Junior Product Specialist

Job Summary

This is a unique opportunity for an early career professional who is interested in environmental data and technology or developing mission-driven technology and is seeking to gain product management or technology project management experience. You will support day-to-day management of the GFW product suite—which includes several web and mobile applications—through a variety of tasks, including bug tracking, feature testing, user support, and contract management. The ideal candidate has a proven ability to forge positive relationships across internal and external stakeholders, and an impressive degree of enthusiasm and patience to solve problems and achieve success in a dynamic and evolving environment. If this opportunity excites you, and your experience and interest match some of what is outlined below, please apply! Nobody checks every box. We’re looking for passionate, driven people to tackle the most pressing challenges of our lifetime – join us!

This position is remote due to Covid-19, but you will be based at WRI’s office in Washington, DC once restrictions have lifted.

Job Responsibilities

Product Maintenance

• Track, document, and test bugs and application issues – Update and translate content into key languages
• Regularly review products to ensure they are up-to-date and functioning as intended User Relationship Management
• Provide support to users by responding to inquiries, creating tutorials and user documentation, and contributing to webinars
• Advocate for user needs by responding to, logging, and synthesizing feedback to ensure high priority feedback is addressed

Product Development

• Initiate and oversee work with external vendors by drafting requests for proposals and contracts, assisting in vendor selection, and coordinating with vendors and the GFW team to ensure tasks are completed on time and to a high standard
• Support product development at all points in the product lifecycle by assisting with user research, gathering requirements for new features, reviewing designs, testing new development, and supporting efforts to communicate and collect feedback on recently released data and features

Job Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field
• Minimum 1 year of relevant, full-time work experience 
• Experience contributing to or working on websites or other digital products
• High degree of comfort with web technologies and willingness to learn about related technical topics to effectively communicate between teams. Developing a basic understanding of concepts such as databases, application programming interfaces (API), and geographic information systems (GIS), will be important to understand and discuss GFW’s products
• An eye for detail and commitment to producing polished, fine-tuned final products
• Organized and able to independently keep track of and make progress on multiple projects at a time
• Independent self-starter who recognizes what needs to be done and initiates work, seeking guidance as needed
• Experience coordinating between multiple parties to complete projects
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to distill key messages and effectively communicate with diverse audiences
• A self-motivated learner with a willingness and ability to take on new challenges as required
• Interest in working for a mission-driven environmental organization
• Passion for data and technology
• Relevant work authorization for the location is required for this opportunity

Desirable

• Experience with user research or user-centered design
• Experience with product management or managing technical projects
• Experience with product/project management tools such as Basecamp and Airtable
• Experience managing an external vendor
• Experience working with geospatial data
• Experience with web programming languages such as HTML/CSS/JS
• Experience with principles of application design with the ability to create basic mockups using simple tools such as PowerPoint
• US work authorization required for this position

Potential Salary

$46,000 – $60,000. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter with resume. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

Program Overview

To stop deforestation, we need to know where it is happening and who is responsible in time to take action. Global Forest Watch (GFW) is the only free online platform providing near-real time information and analysis about when, where and why forests are changing around the world. GFW uses machine learning algorithms and expert analysis to distill satellite imagery, crowdsourced information, and hundreds of open datasets into actionable insights and policy-relevant information about forests worldwide. GFW’s online platform is simple to use, allowing anyone with an internet connection to access data, create dynamic maps, and produce custom analyses with just a few clicks. Designed for action, GFW enables researchers, government officials, companies, civil society organizations, and concerned citizens anywhere to make better-informed decisions about managing and conserving forests.

WRI Overview

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.

We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence and respect.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges, and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.
 
We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years and our operating budget is now $150 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of 1,000+ people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa ,  Brazil , China ,  Europe ,  India ,  Indonesia ,  Mexico  and the United States  as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.