Data Scientist P3 (UNHRD) - Rome, Italy

.

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.

Are you a seasoned Data Scientist interested in further developing your professional experience while contributing to ending global hunger? Are you passionate about helping those in need? Would you like to join an international organisation investing in its people?

If so, an exciting & fulfilling career awaits you! Join our diverse and passionate team that works on varied and international projects directly contributing to saving & changing millions of lives around the globe.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications must be submitted by Monday, June 19, 2023 (17:59 EDT****).

WHO WE ARE

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), a highly prestigious, reputable & world’s largest humanitarian organization, operating in more than 120 countries and territories, bringing life-saving assistance in emergencies, building pathways to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change and supporting sustainable and resilient livelihoods for a world with zero hunger.

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: UN World Food Programme (WFP) and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

WHY JOIN US?

• 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 trainings, 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 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)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

UNHRD is an emergency preparedness and response tool for WFP and the wider humanitarian community. The mandate of the UNHRD network is to assist the population living in countries affected by natural disasters or complex emergencies, through a prepositioning of relief and survival items and their rapid mobilization to the affected countries, on behalf of UN humanitarian agencies, governments, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

UNHRD manages five (5) strategically located hubs worldwide (Panama, Ghana, Italy, Malaysia, UAE) and holds stockpiles of emergency relief items and support equipment, including WFP corporate response stocks, currently valued at USD 50 million.

UNHRD’s digitalization process has undergone significant changes in the last years. The development of a common service platform is a big challenge for WFP and UNHRD needs someone intensively focus on it providing all the necessary support.

The purpose of this role is to complete and expand the development and integration of several platforms providing an interactive and un-obstructive possibility for stakeholders to engage with UNHRD activity. Deep data analysis and predictive modelling should eventually guide future decision-making.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

This position is based in WFP headquarters in Rome and reports to UNHRD Network Coordinator.

• Supervise the UNHRD data team and train staff in the use of both technical and operational tools.
• Lead the definition and implementation of the system landscape for the UNHRD Data Project in WFP’s data lake (DOTS) by setting project priorities and defining workplans and overseeing the maintenance and evolution of the project.
• Supervise and guide the activities of all software engineers in the team and oversee the onboarding of new software engineers into the team.
• Lead the expansion of the UNHRD pipeline and leverage business process expertise to enable the launch and ongoing development to contribute to the WFP corporate ontology as necessary.
• Lead the harmonization of tools and development patterns, including code maintenance in version control, system management through automation, and deployment strategies.
• Mine and analyze data from organizational databases to drive optimization and improvement of programme development, advocacy and business strategies.
• Supervise and ensure data integrity, including the effectiveness and accuracy of new data sources and data gathering techniques.
• Leverage predictive modeling to increase and optimize entity experiences, benefit realization and other business outcomes.
• Build and refactor the UNHRD Data Pipeline in DOTS using PySpark to model the UNHRD processes and create new advanced analytics.
• Contribute, as UNHRD technical lead, to the definition and implementation of the future data system for the wider HLS branch.
• Undertake field missions providing support across the UNHRD network and facilitate trainings targeting WFP staff and partners.
• Develop custom statistical models and machine learning algorithms to improve decision making and understanding of UNHRD data.
• Coordinate with different functional teams to implement models and monitor outcomes.
• Collaborate with stakeholders throughout the organization to identify opportunities for leveraging data to drive business solutions.
• Develop organizational A/B testing framework and test model quality.
• Develop processes and tools to monitor and analyze model performance and data accuracy.
• Lead the relationship with UNHRD’s dedicated systems team and WFP’s TEC department to ensure compliance with WFP policies.
• Extract reliable data from the system and transform it into meaningful information to support strategic and operational planning and analysis for senior management, UNHRD staff and external parties.
• Create tailored dashboards using WFP corporate systems used by staff members and partners to extract information to inform strategic business decision making. These dashboards provide information about stock, operations, status of sales for regular and emergency operations.
• Other accountabilities, as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND KEY REQUIREMENTS

Education:

You have:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Data Science, Computer Science, Information Management, Statistics, Public Administration, Public Information, Management, or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted instead of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

You have at least 5 years of post-graduate, progressively responsible professional experience in:

• Data Science
• Data Analytics
• Applied Mathematics
• Information Management or related area

Language:

You have:

• Fluency (level C) in the English language

MORE ABOUT YOU

You have:

• Expert knowledge in the management of data lakes.
• Expert knowledge of the Python programming language, and a deep understanding of data wrangling techniques.
• Expert knowledge of ERP systems, preferably SAP, as well as warehouse management systems.
• Good knowledge of machine learning and optimization techniques and experience with time series forecasting and recommender systems.
• Good knowledge of data visualization and visual storytelling, including fluency with Tableau.
• High-level understanding of humanitarian logistics and awareness of the humanitarian context.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

These are the common standards of behaviour that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Leads by Example with Integrity Drives Results and Delivers on Commitments Fosters Inclusive and Collaborative Teamwork Applies Strategic Thinking Builds and Maintains Sustainable Partnerships Lives the WFP values and shows humanity and integrity by role modelling care for others

Delivers on commitments and adapts readily to change

Is inclusive and collaborative, and contributes to a culture of learning and personal growth

Demonstrates commitment to gather perspectives, analyse options and risks, and propose new ways of doing things

Builds and nurtures external partnerships and collaborates with partners to deliver common objectives

Different expectations of behaviour are defined depending on your grade and role/responsibilities within WFP.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A Limited Fixed-Term Appointment (LFT) position is a non-mobile staff appointment in the international professional category for a limited period of up to 2 years.

WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with ICSC standards (http://icsc.un.org) including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, visa, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance.

The selected candidate will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy to take up this assignment.

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 [email protected] in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

.

WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.