Soledad Palacios Mateo
Geneva
Summary
Conflict researcher with two years of experience in crisis monitoring and analysis in humanitarian contexts. I have experience in applied research, geopolitical risk analysis, and setting monitoring systems using diverse open sources to track and analyze political, economic, climatic, and humanitarian trends. Through my risk reports and geopolitical scenarios, I have informed organizational resource (re-)prioritization, contingency plans across the Middle East's missions, and the crisis response strategies of the teams in Lebanon and Syria. I have knowledge of R for data analysis and communicate effectively in English, Spanish, and working French. My background across different disciplines and roles has allowed me to adapt quickly to new challenges, methodologies, and contexts.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Real Time Crisis Monitoring Officer
IMPACT Initiatives
Geneva
08.2023 - Current
- Led global crisis monitoring activities, analyzing diverse open sources (social media, geospatial imagery, mainstream media, specialized humanitarian sources) to identify emerging risks and deteriorations in humanitarian contexts to inform organizational resource (re-)prioritization.
- Developed geopolitical scenarios and forecasted risks, supporting decision-making in crisis-affected regions. For example, during the Middle East regional escalations in 2023-2024, I laid out several scenarios, monitoring key risk indicators, and updating them weekly.
- Conducted context risk analysis reports on Nagorno-Karabakh, Mali, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Haiti, Lebanon, and Mozambique.
- Acted as the focal point for emergency response teams in Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Ukraine, Haiti, and Venezuela.
- Oversaw the implementation of the crisis monitoring systems in 14 countries, providing technical and programmatic guidance to enhance research quality.
- Developed training materials for staff on how to use new systems or processes related to monitoring activities.
Intern - Research Design and Data
IMPACT Initiatives
Geneva
02.2023 - 08.2023
- Reviewed and refined research design plans for humanitarian assessments across all IMPACT, ensuring methodological rigor in quantitative and qualitative data collection, processing, and analysis.
- Supported quality assurance of research cycles by validating data analysis plans, survey tools and research outputs, providing feedback to country teams.
- Contributed to the development of internal analytical frameworks and research guidelines, improving data interpretation, visualization and reporting for humanitarian decision-making.
Graduate Consultant
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)/ Swiss Red Cross
Remote
10.2021 - 09.2022
- Drafted a comprehensive report, providing actionable recommendations for the humanitarian use of digital tools in MHPSS. The report was graded with a distinction (74) by the LSE.
- In a team of four, conducted research on how to leverage digital technologies to improve digital Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) provision in emergency settings and beyond.
- Conducted primary data collection by interviewing more than 30 key informants across 24 countries. Developed an original structured framework to analyze the primary and secondary data.
- Organised and coordinated webinars in Spanish and English with up to 30 participants in order to disseminate our findings among the wider International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movemen
Research Assistant - Admin
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Madrid
10.2020 - 09.2021
- Managed research-related documentation, databases, and administrative tasks.
- Curated and generated content for the department’s MBA LinkedIn page to enhance visibility and engagement.
Education
Master of Science - Economic Analysis (8.5/10)
Universitat Oberta De Catalunya
Spain (remote)06-2023
Master of Science - Development Management (Distinction)
London School of Economics And Political Science
London, UK09-2022
Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy, Politics, Economics (First Class Hon.)
King's College London
London, UK06-2020
Skills
- Trend Monitoring and Early Warning – Strong ability to track emerging threats, conflict dynamics, and instability indicators
- Threat Analysis and Risk Assessment – Skilled in identifying and evaluating geopolitical, security, and economic risks
- Scenario Planning and Forecasting – Experience building short-, mid-, and long-term risk scenarios
- Information gathering – experienced in collecting and synthesizing open-source information for strategic decision-making
- Data Visualization and Reporting – Ability to present complex findings through dashboards, reports, and visualizations (R)
- Concise Report Writing – Skilled in producing clear, actionable reports for decision-makers
- Crisis communication – ability to craft rapid, insightful updates during evolving crises
- Ability to work under pressure – Proven track record of delivering high-quality research in fast-paced, high-stakes environments
- Strong attention to detail
Certification
- Personal Field Security Training (PFST) certificate (23/03/2024)
- Emergency First Response: Primary and Secondary Care (23/03/2024)
Languages
Spanish
First Language
English
Proficient (C2)
C2
French
Intermediate (B1)
B1
Italian
Elementary (A2)
A2
Timeline
Real Time Crisis Monitoring Officer
IMPACT Initiatives
08.2023 - Current
Intern - Research Design and Data
IMPACT Initiatives
02.2023 - 08.2023
Graduate Consultant
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)/ Swiss Red Cross
10.2021 - 09.2022
Research Assistant - Admin
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
10.2020 - 09.2021
Master of Science - Economic Analysis (8.5/10)
Universitat Oberta De Catalunya
Master of Science - Development Management (Distinction)
London School of Economics And Political Science
Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy, Politics, Economics (First Class Hon.)
King's College London
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