DATA SCIENTIST (Temporary Job Opening)

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located in the Innovation and Research Coordination Unit of the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The incumbent reports to the Senior Coordinator of the Unit. ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the Data Scientist will be responsible for the following duties: • Identifies trends in data to spot potential shocks on trade, investment, finance or technology which could trigger regional or global crises and setbacks on sustainable development. • Studies, explores, and evaluates new and existing data sources to determine their effectiveness and accuracy for use in decision making, and assess their suitability for actionable output. Provide data-driven recommendations to business stakeholders. • Design and implement econometric and machine learning models to analyze trade flows, investment trends, financial markets, and technology adoption. • Designs and builds predictive data science products on areas related to UNCTAD’s mandate,. • Develops together, with the Unit, effective data visualization products to convey complex problems in a reader-friendly manner. • Integrate heterogeneous data sources (e.g., customs data, firm-level surveys, satellite data, financial databases) to build comprehensive datasets. • Liaises with technology stakeholders to access infrastructure, software and services needed to develop and deploy data science products. • Promotes use of data science solutions by showcasing the products to business stakeholders; Plan the dissemination of data products to key stakeholders, raise awareness of available data products. • Develops products, tools and processes to periodically validate the effectiveness of data science products and their expected and observed benefits. Assesses impact using key performance indicators; Iteratively improve products based on findings. • Engages in complex research and analyses on economic development issues to develop data products; uses internal and publicly available data and information. • Contributes to short- and long-term planning of the organization and assists in identifying threats and opportunities to the successful implementation of mandates. • Coordinate with different functional teams to implement models and monitor outcomes. • Develop processes and tools to monitor and analyze model performance and data accuracy. • Explore the use of AI and big data for early warning systems and economic resilience analysis • Contribute to digital transformation initiatives within UNCTAD, including supporting UNCTAD AI and Data Science Incubator. • Contributes to the drafting of reports on economic development issues. Competencies• Professionalism: Knowledge of data analysis life cycle from ingest and wrangling to analysis and visualization to present findings in reports. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, ability to build new products and drive new approaches. Ability to convey complex / difficult data science topics to clients in a relatable manner. Takes pride in the work for the organization and understands the impact that can be brought into the organization by allowing data-driven and evidence-based decisions. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. • Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. • Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches. EducationAdvanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in data science, computer science, information management, statistics, public administration, public information, management or a related field, such as econometrics. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in data science, data analytics, applied mathematics, information management or related areas are required. Experience in the application of data sciences methods and tools to produce statistical information and analysis on economic development issues is desirable. Experience drafting reports or briefs on economic development issues supported by strong data analytics is desirable. Experience with large database management systems, including SQL or MongoDB and coding and with continuous development using Git, Jenkins, Dockers or AzureDevOps is desirable. Experience developing effective dashboards and data visualization is desirable. Experience of data Science tools such as Jupyter, Matlab, Knime, SPSS, SAS, or similar Statistical Programming Languages such as R, Python, Javascript or related is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. Either French or Chinese (Mandarin) is desirable. Spanish or Arabic or Russian is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).