Data Analyst

About Pula

At Pula, we are radically restructuring agricultural insurance, using technology to insure the previously unbanked, uninsured, untapped market of 1.5 billion smallholders worldwide.

We work in over 19 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, and have facilitated crop insurance cover for more than 11 million farmers, approximately 40% of whom are women. Uganda has been part of our operating footprint since our early years, alongside Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Zambia, Ethiopia, Malawi and others.

Pula is fast-paced, constantly adapting to new opportunities and challenges. We are a high-performance, multi-cultural team. We expect our team to value performance, results and professionalism.

At Pula, we are: 

• Obsessed with results: We are responsible for our future and therefore we get things done!
• Connect the Dots: We continuously identify different customer needs & business problems and build solutions that deliver value.
• Have a Can do Attitude! We dare to do things differently to make things work.
• We have each others’ back: We look out for each other & we share high quality, timely feedback that makes us better.

Position Overview

As a Data Analyst at Pula, you will play a crucial role in supporting the Analytics & Insights Analysts by ensuring data management and analysis, problem identification, resolution, and the implementation of department strategies. We are looking for highly motivated and data-driven individuals with strong documentation skills, capable of careful, methodical work under supervision.

This is a structured graduate programme rather than an unstructured placement. You will join a cohort that is recruited, trained and supported together, with a dedicated Data Analyst as your supervisor throughout.

The Programme

The first four weeks are a paid induction at our Kampala office, covering data quality control methodology, Pula’s field data pipelines, the analytical toolset, and the agricultural insurance context in which the work sits.

From the fifth week, you move into live project work on one of Pula’s country portfolios, working alongside experienced analysts. The work is consequential: the data you check determines whether farmers are correctly registered and correctly paid.

Prior professional experience is not required. This is a graduate programme, and we expect to be the first or second employer of most successful applicants. Candidates are assessed on demonstrated capability at the screening stage rather than on length of service.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct data quality checks on field-collected farmer and farm data following standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Investigate and resolve data issues, escalating matters that fall outside your remit.
• Identify gaps in current data quality check SOPs and suggest improvements.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of newly implemented processes.
• Produce recurring and ad-hoc analysis of field operations performance.
• Document findings, prepare reports, and make recommendations based on analysis.
• Transform technical results into material suitable for non-technical audiences.
• Provide support to the support desk and field staff when required, ensuring effective communication.
• Utilize data analytics and project knowledge to identify risks and issues within projects.
• Keep your supervising Data Analyst informed by providing regular daily and weekly updates.
• Draft training materials, protocols, and other necessary documents as needed.
• Utilize designated tools and software proficiently as per project requirements.
• Emphasize direct and open communication to address problems and provide feedback constructively.
• Demonstrate honesty and transparency in all aspects of work. Early disclosure of a problem is always preferred to late discovery.

Who you are

• Bachelor’s degree, completed or completing, in Statistics, Quantitative Economics, Economics, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Actuarial Science, GeoInformatics, Information Systems, Computer Science or a related quantitative field.
• Working knowledge of Python or R: you can load an unclean dataset, clean it, summarise it, and explain what you found. This is tested directly at screening stage.
• Proficiency with spreadsheets beyond the basics, including pivot tables, lookup functions and conditional logic.
• Ability to communicate complex information effectively through clear writing and excellent verbal communication skills. 
• Skilled in collaborating with diverse groups, partners, and colleagues, demonstrating a strong team spirit.
• Self-driven, able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Efficiently handle multiple tasks, prioritize work, and meet deadlines effectively.
• Careful and attentive to detail. Data quality work rewards those who notice small discrepancies.
• Legally entitled to work in Uganda.
• Available to work from our Kampala office for the first four weeks and on scheduled days thereafter.

Also an advantage

• Knowledge of SQL.
• The second of Python or R.
• Proficiency in data visualization tools like Power BI or Tableau.
• Stata or SPSS.
• QGIS or other geospatial analysis exposure.
• Experience with ODK, KoboToolbox, SurveyCTO or similar mobile data collection platforms.
• Familiarity with agriculture, agricultural research, or rural fieldwork.
• Enumeration or field data collection experience of any kind.

Selection Process

• Application. Curriculum vitae and structured short-answer questions. Approximately 15 minutes to complete.
• Technical screening task. A timed take-home exercise: an unclean field dataset, a defined set of quality checks, and a short written summary of your findings. Approximately three hours, completed in your own time within a set window, in Python or R.
• Structured interview. A conversation with a member of the Data Services team covering your submitted task, your approach to problems, and how you work.
• Offer and onboarding. Offer issued, references and right-to-work confirmed, cohort start date agreed.

We aim to give every applicant a decision. Candidates who reach the technical screening stage receive feedback on their submission regardless of outcome.

What Pula will bring to the table

• Growth potential: At Pula, we are building systems that enable farmers worldwide to access insurance, using technology to insure the previously uninsured. We work in over 19 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, and have facilitated crop insurance coverage to over 11 million farmers, 40% of which are women. We are for-profit and have raised over $25 million from leading venture and institutional investors as well as developed philanthropic relationships with private foundations and bilateral donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and German Insure Resilience Solutions Fund that have accelerated investments in our target markets.
• Market Leader: Not only is the opportunity massive, but Pula is by far the market leader in its category.
• Solid: Pula has been funded by leading venture capital investors (Omidyar Network, ACCION, MercyCorps) and global philanthropic investors (Mastercard Foundation, CGAP/World Bank as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). Pula closed an oversubscribed $20m series B funding despite the economic downturn.
• Respected: Winner of the Singapore FinTech Festival 2019, Winner of The InsureTech of the Award, Africa. Featured on TED talks, The New York Times, and The Economist.
• A structured start: Four weeks of formal induction followed by supervised live project work, with a named supervising Data Analyst and defined development objectives. This is a deliberate pipeline into permanent Data Analyst roles at Pula, and performance during the programme is the route to appointment.
• Impact and creation: This is a high-impact role that offers a unique opportunity to bring the company to the next level, whilst developing new strategies, approaches, and ideas.
• Leadership: The founders & CEO foster a culture of transparency, respect, high performance, pragmatism, execution and personal development.
• Purpose: It is rare to find a professional opportunity that offers accelerated professional development and a life purpose. Pula is going through a second phase of accelerated growth that will naturally provide professional development, whilst contributing to the financial stability of small-scale farmers in the emerging markets.

To learn more about Pula:

• TED Talk: Crop Insurance, an Idea Worth Seeding
• New York Times: He Grew up on a Farm. Now, He Helps Protect Them
• The Economist: The Poor, Who Most Need Insurance, Are Least Likely to Have It