Jeffrey Pires
Geographic Information Systems Professional
Geneva, Switzerland
Twenty years delivering GIS and information management solutions, turning fragmented data into intelligence people can act on. I've tracked a global pandemic, supported humanitarian operations in the world's largest refugee camp, and run real-time power grid systems serving millions of customers. Different sectors, one constant: I absorb the complexity of chaotic data landscapes, turning confusion into clarity.
Key Achievements
WHO / Europe
2020–2023
2020–2023
COVID-19 Dashboard
53
countries
Architected data integration and governance across dozens of authoritative sources, producing near-real time analytical and visualization outputs relied upon by governments, researchers, and media throughout the pandemic.
IOM · Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
2018
2018
Rohingya Refugee
Response
Response
1M+
population
Led IM/GIS coordination for field data collection, inter-agency site profiles, multi-sectoral needs assessments, UAV imagery geodata packs, and a live humanitarian monitoring dashboard guiding response operations.
GISCorps · WHO HQ, Geneva
2015
2015
Ebola Outbreak
GIS Coordination
GIS Coordination
28K+
cases
Supported GIS and data management coordination for the West Africa Ebola outbreak response: managing data flows, producing situation maps and analysis, supporting field operations, and launching the open data portal.
WHO HQ · Zimbabwe
2019
2019
Cyclone Idai
Emergency Response
Emergency Response
2
vaccination campaigns
Led emergency geospatial support for two oral cholera vaccination (OCV) campaigns and a comprehensive assessment of health facilities following severe landslides and flash flooding.
GISCorps · WHO HQ
2017
2017
Polio Eradication
Crowdsourcing Platform
Crowdsourcing Platform
750K+
structures digitized
Architected a crowdsourcing platform enabling community-driven digitization of structures across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, generating the spatial data foundation to plan and deliver vaccination campaigns.
National Grid · Boston, USA
2003–2016
2003–2016
Emergency Storm
Response
Response
7M+
customers
Pioneered web GIS enterprise adoption across utility operations, building real-time situation dashboards and mobile damage assessment tools for power grid restoration following major storm events.
Experience
Career Timeline
2024
–2025
–2025
GIS / Data Visualization Officer
World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for Europe · Copenhagen, Denmark
- Delivered IM/GIS solutions for multi-hazard emergencies including infectious disease monitoring (mpox, cholera, hepatitis, zoonotic influenza) and complex humanitarian crises (Ukraine, Gaza); led data management for the mpox Incident Management Support Team (IMST) during its emergency response
- Contributed to event-based surveillance workflows, translating multi-source signals from EIOS (Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources) into risk visualizations for surveillance teams, and collaborated with immunization and vaccination programmes on vaccination data mapping
- Led clearance of 250+ geospatial products through legal review with technical teams; contributing author on peer-reviewed publications and reports
2020
–2023
–2023
GIS Consultant
World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for Europe · Copenhagen, Denmark
- Developed and maintained WHO/Europe COVID-19 Dashboard (Feb 2020–Nov 2023); architected open data integration across dozens of authoritative sources in near-real time using Python, with data governance protocols ensuring reliable and timely updates across 53 countries
- Co-founded the WHO/Europe GIS Hub; contributed to regional strategy and GIS for Health roadmap; strengthened regional capacity for health emergency detection, surveillance, and response
2019
GIS Consultant
WHO Headquarters · Geneva, Switzerland
- Emergency GIS deployment: Cyclone Idai response, Zimbabwe. Rapid geospatial support for WHO humanitarian operations following the March 2019 disaster.
- Geospatial analysis and mapping in support of WHO headquarters health emergency programs
2018
Information Management / GIS Officer
International Organization for Migration (IOM) · Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
- Coordinated IM/GIS support in Rohingya refugee camps (1M+ population); managed data collection, analysis, and publication of site profiles and needs assessments guiding inter-agency coordination
- Developed web portal, portable UAV imagery geodata packs, and interactive incident dashboard for humanitarian monitoring
- Designed GIS-supported vetiver grass cash-for-work slope stabilization program: innovative field application of geospatial analysis to reduce landslide risk in densely settled camp areas
2013
–2017
–2017
GISCorps Volunteer Projects
West Africa · DRC · Philippines · USA
- 2017US-CDC Shelter Monitoring: Developed real-time dashboards tracking shelter capacity for emergency response
- 2017WHO DRC Polio Eradication: Architected crowdsourcing platform supporting digitization of 750K+ structures across the DRC
- 2015WHO Ebola Outbreak, Geneva: GISCorps specialist for the WHO West Africa response; managed data flows, maintained situation maps, launched open data portal from WHO headquarters. This mission marked the pivot from utility infrastructure GIS into humanitarian and public health work
- 2014USGS iCoast: Did the Coast Change?: Pilot crowdsourcing study identifying changes to the coastline following Hurricane Sandy
- 2014Typhoon Hagupit/Ruby Social Media Crowdsourcing, Philippines: Geolocated social media content to map damage reports and requests for assistance
- 2013Hurricane Sandy Aerial Damage Assessment, USA: Evaluated crowdsourced assessments of storm damage imagery
2003
