Software Developer Volunteer at MapAction

Job Title: Software Developer Volunteer

Job Purpose: To support the Software Development Lab

Location: Remote

Salary: Volunteer position

The Opportunity

Volunteers are at the heart of the MapAction. We are looking for enthusiastic Software Developer  professionals who have a desire to commit to a great team and to help MapAction make a difference that has a lasting effect on vulnerable communities. 

Opportunities for volunteers are varied and constantly expanding. It's an exciting time to be a volunteer with MapAction. 

We are looking for volunteers to join MapAction’s Software Development Lab. This lab includes volunteers and staff, whose role it is to support and enhance MapAction’s workflow by supplementing core GIS applications and our websites with customisations and plugins as appropriate.

Within the Software Development Lab there is space for volunteers with knowledge about specific GIS customisation suites including both desktop and server based products as well as specialists in web development and web mapping. Have you worked in collaborative software development projects with software development skills such as OO design, software architecture, design patterns, source code management and testing regimes? Then you would be invaluable to the Lab.

This role is currently a remote support role, however as we develop and evolve our strategy it would be useful to understand your willingness and availability to deploy. Please state in your application if this is something you would be interested in.

Come and be part of something that is exciting and impactful!

Why MapAction?

MapAction is a leading humanitarian mapping charity delivering information services and products to enhance decision making in disasters and conflicts. In collaboration with our partners, this mapped information helps responders understand vulnerabilities and target their response effectively, contributing to saving lives and minimising suffering. We work through a team of skilled volunteer professionals and a small paid staff team.

We have built a strong reputation in the humanitarian sector and are a technical partner of the United Nations, Non-Government Organisations and Civil Society Organisations, the Red Cross, Red Crescent Movement, regional entities and national authorities. 

The humanitarian sector is evolving, and technical expertise such as GIS, mapping, information management, data processing and visualisation are becoming increasingly utilised for improving decision making in complex humanitarian response. MapAction and our partners are uniquely positioned to provide technical expertise in support of this.

What does it mean to be part of the MapAction team?

Being part of MapAction means entering a close-knit community of highly skilled and committed professionals in different industries, with years of experience both in academia, the public or private sectors and in the humanitarian world. It means using your unique skills to help prepare for, anticipate, or respond to humanitarian emergencies, enabling our partners to provide life-saving support.

At MapAction, training and team building are at the heart of our organisational culture. We have frequent meet-ups in person and online where paid staff and volunteers get together for training opportunities and skill-sharing, to strengthen our service offer.

As a volunteer, you can participate in all levels and areas of the organisation, working alongside our colleagues at various UN agencies and/or other humanitarian partners. Volunteers also steer the organisation's strategic direction and are involved with designing and implementing our operational capacity.

As a member of the team, you will be expected to participate in at least 6 internal weekend training events. This must include our annual simulation exercise, which all volunteers are required to attend. Other weekend training events include 5 annual training weekends where we get together in person at various locations around the UK, and 4 online development days. Volunteers should live either within the UK or within reasonably easy and affordable reach of the UK in order to be able to attend face to face training events.

You will also be expected to participate in project work and/or emergency missions and support. Generally, that takes the form of a couple of weeks of full-time work either remotely or abroad each year to 18 months. There is also the potential to be involved in remote, regular engagement work of a few hours per month. To be a successful volunteer, you should have a very good working relationship with your employer and the ability to take time off for volunteering work. MapAction can help support employer engagement.

Exceptionally, we can accommodate different engagement styles and requirements, depending on the specific situation.

From the MapAction team you can expect:

• A chance to put your skills to use in the context of a humanitarian crisis
• Access to our unique network, and the opportunity to exchange with a unique and diverse set of professional geospatial and data peers
• Opportunities to learn and develop new skills
• Opportunities to travel: conferences, training events, project work, missions
• A never-ending supply of snacks during training events (we take our snacking seriously)
• All MapAction-related expenses covered: travel and mission-related costs, including insurance

What are we looking for?

If you feel you are a good match but do not feel like you meet all the requirements, we are still happy to receive your application! 

