Open - Source Information (OSI) Analyst

What we do

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works around the world to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence. We take action in response to emergencies while promoting respect for international humanitarian law. We are an independent and neutral organisation, and our mandate derives essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and their International Federation to ensure a concerted, rational and rapid humanitarian response to the needs of victims of armed conflict or any other situation of internal violence.

The ICRC is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil union status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

Joining the ICRC delegation in Colombia is a unique opportunity to work in a rewarding international humanitarian environment, within multicultural and diverse teams and to benefit from exceptional learning and development opportunities and a competitive salary.

Purpose

In the framework of the ICRC’s protection activities and efforts towards strengthening analysis and evidence-informed decision-making, the Open-Source Information (OSI) Analyst based in Bogotà contributes to the implementation of the ICRC protection actions and analysis in the Americas.

In line with the priorities, objectives and strategies established by the Protection & Central Tracing Agency Division in the Region, the functions of the position will consist of:

• Working as an integral part of Protection teams across the region to ensure the consistent and effective integration of OSI and related research methodologies into all phases of the ICRC’s protection work.
• Contributing to the analysis of protection-related issues as the focal point for open-source information and research methodologies, directly supporting documentation of potential violations of international law and contributing to written and oral interventions.
• Overseeing the collection, verification, and analysis of OSI to inform operational planning for delegations across the region and situational analysis of ground realities as relevant for delivering an effective protection response.

Accountabilities & functional responsibilities

Works closely with protection staff and coordination teams to complement documentation efforts in the field, provide supplementary analysis of priority events, and monitor patterns to inform prioritization and follow-up activities, hence:

• Leads on the systematic identification, verification and advanced analysis of digital material, and produces clear analytical outputs in support of protection objectives, including but not limited to incident reports, analytical notes, relational charts, and event databases.
• Triangulates OSI findings with internal case data, witness accounts, forensic information, and privileged external data obtained through data sharing agreements.
• Implements and advances established open-source research methodologies to ensure professional standards and adherence to ICRC NIIHA approach throughout the analytical process.
• Monitors and assesses trends and patterns relevant to understanding protection concerns through secondary data, including open-source data, to provide timely and reliable information to guide decision-making.
• Maintains a structured record of verified findings, coordinates, source materials, and analytical decisions to ensure the traceability, defensibility, and reproducibility of analytical outputs.
• Guides and trains Protection colleagues in applying a rigorous, methodological approach to the use of OSI, including through the development of internal tools and workflows.
• Develops innovative tools and workflows to increase the speed, efficiency and quality of open-source research and analysis, including through the responsible and intelligent use of AI tools.
• When operational priorities allow, collaborates with other Regional Resource Network specialists and relevant delegation teams, including Protection, Legal, Weapon Contamination, liaison with warmed forces and data-related functions, to support multidisciplinary analysis of emerging humanitarian concerns, where OSI can provide relevant evidence and analytical insights.

Minimum Requirements and Required Skills

• University Degree: Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Political Science, Law demonstrated credentials, training and/or practice in the field of open-source information & analysis.
• A demonstrated interest in humanitarian work, and other relevant branches of public international law, including human rights law and international criminal law.
• A minimum of 3 years of professional experience working in open-source research and analysis
• English: Professional proficiency (C1), essential for drafting regional reports and liaising with ICRC headquarters and global divisions.

Desired profile and skills

• Proven experience conducting rigorous, safe, and ethical open-source research and analysis to document violations of international law, applying a wide range of open-source research techniques and methodologies.
• Professional experience in the systematic identification, collection, and preservation of digital open-source information, including expertise in social media research techniques and tools (e.g. Sprinklr, Meltwater, Brandwatch, etc).
• Advanced knowledge of open-source verification techniques including geolocation, chronolocation, metadata analysis, and source evaluation.
• Demonstrated proficiency in geospatial analysis—including mapping and data visualization, change detection, and remote sensing—to identify and analyse sites of interest.
• Hands-on experience with geospatial platforms (such as ArcGIS, QGIS, or equivalent) and satellite imagery platforms (such as Sentinel Hub, Planet, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate, cross-reference, and triangulate information across OSI, witness testimony, internal case information, and external datasets.
• Proven capacity to synthesize complex data sources to generate actionable insights and research leads.
• Experience designing and leading technical trainings and capacity building initiatives related to open source research methodologies.
• Initiative and capacity to work independently under minimal supervision.
• Ability to multi-task effectively and work in high-pressure environments, including excellent planning and organizing skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Spanish are required, including capacity to produce clear and concise reports summarizing research methods and findings.
• Experience presenting to senior decision-makers and non-technical audiences.

The ICRC has a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of power. Therefore, all successful candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect and compassion, and we look for candidates who demonstrate behaviours based on these values. careers.icrc.org/content/Our-Values/?locale=en_GB

What we offer

• Location: Bogotá
• Type of contract: Open ended contract (according to Colombian labor legislation)
• Legal benefits: Health, pension, ARL and compensation fund affiliations
• Benefits: support for eyeglasses assistance every two years, recognition of medical expenses not covered by the EPS, mental health and wellnes support
• Possibility of flexible hours
• Salary is established according to the ICRC salary table.
• Benefits in academic studies, languages ​​and professional development.
• Activity rate: 100%
• International savings financed by the organization, 11.5% of the monthly salary.
• 20 working days of vacation
• Start Contract: as soon as possible.