Trase Data Scientist

SEI HQ is recruiting a highly motivated data scientist with a strong background in sustainability research, particularly as linked to the environmental and social impacts of commodity production, trade and consumption.


Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Deadline: 9 January 2021, 23:59 CEST


The role
You will contribute to an exciting and innovative development in global supply chain sustainability – the Transparency for Sustainable Economies (Trase) initiative.
Trase is a pioneering sustainability data and intelligence platform that reveals the connections between consumers, producers and investors, as well as the environmental and social impacts linked to global supply chains. The Trase approach draws on vast sets of production, trade, customs and financial data, for the first time laying bare the flows of globally traded commodities—such as palm oil, soya, and beef—at scale, as well as the flows of capital used to finance this trade. Trase is a direct response to the ambitious commitments made by leaders across sectors to achieve deforestation-free supply chains – and the urgent need this creates for a breakthrough in assessing and monitoring sustainability performance.
Trase is entering an exciting new phase with a strategy for 2021–2025 to mainstream the deployment and uptake of Trase data to help transform the sustainability of commodity trade.
You will be part of a leading team of international researchers working across the Trase initiative, including the acquisition, processing, and integration of diverse datasets as well as research on land-use change and sustainability inspired by Trase.
Your main responsibilities:
Acquiring, archiving, organizing and processing large datasets on production, trade and different measures of environment and social impact and sustainability performance (both spatial and non-spatial data)
Supporting the update and maintenance of the Trase database and data releases, including quality assurance protocols
Supporting ongoing efforts to improve and expand Trase in new countries and commodities using data from government sources, company websites, NGOs and collaborating research groups, including through the development and deployment of in-house software to map supply chains
Working with colleagues to analyse Trase and other data to produce actionable insights regarding the sustainability of commodity trade
Coordinating with other colleagues in SEI, as well as in collaborating institutions in Trase, including our partner institute Global Canopy in the UK, in working on these tasks

Who you are
You should have a strong interest in using data science and quantitative analyses to help understand some of the major environmental and sustainability challenges the world is facing in the 21st Century. You should also have a strong interest in a career in sustainability research and capacity building in the non-profit sector. You will work independently and as part of a team in a highly flexible and exciting research environment, while also being comfortable investing time as needed in basic data preparation and processing routines.
Key qualifications:
Master’s degree or at least two years of commensurate experience in applied research with a strong focus on quantitative data analysis. If not formally trained in quantitative analysis the candidate should demonstrate adequate experience in data analysis and programming
Previous experience in applied sustainability research, ideally with focus on quantitative analysis of trade, consumption accounting, or the environmental and social impacts of land-use change
Strong competence in the analysis of spatial data, including the principles, practices, terminology, and trends in geographic information systems
A good level of competence in programming in Python and ability to independently acquire new technical skills, including work in other programming languages quickly
Competence in acquiring, handling, processing and analyzing data in a common statistical package or environment (e.g. R)
Basic experience in creating and maintaining relational databases (preferably PostgreSQL)
Fluency in English

Desirable qualifications:
Previous experience and a strong interest in applying innovative visualization methods for complex data (e.g. d3.js based, Observable)
Previous experience and a strong interest in cloud computing for spatial data (e.g. Google Earth Engine)
Experience with version control (Git) and collaborative software development (e.g. GitHub)
Experience working with AWS services such as RDS or S3
Intermediate level in other widely spoken languages, particularly Mandarin, Bahasa Indonesian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese

How to apply
We are reviewing applications on an ongoing basis so please submit your application soon, and no later than January 9, 2021. We only accept applications in English that are submitted online. In your application please include:
Cover letter highlighting relevant qualifications and experience
Curriculum vitae

Inquiries concerning the content of the position can be directed to Michael Lathuillière, Senior Research Fellow at SEI and Trase, (michael.lathuilliere@sei.org) or Toby Gardner, Trase director, (toby.gardner@sei.org).