UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a digital future

The overarching strategic goal of UNICEF’s Information and Communication Technology Division (ICTD) is to transform and build partnerships with our stakeholders to successfully implement UNICEF programmes globally through the use of innovative technology-enabled solutions.

How can you make a difference?

The Geospatial DevOps consultant will support the Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM), the Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS) and the Information and Communication Technology Division (ICTD) to make sure that their critical work with geospatial analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, data management, data standardization, and data publication can be sustained by a reliable and scalable infrastructure.

The consultant will ensure that DAPM and EMOPS can deliver and update their products and services in a timely, secure, and cost-effective manner and in compliance with UNICEF/ICTD standards and best practices. The consultant will help streamline the software development lifecycle to improve vendor and developer productivity, delivery speed, and code quality in support of existing and upcoming products. The consultant will make sure that applications run without interruption of service, reacting to infrastructural problems in a timely manner.

This position is under the supervision of the ICTD Manager, Application Platforms (APS) in the Platforms and Services Delivery Section of the ICT Division.

Background of some applications which require DevOps assistance

In 2019 UNICEF developed a Geospatial Roadmap, which articulated the need to implement UNICEF Geo Hub to coordinate the use of geospatial resources and common broker services to other UNICEF entities. The key components of the Geo Hub are Data, Tools, Standards and Policies, and Capacity Building. The main aim of the “Tools” component is to reduce the infrastructure implementation and maintenance costs with on-demand/secured access to tools and applications.

As part of the Geospatial Roadmap, UNICEF has developed two web-based geospatial platforms: GeoRepo and GeoSight. GeoRepo serves as a single source of truth for storing and sharing core geospatial datasets, such as administrative boundaries at a subnational level. GeoSight is a web-based geospatial analytical platform that will help users harmonize, integrate, visualize, and analyze geospatial data using a simple web interface. Both GeoRepo and GeoSight are being developed using a similar stack of technologies (Django, Kubernetes, PostgreSQL).

As part of the same Geospatial Roadmap, in Dec 2021 UNICEF deployed ArcGIS Enterprise on the UNICEF Azure infrastructure to become the core enterprise geospatial solution for geospatial data storage, analysis, dissemination and visualization.

Another important area of work in support of UNICEF’s mandate is the economic analysis of immunization resources. However, challenges remain in identifying and analyzing immunization resources in domestic government budgets. There is substantial variation in how vaccine procurement and immunization delivery information is presented in national budget documents. This information is only available in non-searchable PDF files, complicating identification and analysis. The solution to improve the accessibility of immunization budget information and supporting its interpretation is the Global-Immunization budget database (GIBD), a web-based application that uses Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to standardize and analyze global immunization budget data for insightful cross-country comparison and trend analysis. GIBD enables UNICEF to access global immunization budget data via web browser, secured with UNICEF credentials for global reach and data protection. It utilizes artificial intelligence to tackle complex data extraction and manipulation challenges and offers dashboards designed for insightful trend visualization, supported by automated analysis for strategic decision-making.

The Programme Effectiveness Team (PET) in DAPM aims to improve the capabilities of field offices to design evidence based and results-focused programmes, implement effective and efficient interventions, monitor results through periodic trend analysis and real-time basis. Organizational performance management unit in DAPM is seeking the services of a DevOps engineer to assist them in the continuous integration of their PIDB Coding Recommender Tool and their EYSN Quality Insurance Tool. Both tools are developed on an outside partner server and must be deployed on UNICEF’s environments during the releases.

Key responsibilities / Scope of work:

Application-specific tasks

• Deploy and maintain the deployment of GeoRepo, GeoSight and other services in a dedicated Kubernetes cluster.

• Collaborate closely with GeoRepo and GeoSight vendor development teams and DAPM/EMOPS staff to understand their current build and release processes and lead the implementation of improvement recommendations.

• Scale and monitor the deployment of the enterprise software ArcGIS in multiple Windows Virtual Machines. This also includes the installation of updates and patches, the monitoring of the health of all the services involved, and the management and the installation of new licenses.

• Assist the team and liaise with ICTD to facilitate GIBD (and, possibly, other applications) access to AI services on Azure.

Deployment, monitoring, and automation

• Build and maintain the CI/CD pipelines on Microsoft Azure DevOps to improve developer productivity, agility, and code quality.

• Monitor and manage incidents related to the infrastructure and service quality, including troubleshooting, identification of root cases and coordination with relevant teams to ensure timely resolution and minimal impact on business operations.

• Deploy new .NET and Python applications using App Services, both with classic configuration and YAML -based configuration.

• Set up and manage cost and utilization monitoring tools for platforms linked to DAPM/EMOPS.

Collaboration and knowledge building

• Capture best practices, procedures, and lessons learned, and sharing knowledge with ICTD and DAPM/EMOPS team members to foster a culture of learning and knowledge sharing.

• Prepare and present design and implementation documentation to multiple stakeholders.

• Promote DevOps principles and culture across the DAPM/EMOPS teams.

• Conducts proofs of concept in new application platforms and cloud technologies and services.

• Propose new software to be purchased or consumed as a service and demonstrate value for money in acquisitions and technology decisions.

• Advise the team on the design and enhancement of infrastructure for our internal applications.

Deliverables:

Please indicate your ability, availability and your overall rate – or rate per deliverable (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable). Applications submitted without a rate will not be considered.

Duration of contract: 11 months, remote

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

• An Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or related fields

• Minimum four (4) years of experience as a DevOps Engineer with Microsoft Azure Cloud.

• Experience with containerized microservices deployment and release management (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).

• Working experience building solution for CI/CD using GitHub and Azure DevOps.

• Experience with PowerShell scripting, GIT, Linux, Shell, Azure Resource Management (ARM) templates.

• Suite/Log Analytics, Azure Monitor, Azure App Services, Azure Storage, Azure SQL Server.

• Experience with serverless/headless technologies like function apps.

• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams.

Good-to-have Skills:

• Azure Developer Associate or Azure Solution Architect certification is a plus.

• Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) certification is a plus.

• Experience with running and deploying ArcGIS on Azure is a plus.

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.