Back-end Developer (Geospatial & Cloud Solutions)

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

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• 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 staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

Under UNJP/ALB/022/JP, FAO Albania leads efforts with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to support the sustainable digital transformation of Albania’s agriculture and rural areas with an ambitious 3-years joint programme entitled “Digital Agriculture and Rural Transformation (DART)” as part of the SDG Fund – Digital Transformation Window call.

DART aims to increase agriculture productivity, advance socio-economic growth, and enhance rural livelihoods in Albania by 2027. It harnesses the potential of digitalization to transform the agri-food sector from national level to underserved rural areas in Albania delivering on three components\: 1) the formulation of Albania’s National Digital Agriculture Strategy and Action Plan (led by FAO, with support from ITU) 2) the farmer-centric design and delivery of digital services via the recently launched national Farmers’ Portal (Portali i Fermerit) (led by FAO) 3) the development of digital capacities among national public workers, TVET schools and centres; smallholder farmers and other vulnerable groups in rural areas (led by ILO).

A key deliverable under Component 2 is the enhancement of the Albania Farmers’ Portal, ensuring user-centered, inclusive, and accessible digital services that support rural women and men equally. To achieve this, FAO Albania seeks a Back-End developer to support the design and implementation of the portal’s server-side architecture, geospatial data infrastructure, cloud integrations, and secure APIs. The system will include mobile and web-based interfaces, supporting workflows from field-level monitoring (e.g. by farmers or inspectors) to national-level agricultural data access by institutions.

This position offers a National Personal Service Agreement (PSA.NAT) contract for an initial 230 days (equivalent to 11 months). A break from duty of at least 30 consecutive days is mandatory within any twelve-month period after which the contract is renewable upon satisfactory performance and funds availability.

Only persons holding citizenship and/or valid residence permit in Albania are eligible to apply.

The incumbent shall be based in Tirana.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision and technical leadership of the FAO Senior Technical Advisor on Digital Agriculture, in close coordination with the Service Designer (Product Owner), Front-End Developer, Data Scientist, UN Agencies and international and national partners, the Back-End developer shall undertake the tasks and responsibilities outlined below.

Technical Focus

In close collaboration with the Service Designer and other technical team members, the Back-End Developer will lead the implementation of secure, scalable, and interoperable backend infrastructure. The role focuses on (1) Hosting and managing geospatial databases; (2) Automating EO data processing pipelines via open-source tools; (3) Integrating field-level crowdsourced data; (4) Ensuring real-time communication with web and mobile front ends; (5) Supporting role-based access for different user types within users’ ecosystem.

Tasks and responsibilities

1. API Development and Core Server Functions
• Design, develop, and maintain RESTful APIs for data exchange between front-end clients and server.
• Implement role-based access control (RBAC) for different user types (farmers, advisors, national users).
• Ensure data validation, versioning, and secure data storage.
• Set up or maintain CI/CD Pipelines (GitHub Actions).
2. Geospatial Database and Services Management
• Set up and maintain spatial databases (e.g. PostGIS) to handle user field boundaries, geotagged reports, and EO-derived indicators.
• Support time series storage of processed geospatial layers (e.g. NDVI, LAI) at multiple scales and per user-defined area.
• Configure services to allow querying and visualizing processed raster/vector data on demand.
3. Cloud Infrastructure and EO Data Automation
• Integrate open-source tools (e.g. Sen4Stat) for deploying the automation of preprocessing Sentinel imagery and derivation of vegetation indicators.
• Ensure integration with cloud-hosted EO data repositories (e.g. GEE, AWS Open Data) with cost-effective storage of results.
• Manage job scheduling, monitoring, and logs of EO data pipelines.
4. Integration and Interoperability
• Ensure interoperability with national platforms and registries (e.g. Farm Register, Cadaster, RUDA, e-Albania, ASIG), following national cybersecurity protocols.
• Collaborate with the Front-End Developer to deliver real-time, user-specific data layers.
• Provide backend integration support for the LLM-based chatbot, managing content retrieval endpoints.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
• Minimum 5 years of experience in back-end development
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and Albanian
• National of Albania or resident in the country with a valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Proven experience designing and managing RESTful APIs.
• Familiarity with version control systems (e.g.\: GitHub), reproducible workflows, and clear documentation
• Experience working with spatial data formats (GeoTIFF, GeoJSON, WMS/WFS) and GIS tools.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g. AWS, GEE) and storage management.
• Familiarity with open-source EO tools, including deploying Sen4Stat pipelines and geoprocessing python libraries (e.g. GDAL, rasterio, geopandas, etc), is considered a strong asset.
• Familiarity with containerized environments (e.g., Docker) and processing in Linux-based systems.
• Understanding of DevOps principles, job scheduling (e.g. cron, Celery), and monitoring tools.
• Knowledge of data protection and API security protocols.
• Experience working in agile development teams is an asset.
• Ability to collaborate with designers, back-end developers, and end-users.

Selection Criteria

• Proficiency in Python and at least one back-end framework (e.g. Django, FastAPI, Flask)
• Experience with PostgreSQL/PostGIS, Docker, and Linux-based deployments
• Demonstrated experience developing and deploying backend systems involving geospatial data.
• Proven ability to automate and manage EO data pipelines.
• Experience handling crowdsourced or user-submitted data securely and reliably.
• Familiarity with integration standards relevant to government IT systems.
• Ability to troubleshoot independently, write clear documentation, and support collaborative workflows.
• Experience working with development teams in international or multi-stakeholder contexts.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Strong problem-solving and time-management skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with team members and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently.

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact\: Careers@fao.org
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website\: http\://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

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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