–2016
–2016
Lead GIS Analyst
National Grid · Boston, USA
- Lead GIS Analyst, 2013–2016
- Senior GIS Analyst, 2008–2012
- GIS Analyst, 2005–2007
- Contractor, 2003–2004
- Developed and launched enterprise mapping portal as an ArcGIS Online early adopter; scaled from initial pilot to 2000+ office and mobile users by identifying departmental challenges and delivering targeted GIS solutions
- Developed mobile damage assessment tools and real-time dashboards integrating live weather, crew locations, power grid status, customer outages, and asset conditions
- Pioneered web GIS enterprise adoption supporting operations serving 7M+ customers; built emergency response tools enabling real-time situational awareness across the grid; deployed and managed GIS infrastructure on AWS
- Co-authored the enterprise asset data governance policy, establishing single-source-of-truth and accountability standards that carried forward into every later data architecture role
Skills & Expertise
Competency Domains
- ArcGIS Pro & ArcGIS Online
- Emergency Response GIS
- ETL & Data Pipeline Automation
- Data Governance & Strategy
- Python · SQL · R
- UAV Operations (FAA Part 107)
Credentials & Education
Certifications & Permits
GISP
GIS Certification Institute
2009–present
FAA Remote Pilot Certificate
Federal Aviation Administration, Part 107 UAV
2018–present
Swiss C Permit
Swiss long-term residence
and unrestricted work authorization
and unrestricted work authorization
Professional Development
- AI-Assisted Development & GeoAI · 2026, ongoing
- ESRI GIS For Climate Action MOOC · 2026
- WHO Leadership in Health Emergencies · 2025
- WHO Advanced Security in the Field · 2015
- URISA Leadership Academy · 2012
Languages
English · Native
French · A2
Education
Graduate Certificate
Geo-Information Science
Geo-Information Science
Salem State University · USA · 2008
Bachelor of Arts
Earth Science
Earth Science
University of New Hampshire · USA · 2003
Awards & Presentations
ESRI Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award
Esri Annual User Conference · 2013 · Recognized for pioneering enterprise mobile and web GIS adoption at National Grid
Esri International User Conference · San Diego, CA, USA
- 2019 · GIS for Cholera Vaccination Campaigns (OCV) following Cyclone Idai
- 2018 · GIS Technology in the Rohingya Refugee Camps
- 2015 · GIS in the West Africa Ebola Response
- 2010 · GIS for Electricity Distribution Asset Management
- 2008 · GeoCEMI: Pockets of Poor Performance
Esri Community & Regional Events
- 2025 · GIS for Health in the WHO/European Region (Esri GIS for Good Seminar, Geneva, CH)
- 2015 · National Grid's Integrated Mapping Applications Portal (GeoConX / EGUG Plenary, Providence, RI, USA)
- 2013–2014 · ArcGIS Online at National Grid (EGUG, San Antonio, TX; multiple regional/community events, New England, USA)
URISA & Professional Organizations
- 2024 · GIS in Public Health Emergency Operating Centers (EOC Network, virtual)
- 2016 · GIS in the West Africa Ebola Response (URISA GIS & Health Symposium, Washington DC, USA)
- 2013 · ArcGIS Online at National Grid (NEURISA, Boston, MA, USA)
Publications & Media
Technical Reports & Peer-reviewed
Comparing Outcomes of COVID-19 and Influenza Among Hospitalized Adults in the European Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Vaccine Effectiveness (EuroSAVE) Network, 2021–2024: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis
Contributing author.
Epidemiology and Characteristics of Cases With Monkeypox Virus Clade I in the WHO European Region, 2024 to 2025
Co-author.
Characteristics and Transmission Dynamics of Global Travel-Related Mpox Cases Caused by Clade Ib Monkeypox Virus
Collaborator.
Prevalence of Legionella as a Waterborne Pathogen and Its Health Impacts in the Pan-European Region
Contributing author.
FEEDcities Project: Extension of the FEEDcities Protocol for Monitoring the Content of Specific Nutrients in Food Products. Ukraine Assessment
Contributing author.
FEEDcities Project: The Food Environment in Cities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia – Ukraine
Contributing author.
Continued Circulation of Mpox: An Epidemiological and Phylogenetic Assessment, European Region, 2023 to 2024
Contributing author.
Child and Adolescent Health in Europe: Report on Progress to 2021
Contributing author.
Description of the First Global Outbreak of Mpox: An Analysis of Global Surveillance Data
Collaborator.
WHO Global Situational Alert System: A Mixed Methods Multistage Approach to Identify Country-level COVID-19 Alerts
Collaborator.
The World Health Organization's Public Health Intelligence Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic Response, December 2019 to December 2021
Contributing author.
A Large Multi-country Outbreak of Monkeypox Across 41 Countries in the WHO European Region, 7 March to 23 August 2022
Contributing author.
Energising the Utility Data Paradigm
Lead author.
Novel Use of Existing Data for Smart Grid Preliminary Analysis and for Asset Optimization
Contributing author.
Features & Media
Mapping Regions of DRC to Help WHO's Global Polio Eradication Initiative
Feature on the GISCorps volunteer project supporting the DRC Polio Eradication Initiative.
Using GIS for a Greater Good
Featured in Esri's "GIS Heroes" series profiling GISCorps volunteers.
GISCorps Assists World Health Organization in Mapping Ebola Response
Feature on the GISCorps volunteers supporting the WHO West Africa Ebola response.
Map Publications
The Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System
Geo-CEMI: Spatial Analysis of IEEE Electricity Distribution Reliability Metrics
Applied spatial analysis to geographically visualize IEEE CEMI (Customer Experiencing Multiple Interruptions) metrics, terming the technique Geo-CEMI. Presented at ESRI, EGUG, and GITA conferences.