Positions in Mali and other francophone Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, Niger, or Senegal)
Do you want to help fight misinformation and online hate speech in the Sahel region?
Code for Africa (CfA) has immediate vacancies for two full-time roles in Mali and either Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal to join our CivicSignal team.
Candidates must have demonstrable experience in open source intelligence (OSINT) and digital research, focused on Francophone African civic spaces. Proficiency in French (reading, speaking and writing) and English (reading and speaking) is required. Candidates with additional Mali indigenous language skills and Arabic will have an advantage.
CivicSignal is Code for Africa’s initiative to drive analysis and mapping of Africa’s civic technology and digital democracy ecosystems. As part of this transnational team, you will use digital tools and machine learning/natural language processing (NLP) to create datasets and research reports that help guide strategies to strengthen civic engagement and digital democracy across the continent.
Required: minimum requirements include:
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, political science, international relations, data analysis or related field.
- Demonstrable investigative skills honed from at least two years of experience in investigative journalism, media research/analysis, OSINT or other investigative roles focussed on monitoring and analysing online news media and information environments.
- Knowledge of machine learning/NLP techniques.
- A background in media and an understanding of the role of media in society, digital democracy, and civic engagement.
- Experience utilising media monitoring and analysis tools to conduct in-depth data analysis on news content.
- Strong qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills with the ability to derive insights from large datasets.
- Excellent writing abilities with experience distilling complex information into clear, concise reports.
- Critical thinking skills and attention to detail, with excellent numeracy and analytical skills.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills.
- Fluency in French (reading, writing, speaking) and English (reading, speaking).
CfA will not consider applicants who served with government intelligence agencies.
Preferred: candidates who are able to demonstrate the following will have an advantage:
- Post-graduate qualification with journalism or research specialisation.
- Familiarity with online information flows, disinformation tactics, and influence operations.
- Understanding of influence operations, including disinformation, misinformation, digital amplification and viral media techniques.
- Knowledge of fact-checking processes and misinformation indicators.
- Understanding of harmful speech types (hate speech, incitement, etc.).
- Familiarity with the Malian/regional online information and media environment.
- Experience working in multicultural teams.
- Prior work in civic tech or democracy-related initiatives.
- Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
Language and Location Requirements:
- Location: Mali and either Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, Niger, or Senegal.
- Languages: French and English required; Arabic and Bambara or other common languages in the region preferred.
About the Role:
The successful candidates will join the CivicSignal team.
CivicSignal addresses issues and topics that impact democracies and civil society, seeking to provide the data and analysis necessary for government and citizens to make informed decisions. The projects range across a broad spectrum, including internal and external mis/disinformation, media sustainability, monitoring of hate speech and xenophobia, and general media ecosystem mapping.
You will work with CivicSignal’s transnational team to generate data-driven insights into key initiatives, stakeholders, challenges and opportunities in the Malian and Sahel civic spaces. This will include research into digital rights, civic technologies, online freedoms, citizen engagement, and related governance issues.
Responsibilities: Your daily responsibilities will include:
- Updating databases to map out the media ecosystem in Mali.
- Use OSINT tools including CivicSignal’s MediaCloud to proactively monitor in-country online news sources to detect and map emerging narratives and harmful content like hate speech, disinformation.
- Use and update a lexicon for search terms and including local languages.
- Provide actionable insights in support of effective campaigns and content strategies by providing access to evidence-driven insights and research/content from CfA technical teams.
- Distil evidence into easily understandable explanations substantiated with tangible data for public audiences on emerging trends in the country.
- Monitor French media in the Sahel region to map flows and amplification of misinformation narratives.
- Leverage network analysis techniques to identify central actors and/or influencers driving harmful campaigns.
- Collaborate across teams to formulate strategies undermining coordinated misinformation efforts.
What We Offer:
- A competitive salary, subject to experience, with opportunities for performance-based growth, both in terms of career path and public stature.
- Medical insurance cover, underwritten by a remote-first provider to ensure cover wherever you are
- A dynamic workplace, with a transnational team, occasional international travel, and generous vacation benefits.
- Ongoing opportunities to learn new cutting-edge skills and techniques/technologies to future-proof yourself in a rapidly evolving industry.
- A chance to shine on a global stage, writing for international audiences and interacting with colleagues around the world.
How to apply:
Please fill in this form by 20 October 2024.
English version: https://opportunities.codeforafrica.org/2024/09/20/data-analysts-unmask-disinformation-hate-speech-and-incitement-in-the-sahel/