The core skills we look for in all of our team members are the following:

• A desire to use their skills, experience and dedication in the cause of humanitarian ends
• Good team player with leadership and/or project management experience or ambition wherever possible
• Exceptional communication skills, to explain your work to people who don't understand the mechanics behind data analysis, and experience in understanding partner needs and requirements, in particular working with non-technical clients
• Adaptable, resilient and solution-oriented
• Self-motivated and organised
• Time to commit to MapAction, for more details on the time commitment, please refer to the “What does it mean to be part of the MapAction team?” 

Essential :

• Three or more years of professional experience working in a software development team, as a developer, tester or other role ideally in a collaborative multi-developer environment.
• For desktop development: proven ability in C# and/or Python development ideally with a deep knowledge of at least one of these languages.
• For web development: proven ability in HTML, CSS, JavaScript and ideally at least one server side language (PHP, Python etc).
• Experience of or demonstrated willingness to learn testing regimes including unit and regression testing and continuous integration.
• Experience in understanding partner needs and requirements, in particular working with non-technical clients.

Desirable:

• Experience of developing with ESRI’s GIS product suite and other geospatial technology.
• Experience of participating in a volunteer organisation or open source projects.
• Knowledge of git, Github or other version control systems.
• Software Developers joining MapAction may not automatically be eligible to join the Deployable Team (i.e. those who travel to emergencies are short notice) but would ideally be able to do so. Eligibility to join the Deployable Team is based on different criteria to those above. A higher standard of desktop GIS knowledge would be required for the Deployable Team than would be required for Software Development, though this is not the only difference.
• Project management experience.
• Humanitarian knowledge/experience.
• Adventure or professional travel experience.
• Relevant international work experience.
• Knowledge of languages (particularly French and Spanish).

How do I apply?

Your application should include: a) a covering letter and b) an attached SINGLE file containing:

• Your CV. It should include: Current work, skills and experience, Other relevant IT/technical skills and experience, Educational details, Where you live, Languages spoken (we are currently seeking French, Spanish and Arabic speakers), Contact details, References
• An example that demonstrates your skills for the profile, for example:
  • A product you have made that demonstrates your technical skills for the profile.
     

The example can be uploaded together with the CV if in PDF format, otherwise please share a link to a public website / repository, or to a file-sharing site.

For your application to be considered it must include the covering letter, CV and example work.

Selection Process

The selection process consists of:

1. Application deadline 15th January 2023
2. Shortlisted candidates informed by 27th January
3. Round 1: Online interviews between 1-8th February. 
4. Notification of progression to round 2 by 11th February
5. Round 2: Recruitment open day, in person in Milton Keynes on 21st or 22nd February. The Interview & Open Day includes:
   1. A practical skills test for your volunteer role.
   2. A group exercise
   3. An introduction to the organisation, and a chance to meet the Office Team
   4. A Q&A with current volunteers
6. Notification of outcome from round 2 by 2nd March
7. Subject to references successful candidates will be invited to join MapAction shortly afterwards
8. Induction and the first training weekend to attend will take place from 24-26th March in Oxfordshire. 

Beyond volunteering

In addition to our volunteer team we have a smaller team of more experienced professionals who also undertake additional work on a consultancy basis.  There are opportunities both for stand by cover for emergencies and also for more substantial pieces of project work. Please indicate in your application if you would like to know more about this opportunity. 

Diversity & Inclusion

As an organisation, we recognise the value that diversity brings to our entire operation, deployments and culture. Diversity brings different experiences and perspectives to bear in all aspects of our decision-making. It also enables us to respond most appropriately and effectively to the challenges which our teams face, where they are required to operate in diverse and challenging circumstances.

MapAction is an Equal Opportunities employer. All employees and volunteers have a personal responsibility to promote and support measures designed to create a working environment that is free from harassment or discrimination on the grounds of gender, marital status, family status, age, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, membership of the Traveller community or HIV& AIDS status.

MapAction Equality & Diversity monitoring questionnaire 

Any questions then please contact info@mapaction.org.