Pula Hiring: Data Analyst – Remote Sensing (Remote)

Job Description

Company: Pula
Job Title: Data Analyst – Remote Sensing
Job Type: Full-Time, Remote
Location: Kenya
Minimum Experience: 2 Years
Education: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent qualification

About Pula

Pula is an agricultural technology and insurance company working to make climate and agricultural risk protection more accessible to smallholder farmers. Through data-driven insurance solutions, the company helps farmers manage uncertainties associated with weather conditions, crop losses, and livestock risks.

Operating across Africa and Asia, Pula combines technology, agricultural expertise, and innovative insurance models to support farming communities that have traditionally lacked access to formal financial protection.

The company is seeking a skilled and analytical professional to join its team as a Data Analyst – Remote Sensing in Kenya.

Job Overview

The successful candidate will use satellite imagery, geographic information systems (GIS), and statistical analysis to generate insights that strengthen agricultural insurance and improve crop monitoring and yield assessment.

Working alongside the Associate Manager and teams responsible for data collection and field operations, the analyst will help verify geospatial findings against field observations, maintain high data quality standards, and identify opportunities to improve project performance.

This position is suited to someone with practical geospatial analysis experience, strong technical skills, and the ability to translate complex datasets into useful recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Satellite Data and Geospatial Analysis

• Collect, process, and interpret satellite imagery from sources such as Sentinel, Landsat, MODIS, and Planet.
• Analyse vegetation indices, rainfall patterns, soil moisture, and other environmental indicators relevant to agricultural monitoring.
• Build and maintain analytical workflows for crop mapping, crop health assessment, yield prediction, and agricultural loss evaluation.
• Compare satellite-based results with ground observations obtained through crop-cutting experiments and field surveys.
• Process and analyse geospatial datasets, including farm boundaries, GPS coordinates, and administrative maps.
• Contribute to the design of suitable sampling methods for field surveys and crop-cutting exercises.

2. Data Quality and Field Support

• Conduct routine quality checks on satellite-derived information and data collected by field teams.
• Identify weaknesses in existing quality assurance procedures and recommend practical improvements.
• Support the setup of surveys and assignment of field agents through the organisation’s internal data collection platform.
• Assist with survey development and participate in field data collection activities when required.
• Ensure that established operational procedures and data quality standards are consistently followed.

3. Reporting, Research, and Process Improvement

• Examine project data to identify operational challenges, potential risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Select appropriate analytical methods for evaluating datasets, validating results, and assessing field operations.
• Prepare technical reports, maps, visualisations, and recommendations for relevant stakeholders.
• Develop and test improved workflows, operational procedures, and quality control processes.
• Prepare technical guides, training materials, and standard operating procedures for new systems and processes.
• Train field personnel and other relevant team members on analytical tools and operational requirements.
• Provide regular daily, weekly, and ad hoc progress reports to the line manager.
• Maintain professional integrity, communicate openly, and provide constructive feedback to colleagues.

Qualifications and Experience

Applicants should meet the following requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Geography, Geoinformatics, Environmental Science, Information Systems, or a related discipline.
• At least two years of relevant experience in data analysis, preferably within an agricultural technology, development, research, or similarly fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrable experience handling satellite imagery or geospatial datasets.

Technical Requirements

Candidates should have the following technical capabilities:

• Strong programming skills in Python and R, including experience with geospatial libraries such as Rasterio, GeoPandas, GDAL, sf, or terra.
• Practical knowledge of GIS applications, including QGIS or ArcGIS.
• Experience using cloud-based geospatial analysis platforms such as Google Earth Engine.
• Familiarity with data visualisation and reporting tools such as Power BI or equivalent software.
• Working knowledge of SQL for querying and managing data.
• Familiarity with digital field data collection platforms such as KoboToolbox, CommCare, or SurveyCTO.
• Understanding of statistical techniques for sampling, data validation, and model evaluation.

Experience with machine learning methods for classification or regression would be an added advantage.

Essential Skills and Competencies

The ideal candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical findings clearly.
• The ability to translate complex datasets into accessible reports, presentations, and maps.
• Effective teamwork and collaboration across technical and field-based teams.
• Initiative, accountability, and the ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, including the ability to prioritise competing tasks and meet deadlines.
• A methodical approach to problem-solving, documentation, and continuous improvement.

Additional Advantages

Applicants with any of the following experience will have an added advantage:

• Exposure to agricultural insurance, index-based insurance products, or smallholder farming systems.
• Experience working with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery.
• Familiarity with meteorological and weather-related datasets.
• Experience developing or managing cloud-based geospatial data processing workflows.

How to Apply

Qualified candidates interested in this opportunity should submit their applications through Pula’s official recruitment platform.

Application link: Apply Here

Applicants are encouraged to review the requirements carefully and ensure their CV highlights relevant experience in remote sensing, geospatial analysis, programming, and data management.

Application note: The position is advertised as full-time and remote, with Kenya listed as the location. Applicants should consult the official recruitment page for the latest application instructions and any applicable deadlines.