Remote/Home-based Consultancy: Senior Software Development Consultant (50 working days between Dec 2023 and July 2024) - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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 champion.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

The home-based part time software development consultant will provide technical assistance and direction to UNICEF regional office for the Europe and Central Asia Region towards developing and strengthening robust and scalable digital solutions. This includes providing recommendations on suitable technology stacks, framework, architecture, conducting codebase/repository reviews, designing wireframes, offering suggestions, and assisting in technical documentation and managing knowledge related to the supported digital solutions, all with the goal of delivering end products that align with UNICEF’s requirements and industry standards.

Background

Under the direct supervision of the Technology for Development (T4D) Business Analyst and collaborating with various the regional office and country offices teams, the consultant will be responsible for offering guidance, evaluating designs, reviewing architecture and code, crafting standard operating procedures (SOPs) and technology development and maintenance related tasks. The consultant will also be responsible for documenting systems and processes to ensure that digital solutions developed within the T4D function in the region are stable, scalable, and adhere to high-quality standards. The consultant will play a pivotal role in recommending suitable technology stacks, frameworks, and system architecture tailored to the specific deployment contexts. Additionally, the consultant will actively participate in software quality assurance activities, testing, deployment, system integrations, localization efforts, and troubleshooting for various digital solutions in the region.

The consultant will primarily provide the following technical and support services in the region (ECAR):

1. Assessment and Contribution to Solution Designs: Evaluate and provide input on solution designs and codebase review for regional and country web and mobile applications. This may also include some low-tech applications supported through SMS or social messengers such as WhatsApp.
2. Technical Assistance for Repository Management: Assist in setting up, organizing, and managing repositories for developed digital solutions on DevOps and/or GitHub. In addition, also provide support in managing the DPG from the region.
3. Mobile App Publishing and Management: Support processes for publishing, migrating, and managing UNICEF mobile apps on Google Play and Apple app stores.
4. Testing and Quality Assurance: Conduct testing of digital solutions, evaluating functionality, performance, usability, security, scalability, compatibility, and alignment with technical specifications.
5. Assessment of Existing Solutions: Assess existing digital solutions in ECA for suitability and potential scale-up and replication in other countries in ECAR. Provide support to Country Offices (COs) with localization and deployments of these solutions.
6. IT Security and Data Privacy: Assist teams on security assessments and audits to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with security best practices and data protection regulations.
7. Documentation Management: Maintain and update comprehensive documentation for digital solutions, including user guides, technical documentation, and release notes.
8. General Support: Offer any other services required to support the development, testing, and deployment of digital solutions in ECAR.

Note: The role would primarily involve coordination and review elements and no technology product development is expected to be done by the consultant.

Work Assignment Overview

The individual consultant’s duties will include the activities in alignment with the scope of work mentioned above.

Some of the key ones include:

*Tasks / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Timeline / Deadline*****A. Technical assessment of digital solutions (designs, architecture, codebase quality, features) and documentation of findings and recommendations.1. Technical assessment and improvement recommendation report(s) on the design, architecture, codebases and features for at least 5 digital solutions.5 working days

2. Review, set-up, organization of code repositories for 2 digital solutions on DevOps and/or GitHub in line with best practices4 working days3. Evaluation reports for at least 2 existing digital solution in the region, for suitability and potential scale-up and replication with improvement recommendations5 working days4. Deployment and scaleup support for digital solution to regional office/country offices8 working daysB. Provision of recommendations on technology stack, system architecture and designs for digital solutions to be developed.1. Participation in requirement gathering discussions and document technical requirements5 working days2. Requirements specification and analysis and documented recommendations for appropriate technologies, architecture and solution designs for digital solutions5 working daysC. Testing of solutions and documentation of findings and support to the delivery of chatbots, polls, and surveys on RapidPro and/or other platforms1. Test reports for at least 5 digital solutions across dimensions of functionality, performance, usability, security, scalability, compatibility, and overall alignment to technical specifications10 working daysD. Support provisioning of digital solutions to cloud hosting services and mobile applications to Google Play/Apple App stores.1. Guidance and support for cloud hosting activities (service procurement, dimensioning, provisioning, troubleshooting, vendor coordination/liaison on technical matters) for 3 digital solutions5 working days2. Support processes for publishing and migration of at least 3 mobile applications, and the administration of the regional developer accounts on Google Play/ Apple app stores3 working daysEstimated Duration of the Contract

50 working days (between December 2023 and July 2024)

Consultant's Work Place and Official Travel

The assignment will be remote/home-based, no travel is foreseen.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Please submit a financial proposal (in USD) in your application based on 50 working days to undertake this assignment. Please do not include travel fees as this will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Software Engineering, Computer Science, or Computer Engineering or another related field.
• At least seven (7) years of experience in designing, developing, and deploying software applications.
• Hands-on development experience in the following technologies/processes is required:
  • Web and mobile application (native or cross platform) programming languages
  • Open-source content management systems e.g. Drupal, WordPress or others
  • Database development: SQL, MongoDB or other NoSQL
  • Experience with git, CI/CD pipelines, pull requests, code review and continuous integration and deployment
• Fluency in English is required.

Desired:

• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is considered an asset.
• Working experience in:
  • Agile software development environment
  • React/Redux, Angular, Vue.js, node.js etc.
  • Python, Django web framework, and Kotlin programming language etc.
  • PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB databases

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most marginalized children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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:

Please include a full CV in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. 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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.