and submission of high-quality concept notes and proposals to donors.
• Participate in donor meetings to provide project specific updates and/or facilitate new business development.
• Contribute to stakeholder engagement strategies and plans.

Requirements

• Master's degree in data/computer/information science, international or humanitarian affairs, migration and displacement, or disaster risk management and climate adaptation or related field; equivalent professional experience considered.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in data science, information management, or technical leadership — ideally in a humanitarian, research, or policy context.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in project management including managing multidisciplinary technical teams, remote management and management of external consultants.
• Strong representation skills including the ability to translate complex technical concepts into accessible language and strategic narratives for peers, donors and external audiences both verbally and in writing.
• Proven track record developing networks and engaging with a variety of different partners (national governments, IOs, civil society).
• Knowledge of internal displacement, humanitarian information ecosystems, and global data standards (e.g. OCHA, IASC).
• Experience in grant writing, donor reporting, and technically oriented business development.
• Excellent written and oral communication in English; additional languages an asset.
• Experience or sound knowledge in displacement data collection methodologies and analysis and ability to evaluate the quality of data sources.
• Knowledge of IDMC monitoring tools and standards would be an advantage.
• Ability to communicate clear contextual analysis and description of methods used to collect, interpret, analyse and validate data on internal displacement.
• Expertise in developing and managing data infrastructure, cloud architecture (e.g. AWS), database management, open data products, public APIs or large-scale data dissemination platforms.
• Demonstrated expertise in applied data pipelines and analysis with the ability to set an innovation roadmap and lead technically complex, grant-funded projects from design to delivery.
• Applied knowledge of machine learning, NLP, and AI-driven automation — with demonstrated experience deploying these at scale.
• Strong command of data governance frameworks, metadata standards, and data quality assurance methodologies.

Skills

• Data Science
• Information Management
• Technical Leadership
• Project Management
• Virtual Team Management
• External Consultant Management
• Representation Skills
• Network Development
• Partner Engagement
• Internal Displacement Knowledge
• Humanitarian Information Ecosystems
• Global Data Standards
• Grant Writing
• Donor Reporting
• Business Development
• Displacement Data Collection
• Data Analysis
• Contextual Analysis
• Data Infrastructure Development
• Cloud Architecture
• AWS
• Database Management
• Open Data Products
• Public APIs
• Data Dissemination Platforms
• Data Pipelines
• Innovation Roadmap
• Grant-funded Project Management
• Machine Learning
• Natural Language Processing
• AI Automation
• Data Governance
• Metadata Standards
• Data Quality Assurance

Languages

English