IDEA (Identification, Delivery and Empowerment Application) Software Developer

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The Office of Emergencies and Resilience is responsible for ensuring FAO's efforts to support countries and partners in preparing for and effectively responding to food and agricultural threats and crises by i) increasing the numbers of people reached in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)3 and above and ii) increasing the numbers of people supported to move out of IPC 3 and above from a humanitarian caseload onto pathways of resilience and development. FAO has mainstreamed a humanitarian, development, peace nexus approach and a localization agenda throughout its strategic positioning and programmatic design and implementation at country and regional levels. In this organizational setting, The Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) is responsible for coordinating the development and maintenance of corporate tools and standards to enable Decentralized Offices (DOs) to assist member countries to prepare for, and respond to emergencies as well as strengthen capacities of national and sub-national institutions and partners for resilience and risk-informed development. OER ensures humanitarian policy coordination and knowledge, liaison with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee as well as with humanitarian resource partners, co-leadership with World Food Programme of the global Food Security Cluster, organizational preparedness, surge capacity and response to large-scale emergencies. OER supports food and nutrition security and sectoral/systems assessments, early warning activities related to emergency and humanitarian analysis and responses. OER plays a major role in the development and leadership of the Organization's programme to increase the resilience of livelihoods to food and agriculture threats and crises of the Organization's programme in areas such as risk governance and coordination, anticipatory actions, disaster risk reduction, early warning and response in agriculture and food chain crises.

The Identification, Delivery and Empowerment Application (IDEA) is a FAO-developed digital system of applications that facilitates secured beneficiary registration, identity verification at the point of distribution, entitlements delivery and tracking, data reporting and visualization. IDEA is managed by OER and since 2020, has been adopted by 14 FAO country offices and supported the implementation of 86 projects.

Reporting Lines

The Consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer (CVA) and the direct supervision of the IDEA Unit Coordinator.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will contribute to application development in OER, developing solutions as part of IDEA system of applications, using the latest technologies and mainstreaming their adoption, working in one of the following roles\:

• Software Architect
• Frontend Developer (REACT)
• Backend Developer (PHP)
• DevOps Engineer

The incumbent will have experience in one or more of the following specializations and/or technologies\:

• Cloud Platforms\: Hands-on experience with cloud services such as AWS, Azure, or GCP, including infrastructure management, serverless computing, and cloud storage solutions.
• Microservices Architecture\: Experience in designing, developing, and managing microservices architectures, ensuring scalability, resilience, and ease of maintenance.
• Containerization and Orchestration\: Proficiency with container technologies like Docker and orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes to manage and scale applications in cloud environments.
• RESTful API Development\: Expertise in developing, integrating, and maintaining RESTful APIs, ensuring they are secure, scalable, and optimized for high performance.
• Backend Development\: Strong proficiency in backend programming languages such as PHP, Python or Java, with a focus on building scalable, maintainable, and efficient systems.
• Frontend Technologies\: Experience with modern frontend frameworks like REACTJS, including state management (Redux, Context API), component-based architecture, and optimization techniques for responsiveness and performance.
• Database Management and Optimization\: Expertise in working with relational databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL) and NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB, Cassandra), including schema design, query optimization, and performance tuning.
• CI/CD Pipelines\: Experience in implementing continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines using tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or CircleCI to automate the development and deployment process.
• DevOps Tools\: Proficiency with tools such as Terraform, Ansible, and CloudFormation for infrastructure automation, along with monitoring and log management tools like Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack, or Splunk.
• Test Automation\: Familiarity with test automation frameworks and tools, including unit testing (PHPUnit, Jest), integration testing, and performance testing tools like JMeter or LoadRunner.
• Security Best Practices\: In-depth understanding of web security principles, including secure coding practices, vulnerability assessment, and ensuring compliance with industry standards.
• Performance Tuning\: Experience in optimizing the performance of large-scale applications and systems, including optimizing queries, load balancing, and caching mechanisms.
• Version Control\: Proficiency with version control systems such as Git, and experience using GitHub or GitLab for collaborative development and versioning of codebases.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Lead Architecture Design\: Own the architectural vision for both new and existing projects, ensuring scalability, maintainability, and performance. Establish technical guidelines and enforce coding standards across development teams.
• Strategic Planning\: Collaborate with product managers, stakeholders, and engineering teams to align architectural solutions with business goals. Drive the long-term technical strategy of the organization.
• Mentorship\: Provide mentorship and guidance to junior architects and development teams, promoting best practices for software design, system integration, and cloud infrastructure.
• Performance and Scalability Optimization\: Ensure all software systems are built for scalability and performance, proactively identifying areas for optimization and guiding teams through solutions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration\: Work closely with product teams, business stakeholders, and DevOps teams to ensure the software architecture aligns with overall business objectives and operational constraints.
• Research & Innovation\: Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies to incorporate into the company’s architecture where applicable. Experiment with new tools and methodologies to drive innovation and improvement.
• Risk Management\: Anticipate potential technical debt and scalability issues and proactively manage risks in the software development lifecycle.
• Backend Development\: Design, develop, and maintain dynamic backend systems and web applications using the relevant technologies. Ensure the code is scalable, secure, and efficient.
• Frontend Development\: Design, develop and maintain smooth UX, maintaining cross-browser compatibility, responsive layouts that are optimized for performance. Ensure the code is scalable, secure, and efficient.
• Database Management\: Design and optimize databases to ensure efficient data access and management. Assist with database schema design and performance tuning.
• API Development\: Create and maintain RESTful APIs, ensuring that they are secure, scalable, and optimized for performance.
• Security Best Practices\: Ensure the security of applications and backend systems by adhering to best practices, conducting vulnerability assessments, and implementing secure coding practices.
• System Monitoring and Optimization\: Monitor infrastructure performance, troubleshoot, and implement optimizations to improve system scalability and efficiency.
• Code Reviews and Best Practices\: Lead and participate in code reviews, ensuring that the codebase adheres to the highest standards of quality and follows industry best practices.
• Collaboration with Frontend and DevOps Teams\: Collaborate closely with frontend developers to integrate backend systems with user interfaces. Work with DevOps to ensure smooth deployment and scalability of the system.
• Testing and Debugging\: Write unit and integration tests to ensure the stability and reliability of applications. Participate in troubleshooting and debugging activities to resolve any defects.
• Documentation\: Maintain clear documentation of system architecture, codebase, API endpoints, and other technical processes to ensure that the development work is well-understood by all stakeholders.
• Performance Monitoring\: Optimize applications and backend services by analyzing performance metrics and making necessary adjustments for better performance, scalability, and efficiency.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of professional experience working as a software developer or cloud architect, within complex software solutions or large development teams.
• Working knowledge of English (level C).

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in software development, cloud architecture, or experienced developer roles within complex software solutions or large development teams.
• Deep knowledge of programming techniques, technologies, and frameworks including backend languages (PHP, Python, Java, Go) and frontend frameworks like REACTJS.
• Expertise in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), including cloud architecture design, infrastructure management, and serverless computing.
• Experience in designing and implementing scalable microservices architectures using technologies like Docker and Kubernetes.
• Proficiency in database design, optimization, and management, with experience in MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Cassandra.
• Skilled in building, maintaining, and optimizing RESTful APIs for secure and high-performance integrations.
• Proficiency in version control and collaborative development workflows using Git, GitHub, and GitLab.
• Experience with CI/CD pipeline development and automation using Jenkins, GitLab CI, and CircleCI.
• Strong understanding of security best practices, including secure coding, encryption, and compliance with industry standards.

Selection criteria

• Language proficiency in a second FAO language (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian) is an advantage
Familiarity with relational databases such as MySQL or PostgreSQL and the ability to work with SQL queries.
Experience using version control systems such as Git.
• Expertise in DevOps practices and tools like Terraform, Ansible, and CloudFormation for automating infrastructure and deployment.
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban, for iterative development and cross-functional team collaboration.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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