WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance

Please note that TEC has advertised this VA with the intention to create a roster for IT Solution Architect, for recurrent positions and future needs.

INCLUSION IN THE ROSTER DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY FUTURE CONTRACTUAL RELATION WITH THE WFP

Job Title: IT Solution Architect

Type of Contract: Regular consultancy Level 1

Division: Digital Services Branch, Information Technology Division (TEC)

Duty Station: Remote

Duration: 11 months

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change. Powered by the passion, dedication, and professionalism of our 20,000 staff worldwide, the World Food Programme (WFP) works in over 80 countries to bring life-saving food to people displaced by conflict and made destitute by disasters, and help individuals and communities find life-changing solutions to the multiple challenges they face in building better futures.

WFP Technology Division (TEC, formerly known as IT) is the digital business engine of the World Food Programme, providing the business with multi-pronged and resilient technical capabilities able to respond with the agility required in humanitarian operations, be they manmade or in a natural disaster setting. TEC continues to increase its activities to meet the constantly growing demand from the organization and implement the initiatives related to data.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Reporting to the Head of Product Delivery and Engineering, the IT Solution Architect leads the technical aspects of the design and implementation of IT solutions, providing direction, instructions and guidance to the (off-site) development teams for the purpose of developing IT solutions which are fully compliant with WFP standards and achieve the highest quality in terms of technical usability, user acceptability, and domain suitability.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design the software architecture and the data model of IT solutions, and support the Product Manager in presenting the IT Solution Proposals to the Architectural Board;
• Ensure the high technical quality of IT solutions, covering all aspects such as: functionality, user experience, and compliance with applicable guidelines (architecture, security, technology stack, user interface, etc.);
• Provide direction, instructions, and guidance to the (off-site) Development Teams;
• Prepare high-level effort estimations for the development of IT solutions;
• Review and approve prioritised Backlog tickets for their inclusion in Sprints looking at completeness, clarity, conciseness, visual representation, dependencies, test data availability, behaviour-driven development (BDD) test scenarios, and such;
• Create technical tickets required to ensure the high quality of the IT solution, and negotiate their prioritization with the Product Manager;
• Request VPN accounts and renewing them on time to ensure continuity of services;
• Set-up and maintain IT solution environments;
• Collaborate on maintaining the continuous improvement (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) infrastructure;
• Create an inspiring team environment with an open communication culture
• Other duties related to software development, as required.

DELIVERABLES:

• Well-developed IT solutions fully compliant with applicable guidelines (architecture, security, technology stack, user interface, etc.)
• Clean source code of IT solutions, in WFP source code repositories.
• IT solution documentation (Solution Proposals endorsed by the Architectural Board).

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

• University degree in Business Administration, Economics, Project Management, Information Technology, Finance, or related field.

Experience:

• At least 3 years of professional working experience in software architecture and development.

Technical Skills & Knowledge:

• In-depth knowledge and proficiency with solutions architecture, developing high-quality IT solutions, web technologies, Git versioning system, and GitFlow, Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD), Agile Scrum, and mainstream software design & development methodologies; and
• Proven experience with software development, in particular with Python and one of the frameworks for this programming language (Django and or Flask); and
• Proven experience with Docker and Kubernetes and in general dockerization concepts and techniques; and
• Proven experience with CD/CI implementation and pipeline automation; and
• Understanding of accessibility, security compliance, design principles behind a scalable IT solution, and the differences between delivery platforms, such as mobile vs desktop, and optimizing output to match the specific platform.

Capabilities:

• Able to think creatively and strategically;
• Able to plan and organize work effectively;
• Able to articulate complex concepts in non-technical language;
• Able to coordinate multiple responsibilities simultaneously;
• Able identify and resolve problems;
• Well organized and detail oriented;
• Values diversity in the workplace, particularly valuing respectfulness and inclusively leveraging everyone’s talents.

Language:

• Fluency in oral and written English with an intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages) is desirable.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

WFP offers a competitive compensation package, which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our Work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION:

We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, and complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).

• Once your profile is completed, please submit your application.
• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
• Additional documents such as passports, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
• Please contact us at wfprecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

Deadline for applications: 4 May 2024 at 11:59pm Rome time (CET/CEST)

Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply.

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.

Saving lives, changing lives