Drupal developer

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

Improved website features on www.ipbes.net; Improved web performance; Upgrade Bootstrap and Vue to latest versions; Updated templates; A well set up server error monitoring dashboard.

Work Location

Office and remote working

Expected duration

11 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Established in April 2012, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has a membership of over 140 Governments (see www.ipbes.net) and seeks to respond to the needs of governments and other stakeholders to strengthen the science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Under the direct supervision of the Information Management Officer and the overall supervision of the Executive Secretary of IPBES, the consultant will be responsible for the following : 1. Improve existing website features on www.ipbes.net: a. Invasive Alien Species sub-theme: The developer will be required to update forms and paragraph types of the Invasive Alien Species sub-theme to make it user friendly and reusable for other assessment outputs. Additional features will need to be added to present information in pop ups that allow embedded of text formatting, images and scrolling. b. Expert nominations: The developer will be required to make it possible for focal points to view lists of requests they have received to endorse candidates. Primary and Secondary focal points should be able to view the nomination status of candidates who have applied to be considered as experts. c. Review comments: The developer will be required to add error validation and associated messages to the system used to submit comments by uploading excel spreadsheets. 2. Improve web performance: a. Ensure uploaded images are served optimally and in next-gen formats. b. Audit breakpoints and customize code to serve content appropriately for different devices and for users with poor internet connections. c. Resolve system errors: The developer will be required to do an audit of error logs in Drupal, Redis, Solr, and Apache to identify, document and resolve existing errors. Fine tuning of Solr and Apache configuration will also be required. d. Remove unused and unnecessary modules: The developer will be required to identify and document themes, components, libraries, and dependencies in the codebase that require updating, replacement or removal. 3. Upgrade Bootstrap and Vue to latest versions: The developer will be required to review existing code and update Bootstrap, Vue and their dependencies to latest versions without breaking existing functionality. 4. Update templates: a. The developer will also be required to update website templates to improve presentation of information and allow users to easily access content they create. b. Update existing templates and create new templates to serve multilingual content effectively. c. Update and theme search pages such as the main search, glossary search and document search. 5. Set up a server error monitoring dashboard. Functional responsibilities The Drupal Developer will be responsible for the following duties: • Design, develop and implement custom code modules in PHP/Drupal, work with configuration management and create/maintain (Drupal) features. • Develop and implement new features and functionality • Create/edit page templates based of mock-ups from the IPBES secretariat. • Ensure technical best practices and high-performance site/server optimization. • Manage technical aspects of web and database hosting and updates on Azure Cloud Centos 8 virtual machines in Azure Cloud. • Provide all documentation, including code, test, training plans, and user documentation (e.g. for Zoom integration, review comments portal). • Work closely with the IPBES secretariat and technical support units to ensure an effective, functional, and intuitive implementation of needs. • Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the existing codebase with a specific focus on the Node.js packages and Radix sub-theme. • Identify and document components, libraries, and dependencies in the codebase that require updating, removal or replacement. • Develop an upgrade plan and implement the upgrade from Bootstrap and Vue. • Address any breaking changes and ensure that all components, templates, and styles are successfully migrated. • Conduct testing of upgraded applications thoroughly to identify and resolve any bugs or issues. • Implement security measures and data protection standards to safeguard sensitive information within the applications. • Conduct thorough testing of new features, enhancements, and bug fixes to ensure a high level of software quality and reliability.

Qualifications/special skills

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or equivalent experience. • 5 years’ experience developing dynamic web solutions in Drupal 10 and PHP implementations. • Drupal Acquia Certification for Drupal 10 websites. • Experience building responsive websites using Drupal CMS, HTML/HTML5, CSS/CSS3, and JavaScript/jQuery. • Adept with working on large, complex sites, preferably experienced in multi-lingual sites. • Experience with PHP, PHP files/theme functions, and knowledge of the Drupal theme layer. • Expert knowledge of RESTful services, JS frameworks (Angular, React, Express). • Comfortable working with debugging tools like Firebug, Chrome inspector, etc. • Experience with version control and code repositories is a must (Git, GitHub) with working knowledge of SSH. • Ability to architect enterprise Drupal solutions including data, display, and information architecture. • Advanced site-building experience including deep familiarity with Drupal modules. • Thorough understanding of the Software Development Lifecycle (e.g. Requirements, Design, Development, Testing) and exposure to Agile. • Strong communication skills.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an added advantage.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.