DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

19 January 2025-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme 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.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP’s values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE:

Backend software developer

TYPE OF CONTRACT:

CST I

UNIT/DIVISION:

Forecasting and Early Warning Unit/ Analysis, Planning and Performance Division

DUTY STATION (City, Country):

Rome, Italy

DURATION:

11 months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The Forecasting and Early Warning Unit at the World Food Programme (WFP) plays a critical role in anticipating and mitigating the impacts of food insecurity worldwide. By leveraging cutting-edge data analytics, forecasting models, and real-time information, the unit supports decision-making processes to preempt crises and ensure timely interventions in vulnerable regions. Key tools like HungerMapLIVE enable WFP and its partners to monitor global food security trends, predict potential crises, and respond proactively to emerging threats, ultimately helping to safeguard the livelihoods of millions of people.

The build out of early warning tools requires the Unit to invest time and resources in transitioning prototypes to production. To support this effort, WFP is recruiting a back-end developer with a proven track record of developing and maintaining open-source technology, ready to support software development projects in the team.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

The consultant will join the Unit’s team in Rome under the direct supervision of the Lead Software Developer, and will be responsible for the following activities:

• Assist in data integration initiatives including near real-time data ingestion, processing, dashboards, bulletins and visualizations.

• Deploy and maintain HungerMap LIVE features and data layers (reports, schedulers, etc).

• Support infrastructure maintenance activities as needed.

• Advise on software development practices.

• Contribute to the harmonization of tools and development patterns, including code maintenance in version control, system management through automation, and deployment strategies.

• Undertake field missions for country support, facilitate trainings targeting WFP staff and partners.

• Liaise with WFP’s IT department to ensure compliance on the above.

• Perform any other task as required.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

• Develop, test, and deploy new features and data-layers to HungerMap LIVE.

• Improvements to existing user-interface.

• Improvements to backend python frameworks & pipelines software.

• Contribute to current development efforts.

• Support infrastructure maintenance and improvements.

• Facilitate training on data security, storage, scripting and coding best practices.

• Facilitate trainings on software development.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics or similar. Master’s degree preferred.

Experience:

At least 4 years of experience in IT related field with a focus on Python, AWS & some React.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Expertise in Python and its frameworks such as FastAPI, Django or Flask.

• Strong knowledge of AWS services such as EC2, S3, Lambda, API Gateway & CloudFormation.

• Familiarity with DDD, DI, SOLID & Clean Code principles.

• Familiarity with databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB.

• Experience with Git version control.

• Experience with deployment strategies, Docker, Kubernetes continuous integration, Unit Testing.

• Experience in React, Redux, and other front-end technologies is an asset.

• Experience visualizing geo-data (Leaflet, Mapbox) is an asset.

• Experience in GIS (QGIS, GDAL, PostGIS) is an asset.

Languages:

Excellent spoken and written English; spoken and written French highly desired.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at global.inclusion@wfp.org. Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process.

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and 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 passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
• Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements