globalfishingwatch Remote Full-time 2024-11-04

Background

Global Fishing Watch is an international, non-profit organization committed to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency. We create and publicly share knowledge about human activity at sea to enable fair and sustainable use of our ocean. Founded in 2015 through a collaboration between Oceana, SkyTruth, and Google, GFW became an independent non-profit organization in June 2017. Using cutting-edge technology, we create and publicly share map visualizations, data and analysis tools to enable scientific research and drive a transformation in how we manage our ocean. Our major focus is on commercial fishing because it is the most widespread human activity at sea, the most impactful on ocean health, and the most crucial for global livelihoods and food security. By 2030, we aim to monitor and visualize the impact of ocean-going vessels, both industrial and small-scale, that are responsible for the vast majority of the global seafood catch. We believe human activity at sea should be common knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean commons for the common good of all. 

 

The Position

The Product Manager, data pipeline, will play an important role working across teams to manage the operations of our primary pipeline of data, the Automatic Identity System (AIS) pipeline and all internal data products. This pipeline processes data sources (e.g. Automatic Identification System (AIS), satellite imagery, vessel registries, external partner data sources) and then applies a variety of algorithms and machine learning models to classify vessel activity, behavior and identity. The data pipeline outputs are productive BigQuery tables of estimated fishing and other vessel activity data that fuel our public-facing products (APIs, Map, and Data Download Portal), as well as our analytic reports, and research papers. The main users of the data pipeline will be Global Fishing Watch Analysts and Researchers. 

This role will collaborate closely with various teams at Global Fishing Watch. They will work with the Analyst and Program teams to deliver effective training and support materials, such as release notes, internal data FAQs, videos, and tutorials. This role will work with Research team members to ensure Proof-of-Concept and Prototype level data developed by the research team is integrated into the pipeline. They will also coordinate cross-team reviews of our data quality and pipeline output when there is a new pipeline update. 

This role will report to the Senior Product Manager, Open Data because they will be managing the product of our productive BigQuery (BQ) data tables, working within the product team to support improvements to our APIs and deliver more accessible productive tables. The Global Fishing Watch Product Team objectives are to:

  • Pioneer useful data products to empower local and global community’s access to open ocean data, enable informed decision-making, and unlock new science.
  • Enable Global Fishing Watch program objectives by accelerating country, market or stakeholder engagement through the use of new data products, tools, data and analysis.
  • Innovate and streamline long-term vision for Global Fishing Watch products and data offerings aligned and coordinated with the data team.
  • Ensure all product outputs support our mission and are consistent with our values.

Although this role sits within the Product Team, the hire will work closely with the Engineering and Data team in an agile environment to lead the management of the core pipeline. The Senior Data Manager, in coordination with the Senior Product Manager, Open Data determines the roadmap and priority of all technical products. Therefore this role will manage the pipeline version releases based on the vision set by the Senior Data Manager and Senior Product Manager, Open Data. The role will manage the sprint level tasking of the pipeline, quarterly pipeline roadmap, and lead the pipeline releases, while continually communicating data changes, updates, activity metrics, and quality metrics.

We prioritize flexibility, intellectual curiosity and willingness to suggest and test out new technologies and creative approaches to problems. We are a small but fast-growing organization where excellent communication skills are required to effectively collaborate with designers, developers, product managers, and other relevant staff members or stakeholders. We are looking for an enthusiastic self-starter with knowledge of data management, to lead the data product management, support and co-development processes to ensure users of GFW data derive value and impact from our products and data. 

 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

  • Lead the sustainability, innovation, and data integration of our core data pipeline, our internal data products. This effort will require close communication and coordination with the Data team’s objectives and prioritization of engineering requirements.
    • Ensure continual quality publication of the AIS data and all Google Cloud Platform – BigQuery production tables  
    • Lead the agile management of the core pipeline sprint tasks handled by the data engineering team and data QA analyst
    • Maintain the core data pipeline roadmap, versions and ensure a coordinated release cycle of the pipeline.
    • Track the data staging of datasets integrated into the core pipeline and ensure the staging requirements are met to move datasets forward in their cycle to a ‘production’ ready stage
    • Follow up on data issues reported during a data pipeline release in close collaboration with the Data team. 
    • Ensure timely review and QA of the core data pipeline prior to internal publication by coordinating the efforts of program, data, and engineering and periodically publish data quality metrics. 
    • Ensure data’s completeness and representation in all products meet the expected results by users.
  • Ensure cross-team coordination and communication, and support the Product team on external communication of the data. 
    • Have a deep knowledge of all BigQuery tables at Global Fishing Watch and develop table updates to address different users’ needs. 
    • Have a basic knowledge of all the digital product portfolios at Global Fishing Watch to understand how core pipeline data is displayed in our public data and products
    • Develop metrics to help track the internal usage of core pipeline BigQuery tables
    • Lead communication internally to ensure a clear understanding of core pipeline datasets, updates, and errors
    • Engage with a geographically diverse group of internal stakeholders to identify use-cases, and challenges in using the BigQuery tables to improve their output and accessibility. 
    • Help with the coordination of Global Fishing Watch Engineering, Product, Data, Research, Analysis and Program teams to create new datasets (like matching vessel monitoring system (VMS) to automatic identification system (AIS) systems) and make them actionable in the core data pipeline.
  • Aid in the development of our data governance standards at GFW set by the Data Team
    • Work closely with the Data Team to help evolve the data staging requirements within our data pipelines
    • Ensure data ethics principles are met in our core pipeline and manage required data ethics reviews
    • Help develop the metadata requirements and documentation standards within the core pipeline
  • Participate in the bi-weekly backlog meeting to help prioritize the work needed for the core pipeline
  • Manage delivery timelines and reinforce expectations for data availability, ensure timely execution and alignment with the Technology and Innovation roadmap
  • Coordinate, develop, release and update training and supporting materials including release notes, data FAQ, video and supporting resources for core data pipeline

