Data Cleaning and Quality Assurance International Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was established in 1950 with the mission to provide assistance and protection to Palestine refugees. UNRWA operates in five fields: Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, and has a workforce of over 30,000 employees. The agency is dedicated to delivering education, health care, social services, and emergency assistance to millions of Palestine refugees, ensuring their rights and dignity are upheld. UNRWA has a long-standing commitment to modernizing its operations and improving the quality of services provided to refugees, which includes transitioning from traditional paper-based documentation to advanced digital systems.

Job Overview:
The Data Cleaning and Quality Assurance International Consultant will be integral to the Relief and Social Services Department (RSSD) at UNRWA, focusing on the digitization and quality assurance of historical refugee registration records. The consultant will be responsible for preparing datasets by cleaning, validating, and standardizing data to ensure its reliability and usability. This role is crucial as it supports a large-scale Digital Archiving and AI-enabled document processing program aimed at preserving the extensive historical archives of Palestine refugees, which include nearly 30 million documents. The consultant will work with various data formats and collaborate with a team to ensure compatibility for integration into the agency's systems, thereby enhancing the overall data management practices of UNRWA.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Consultant will undertake a variety of tasks including: reviewing raw datasets in formats such as Excel, CSV, and shapefiles to ensure completeness, accuracy, and consistency; identifying and correcting duplicates, missing values, and format inconsistencies; standardizing project naming conventions, location data, and sectoral classifications; collaborating with team members to ensure all datasets are compatible for integration; performing quality assurance checks on finalized layers and project attributes; and documenting the data cleaning procedures for replication and transparency. These responsibilities are essential for maintaining the integrity of the data and ensuring that it meets the high standards required for effective use in the agency's operations.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in social sciences, statistics, information management, public administration, international development, humanitarian affairs, or a related field. For those with a first-level university degree, two additional years of qualifying work experience are required. Familiarity with Microsoft Excel and standard office applications is essential. Additionally, at least one year of relevant professional experience in data management, data review, quality assurance, reporting, or administrative support functions is desirable. Experience with datasets, records, spreadsheets, or information tracking systems, as well as supporting data verification, document review, or quality control processes, is also preferred. Understanding civil registration systems and processes, along with knowledge of humanitarian and development contexts, including prior program or project management experience, is considered advantageous.

Educational Background:
The position requires an advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a relevant field such as social sciences, statistics, information management, public administration, international development, or humanitarian affairs. For candidates with a first-level university degree, it is necessary to have two additional years of qualifying work experience in a related area. This educational background is critical for ensuring that the consultant has the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to effectively manage and analyze data within the context of UNRWA's operations.

Experience:
The ideal candidate should have at least one year of relevant professional experience in areas such as data management, data review, quality assurance, reporting, or administrative support functions. This experience should ideally include working with datasets, records, spreadsheets, or information tracking systems. Familiarity with data verification, document review, or quality control processes is also desirable. Candidates with experience in civil registration systems and processes, as well as those who have worked in humanitarian and development contexts, will be viewed favorably, particularly if they have prior program or project management experience.

Languages:
Fluency in spoken and written English is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset, but English is the primary language of communication within the organization and is essential for the role.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in Luxembourg and is expected to last for 12 months, with the possibility of extension depending on satisfactory performance and budget availability. The remuneration for this role will be set at the P1 level, amounting to USD 4,791 per month. It is important to note that the United Nations does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, interview, or training. Furthermore, the organization does not request information regarding applicants' bank accounts.