Technical Specialist - Census Cartography

The Census Cartography Technical Specialist will provide technical and operational assistance to national counterparts - Institut National de la Statistique/Bureau de Coordination du Recensement - on geospatial and mapping activities across all 26 provinces of DRC. S/he will oversee pre-census mapping, field enumeration area (EA) delineation, mobile GIS integration, and satellite imagery processing. The incumbent will ensure that modern digital cartography, high-resolution satellite imagery, dynamic spatial databases, and mobile Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies are effectively integrated into all phases of the census., The Cartography & GIS Specialist ensures that census cartographic processes are designed, executed, monitored, and quality-controlled according to UN international standards and recommendations. The incumbent will oversee pre-census mapping, field enumeration area (EA) delineation, geodatabase modeling, mobile mapping integration, and post-enumeration geospatial data dissemination.

You would be responsible for:

1. Technical Strategy & Operational Planning * Lead the formulation and execution of the national Census Cartography & GIS Master Plan and budget, aligned with international standards . * Establish technical protocols for digital cartography, including spatial database architecture, baseline coordinate reference systems, enumeration area (EA) size parameters, and layer standards. * Manage procurement specifications for high-resolution satellite imagery (HRSI), mobile mapping devices, GNSS/GPS technology, and GIS software/hardware. * Design workflows for hybrid/digital mapping combining satellite data, open-source cartographic layers, and ground-truthing in complex field environments.

2. Quality Assurance & Field Mapping Operations * Oversee the spatial delineation and digitizing of Enumeration Areas (EAs) and Supervision Areas (SAs) across all 26 provinces of the DRC. * Develop robust Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) protocols to ensure the geographical coverage is complete, non-overlapping, and accurate prior to main enumeration. * Supervise the deployment and synchronization of mobile GIS mapping tools used by field teams, ensuring offline capabilities and data integrity in remote areas. * Conduct frequent field monitoring visits to evaluate cartographic progress, resolve technical bottlenecks, and adjust strategy to local environmental or security contexts.

3. Capacity Building & Technical Transfer * Assess capacity gaps in GIS and digital cartography within the Bureau Central du Recensement (BCR) and INS. * Design and deliver structured technical training programs for national staff, field cartographers, and digitizers on ESRI/QGIS software, mobile data collection platforms, satellite image interpretation, and spatial analysis. * Establish a unsustainable local GIS infrastructure within the national statistical framework to support future inter-censal surveys.

4. Data Integration, Spatial Analysis & Dissemination * Integrate EA boundaries and geospatial datasets seamlessly into CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing) platforms for automated workload assignment during main enumeration. * Manage the post-census geodatabase, performing spatial analyses, population distribution modeling, and thematic mapping. * Direct the production of official digital census atlases, interactive web-mapping applications, and georeferenced population portals for open-data access.

5. Technical Coordination & Partnership Building * Serve as the UNFPA technical focal point for all cartography and GIS-related technical committees. * Coordinate technical inputs with partner UN agencies, international donors, academic institutions, and national mapping agencies to harmonize geospatial datasets. * Provide regular strategic progress reports and risk analysis to the Census CTA, UNFPA Country Office Management, and national census steering bodies.

Advanced University degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Cartography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Geomatics, Geography, Remote Sensing, or related quantitative field.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible international professional experience in census cartography, GIS design, and spatial database management.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience designing and executing digital mapping strategies for large-scale population censuses, particularly in developing countries (experience in Sub-Saharan Africa / fragile contexts highly desirable).
• Expertise in using advanced GIS software platforms (ESRI ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise, QGIS), spatial DBMS (PostGIS, SQL Server), mobile mapping tools (Survey123, ODK, CSEntry), and high-resolution satellite imagery processing.
• Proven experience in technical capacity building and conducting technical training for national staff.

Languages:

Fluency in French and working knowledge of English is required.

Required Competencies:

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing cultural diversity
• Embracing change

Core Competencies:

• Achieving results
• Being accountable
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen
• Thinking analytically and strategically
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships
• Communicating for impact

Functional Competencies:

• Managing Data & Information Systems
• Technical Leadership & Innovation
• Understanding of United Nations Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses.

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is undertaking its second General Population and Housing Census (RGPH), a critical national priority aimed at providing reliable, disaggregated demographic and socio-economic data for policy formulation, resource allocation, and development planning.

Executing a census across the DRC’s vast geographical footprint poses unique logistical, infrastructural, and technological challenges, including remote terrains, limited connectivity, and dynamic administrative boundaries.

Under the overall guidance of the UNFPA Representative and the direct supervision of the Census Chief Technical Adviser (CTA), the Cartography Specialist will ensure that any challenges in the cartography processes are quickly identified and brought to the attention of the CTA for the attention of management. S/he will also provide recommendations for measures required to ensure that census Geographic Information Systems /Cartography processes continue to move forward in a timely manner.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.