DEEP Product Manager At Data Friendly Space

Background

DFS is the technical host of the Data Entry and Exploration Platform (DEEP, thedeep.io), a tool used by humanitarians all over the world to monitor and assess crises. DEEP is used by analysts to manually tag information extracted from multiple documents and sources according to the classes and taxonomies of a corresponding analytical framework. Tagging this data leads to the structuring of large volumes of information that enables effective analysis of the humanitarian conditions of the populations of interest and empowers humanitarians to identify information gaps and to provide sound recommendations in terms of needs assessment strategies.

The innovation of the DEEP relies upon leveraging recent advances in Natural Language Processing and Human Centred Design to automate and enhance the process of secondary data review. In order to achieve this, DFS has built a team of NLP Researchers and Machine Learning Engineers and works with software developers and UI/UX professionals to continuously improve the DEEP. DFS has also established partnerships with academia and conducts research projects with leading universities such as the EPFL and JKU.

More information on the DEEP and how it is being used can be found here:

● DEEP’s Website

● DEEP’s YouTube channel (tutorials and demos)

● IFRC’s tutorial for conducting Needs Assessments with DEEP

Job Description

The DEEP Product Manager will be responsible for the product management of DEEP and contribute to guiding the creation of the DEEP Language platform, a centralized open source solution for the annotation and classification of humanitarian data designed to:

● Automate time-consuming and laborious processes manually performed by humanitarian analysts

● Make the DEEP more accessible, especially for teams conducting field operations

● Maximise the impact generated by the use of DEEP in the management of information during conflicts and disasters

● Integrate with other humanitarian information management platforms to provide custom NLP services

Roles and responsibilities:

● Product Management:

o Through developing an in depth understanding of DEEP and its future plans, Identify, prioritize, and oversee the implementation of features in DEEP. Input for this will come from internal team capacity, user needs, partner needs and DEEP board expectations/needs

o Take a leadership role in envisioning new features in DEEP

o Provide written technical specifications for the software development team based on the work conducted with the UX/UI and NLP teams

o Implement a long-term roadmap for DEEP and DEEPL

o Maintain release cycles and documentation, document user feedback after releases

o Review the scope of feature requests and recommend the feasibility of implementation in alignment with product roadmap

o Conduct or oversee user research on a continuous basis with the support of a UX/UI team in order to scope the needs of DEEP users and adjust the roadmap and priorities in alignment with user needs

o Visit partner field locations to better understand secondary data review needs of field organizations and to promote and implement DEEP

o Coordinate the work of the software development, NLP and UI/UX team with that of the DEEP users in order to include user feedback in the testing of new features

● Remote Coordination & Team Management:

o Coordinate the remote work of the UX/UI team, the software development team and the NLP team in order to ensure features are developed on time and on budget on a continuous basis and in alignment with the technical roadmap and product specifications

o Directly manage an internal team of researchers and NLP engineers developing machine learning features

● Stakeholder Management and Communication:

o Manage creation of tutorials and visual materials in order to train DEEP users on the use of new features

o Create presentations and visual material to update the board and other stakeholders on development progress

o Implement marketing features of DEEPL including a landing page and informational materials

o Communicate clearly with contractors and staff when it comes to deliverables and deadlines

o Engage and communicate on a continuous basis with DFS partners and the DEEP board

o Continuously update documentation (roadmaps, status and progress reports)

● Partnerships and Business Development

o Engage with partners and potential partners setting up meetings and sharing materials and resources promoting DEEP

o Identify potential synergies and resources that might be beneficial to DEEP and DFS

o Engage with other relevant actors in the humanitarian and development technology spheres in order to build partnerships

o Build partnerships with key academic and private institutions to provide and oversee open source contributions and novel research projects

● Administration and Funding

o Support the DFS finance and compliance department in monitoring monthly expenses and budget lines allocated to your teams

o Support the DFS finance and compliance department in forecasting DEEP related expenses (project-based feature and module development, hosting and maintenance, other)

o In partnership with other DFS staff, source and write proposals for funding of the DEEP and DEEPL

Language: Fluent in written and spoken English.

Minimum qualifications and skills:

● 4+ years of experience in product management

● Experience in leading and coordinating work across multiple technical teams (software development, machine learning, UX/UI)

● Capacity to ensure results are delivered on budget and in alignment with clearly defined specifications and deadlines

● Interest in Machine Learning and Data Science, and good conceptual understanding of natural language processing techniques

● Ability to conceptualize, manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously

● Capacity to work with ambiguity, complexity and interdependencies

● Ability to define and analyse metrics that inform the success of digital products

● Excellent judgment and thoughtfulness about the dynamics of a product ecosystem

● Strong communication skills and intuition for communication strategy at every level

Preferred qualifications:

● Familiarity with the NGO or humanitarian sectors (humanitarian analysis, Information Management).

● Experience designing and implementing features in collaboration with software developers within an Agile / Scrum methodology

● Experience in the use of the AWS products and services

● Interest in the applications of technology for the humanitarian sector

Advantages and learning experience:

● Networking and exposure: DFS partners include major humanitarian organisations such as the IFRC, UNHCR, UNICEF, UN OCHA and many others. The role will get a chance at networking with all kinds of professionals from the sector through participating in meetings, webinars, presentations and discussions. DEEPL has also been involved in hackathons such as CERN’s Port and AMLD.

● Impact: DFS has positioned themselves as the go-to partner for humanitarian organisations when it comes to developing and implementing innovative technology solutions for the humanitarian sector. You will have the opportunity to apply your technical knowledge to build solutions that contribute to improving humanitarian outcomes during crises.

Additional information:

● This is a remote job that can be completed from anywhere in the world within 6 hours of GMT.

● Salary is commensurate with experience.

● The start date is no later than October 15th, 2021