Director of Data - The Or Foundation

The Or Foundation is seeking a visionary and strategic Director of Data to lead the development of an integrated, cross-disciplinary data ecosystem that connects our research, advocacy, and educational programming. This newly established leadership role will shape how data is collected, analyzed, visualized, and leveraged across the organization to amplify our mission of catalyzing systems change in Ghana and beyond.

As Director of Data, you will be responsible for creating structures that bring cohesion across diverse research areas—including citizen science in ecology and socio-economics, material innovation, and emerging medical research. You will play a critical role in ensuring that insights are translated into compelling narratives and tools that drive both community impact and policy engagement.

In addition to leading the design and implementation of data frameworks that support internal learning and decision-making, you will help position The Or Foundation as a thought leader in ethical data use, inclusive research, and community-driven innovation.

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Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Data Science Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive data strategy that spans the organization’s operations—from ecological sampling and material recovery to transformation processes and systems-level insights.
• Provide data-driven recommendations and strategic insights to inform decision-making, optimize operations, and advance impact goals.
• Translate climate science theory into practical, community-based measurement tools that strengthen justice-oriented advocacy frameworks.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to integrate methodologies such as carbon accounting, greenhouse gas emission/sequestration tracking, and pollution offsetting into programmatic planning and evaluation.

Data Visualisation and Publication

• Lead organizational efforts to visualize data sets and ensure timely publication research across platforms, including peer-reviewed journals.
• Collaborate with research partners to co-author scholarly articles and policy briefs that position the organization as a thought leader in ethical, community-centered research.
• Lead the creation of innovative visualization tools in collaboration with designers and developers

Policy Formulation and Global Engagement

• Guide research initiatives in collaboration with national and international stakeholders to shape and inform equitable Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks, including fee structures and cross-border financial transfers
• Manage policy engagement projects at the institutional level to ensure organizational research informs policy development.
• Craft compelling, research-informed narratives that build momentum for systemic change and elevate justice-centered advocacy on global platforms.

Organizational Capacity Building

• Build internal capabilities by training team members in ethical data collection, management, analysis, and presentation methodologies.
• Support teams across the organization in interpreting and synthesizing data into metrics, reports, and narratives that drive learning and improvement.
• Ensure tools for building knowledge through human-centred data gathering are deployed across every level of organizational operations.

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Required Skills

• A deep, unwavering commitment to advancing justice and transforming global systems of socio-ecological oppression through data-driven action and evidence-based policy influence.
• Technical proficiency with data visualization tools.
• A passion for science communication with demonstrated knowledge of climate accounting frameworks and environmental data methodologies.
• Ability to distill complex scientific and policy topics into clear, relatable, and actionable insights for diverse audiences.
• A proven track record of developing analytical tools across disciplines.
• Experience leading cross-border and cross-institutional research projects.
• The ability to work on multiple projects at once in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience conducting both primary and desktop research, with an understanding of social survey methodologies.
• Intellectual curiosity, adaptability, and a proactive mindset—eager to explore new ideas, learn emerging methodologies, and implement findings with agility
• The ability to quickly and accurately synthesise multiple data sources, making connections and spotting trends with sufficient fluency to explain to others.
• Prolific organizational skills that can be deployed to architect and maintain datasets across multiple user groups.
• A keen interest in both the ecological and social sciences.
• Excellent analytical, strategic thinking, and leadership skills.

Qualifications:

• A master’s degree in statistics, biology, environmental science, social science or related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in management or lecturer level roles, preferably within a startup environment or industry-facing design school.
• A strong background with digital systems for data management.
• Published papers and familiarity with peer-reviewed processes.
• A demonstrated entrepreneurial and problem solver mindset.
• Familiarity with budgeting and project management.

Location: Adabraka (Near Kantamanto Market), Accra, Ghana, with the potential for remote work after immersive orientation

Terms: Full-Time

Starting Salary: USD 3600 Gross Monthly