 

Other responsibilities:

  • Track and report progress of projects to key stakeholders
  • Internally reinforce product awareness and knowledge (training/awareness/FAQs).
  • Find interconnections between existing BigQuery tables and new user requirements. Maintain the collection of user needs and perform data-driven prioritization of features with product and engineering teams.
  • Organizational communication of progress every quarter.
  • The role will also coordinate the translation of materials into different languages if needed.
  • Keep KPI metrics updated: requests/issues received, requests/issues responded to, and requests/issues resolved. Work with the data team to update Data Quality metrics. 


Candidate description

Required

  • Master’s degree in a relevant area or equivalent professional experience (such as a Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of experience in product development, quality assurance, software engineering, data analytics, and or/fisheries science) preferred
  • High proficiency in English
  • Expertise in project management
  • Experience working and/or managing data products, and managing internal stakeholders’ expectations   
  • Experience working with big volumes of data.
  • Experience with SQL. 
  • Experience working in software development projects. 
  • Experience in integrating qualitative and quantitative insights and other points of view to drive forward project or product strategy.
  • Highly capable of communicating the intricacies of data and the implications of data changes to users through documentation and presentations
  • Experience with product development, managing software developers and using task tracking platforms like JIRA and Notion. 
  • Highly organized, analytical, detail-oriented and self-motivated.
  • Ability to work quickly and efficiently to a very high standard of detail.
  • Ability to take ownership of projects and communicate project updates to stakeholders in a transparent and proactive manner.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines while performing in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
  • An understanding of the complexities and internal communications surrounding collaboration in a global matrix and remote organization.
  • Willingness to travel occasionally.

Preferred

  • Spanish and/or other languages.
  • Knowledge of data analysis in fisheries or another field with similar data types
  • Experience of vessel tracking systems and their role in fisheries management.
  • An understanding of or passion for learning about sustainable fisheries and biodiversity. 
  • Experience with data warehousing solutions such as BigQuery, redshift, snowflake, etc.

 

The successful candidate will meet most, but not necessarily all, of the criteria above. If you don’t think you check all the boxes, but believe you have unique skills that make you a great fit for the role, we want to hear from you!

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Additional Information

Note: The application period for this role closes on November 18, 2024

Reporting to: Senior Product Manager, Open Data

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not supported at this time.

Location: This is a remote role, but candidates must be legally authorized and based in the following countries to be considered. : Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Fiji, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Senegal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, UK, USA

Permanent/Fixed Term/Contractor: Fixed Term – 2 years

Full Time hours: Yes 

Recruiting process: Recruiting Process: A cover letter along with a CV will be requested to see how your experience and interest connect to the position. We expect the cover letter to allow applicants an opportunity to explain details on how their skill set aligns with the role and provide a better understanding of their suitability for the position. If selected for consideration, the hiring process for this position will include an initial call with our Talent Acquisition team, followed by a formal 45 minute interview with 1-3 team members. Candidates advancing beyond this round will be asked to take a technical assessment and/or submit a representative code sample. Lastly, a final interview with 2-4 teams members to review your assessment and assess functional skills.

Compensation: A compensation range for this position is US$ 85-95K per year for US-based employees – GBP 50-60k per years for UK-based employees – USD 25-32/h for Argentina-based employees – EUR 40-50K for Spain based employees. For applicants located outside of these countries the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire. Compensation is commensurate with experience and will vary depending on the hired candidate’s country of residence, in accordance with local laws and regulations. GFW offers pension/retirement, health and other benefits commensurate with similar level GFW employees in the country of employment. The position may be a GFW employee or consultant, depending on the country of residence  

Equal opportunities: Global Fishing Watch is an equal opportunities employer. Global Fishing Watch is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within our organization and in the greater ocean management and conservation community. We believe that diverse backgrounds, skills, knowledge and viewpoints make us a stronger organization. Bringing together professionals who possess broad experiences and a spectrum of perspectives will enable us to reach our goal of improved ocean governance faster. We hire and promote qualified professionals without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or parental status, national origin, age, physical or mental disability or medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Our organizational goals match the urgent challenges facing our global ocean, and our mission is designed to help secure a healthy ocean for all. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of humanity’s diversity, by providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees of Global Fishing Watch and for our partners, vendors, suppliers and contractors.

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