Open-Source Data Collection Specialist – Tools & Pipelines
About INSO
Founded in 2011, the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) is an international NGO that supports humanitarian aid workers by establishing safety coordination platforms in insecure contexts. INSO provides registered NGOs with a range of free services, including real-time incident tracking, analytical reports, safety-related data and mapping, crisis management support, staff orientations, and training. INSO provides daily support to more than 1,500 NGOs operating in 24 of the world’s most insecure countries. INSO is registered in the Netherlands, with its headquarters located in The Hague, a city renowned for its international focus on peace and justice.
About the Open-Source Data Collection (OSDC) Team:
We are a small, agile team embedded in the INSO HQ Data, Technology and Learning Department delivering open-source data for safety and security monitoring, and situational awareness analysis for humanitarian actors in conflict-affected contexts. Our work sits at the intersection of open-source data, emerging AI tooling, and human judgment, and we need someone to help us maintain the tools and the technical infrastructure that make this possible.
Job Summary:
You will work under the head of OSDC team in collaboration with another OSDC specialist, focusing on primarily on data sources, data extraction and processing tools. You will help us identify, build, and iterate on hybrid human-AI pipelines for open-source data collection. You will keep in touch with like-minded communities and experts, understand which open-source data collection tools exist, how they work, and, if relevant, help us use them. You will support field and HQ data collection and analysis teams with tools and training and serve as the bridge between our operational needs and our technology partners.
Key Responsibilities:
Data Pipeline Development & Maintenance:
• Help design, build, and iterate on hybrid AI-human workflows for open-source data collection from social media, news, satellite imagery metadata, and field reporting systems, etc.
• Help develop and maintain data ingestion, preprocessing, and enrichment pipelines
• Integrate LLM-assisted classification, summarisation, and translation components into analyst workflows
• Monitor pipeline performance, flag data quality issues, and implement improvements in coordination with the rest of the OSDC team and HQ Information Management team
• Document technical architecture and maintain reproducible, version-controlled codebases
Innovation & Tech-for-Good:
• Proactively identify opportunities to apply new AI/ML methods to humanitarian data collection challenges
• Prototype and test new tools and approaches to OSDC, and document findings
• Stay current with developments in OSDC, OSINT, NLP, and responsible AI
Project Coordination Support:
• Support coordination with tech partners and platform vendors, under the guidance of the Head of OSDC
• In collaboration with the rest of the team, assess new tools, APIs, and datasets for operational relevance and integration feasibility
• Communicate technical constraints and opportunities clearly to non-technical stakeholders
• Contribute to due diligence processes led by senior DTL members on AI systems used in humanitarian settings, including bias, reliability, and data protection considerations
Field & Team Support:
• Provide remote and occasional in-person support to field teams using data collection tools
• Develop lightweight user guides, training materials, and SOPs for non-technical users
• Troubleshoot tool failures and data issues under time pressure in operational contexts
Candidate Profile:
Essential:
• Working knowledge of Python, comfortable with data manipulation, APIs, and scripting for automation
• Familiarity with core ML concepts: classification, NLP, embeddings, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
• Exposure to or curiosity about LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral or open-source models)
• Ability and willingness to work with messy, incomplete, or ambiguous real-world data
• Clear, concise written and verbal communication in English, including to non-technical audiences
• Interest in humanitarian, conflict, or security contexts
• Degree or proven experience in computer science, data science, AI/ML, or a closely related field; recent graduates or career changers are strongly encouraged to apply
Desirable:
• Experience with OSDC tools and methodologies (e.g., Dataminr, satellite imagery analysis, etc.)
• Knowledge of responsible AI and AI safety principles, data ethics, and protection risks in humanitarian/conflict settings
• Experience designing human-in-the-loop systems where human judgment is integrated with automated outputs
• Additional language skills: French, Arabic, or Spanish, particularly valued
Core Competencies:
• Ethics - upholds humanitarian principles, data ethics, and responsible use of information.
• Integrity - acts with honesty, discretion, and strict respect for confidentiality.
• Judgement - demonstrates strong analytical thinking, sound decision-making, and attention to detail.
• Collaboration - works effectively with both technical and non-technical teams to achieve shared goals.
• Initiative - is proactive, adaptable, and solution-oriented when addressing challenges.
• Prioritization - manages multiple tasks efficiently and delivers results under pressure.
• Cultural Awareness - respects diversity and works effectively in multicultural environments.
INSO’s Safeguarding Policy:
INSO is fully committed to the safe recruitment, selection, and vetting of all potential new staff, trustees, and volunteers. We ensure rigorous compliance with our Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy throughout the recruitment process. INSO is a member of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, and the selected candidate will be required to undergo the relevant misconduct disclosure checks as part of the final hiring steps.
Terms & Conditions:
This is a full-time, fixed-term position linked to a donor-funded project until 31/12/26, with the possibility of extension subject to funding. A part-time position can be considered for exceptional candidates.
The duty station is The Hague, Netherlands (preferably) or as a consultancy (necessity to overall with GMT+1 working hours).
• If based in The Hague: The monthly salary is EUR 5,200, plus 8% vacation pay (vakantiegeld) and 2.5 days of annual leave per month. INSO provides Basic Premium ONVZ health insurance for staff members and their dependents.
• If based outside the Netherlands: Contract terms and benefits will be determined in line with INSO policies in the applicable duty station**.**
Candidates must have the legal right to live and work in the country where they will be based.
How to apply:
Apply here with your CV and a short note (max. 400 words) in English explaining what draws you to this role. Portfolio links or code samples are welcome!
https://recruitment.cezannehr.com/shared/job/open-source-data-collection-specialist-11d66