Software Engineering Practice Lead

ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross

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Geneva (Switzerland)

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Software Engineering Manager

What we do

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works worldwide to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence. We take action in response to emergencies and, at the same time, promote respect for international humanitarian law. We are an independent and neutral organization, and our mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and with their International Federation in order to ensure a concerted, rational and rapid humanitarian response to the needs of the victims of armed conflict or any other situation of internal violence. We direct and coordinate the international activities conducted in these situations.

Purpose

Software Engineering Practice Lead, as a member of the Software Engineering team is responsible for overseeing and enhancing software development processes across all the Product Lines, ensuring adherence to coding standards, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and implementing best practices within ICT. Accountabilities & Responsibilities

Main duties and responsibilities

Develop, Implement, and Maintain Standards:
- Develop, implement, and maintain coding standards, software development methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, DevOps), and best practices.
- Ensure high-quality software development and consistency across projects.
Compliance and Review
- Conduct regular reviews to ensure compliance with established coding standards and software development methodologies.
- Ensure adherence to industry standards and best practices.
Training and Development:
- Organize and lead training sessions, workshops, and seminars for software developers.
- Educate developers on the latest development methodologies, technologies, and best practices.
Technical Expertise and Support:
- Act as a technical expert, providing guidance and support to software developers and product owners.
- Address technical challenges and facilitate problem-solving.

Strategic Collaboration:
- Collaborate with IT leadership to align software development practices with strategic business objectives.
- Collaborate with Product Lines in order to align on common goals regarding technological advancements.
- Ensure development initiatives support overall company goals.

Main duties and responsibilities

Resource Management:
- Create and manage a centralized repository of software development resources.
- Include documentation, coding guidelines, and toolsets accessible to all development staff.
Performance Monitoring and Reporting:
- Monitor the effectiveness of implemented practices.
- Report on the impact and outcomes of these practices to relevant stakeholders.
Technology Evaluation and Integration:
- Evaluate and integrate new technologies, tools, and frameworks.
- Enhance development processes and drive product innovation.
Culture of Continuous Improvement:
- Encourage a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the development team.
- Provide leadership and foster a collaborative environment via a transversal collaboration approach.

Scope & Impact

Geographic remit: global.
The facilitation of transversal software engineering practices has direct and indirect impacts across the organizaion.
Engages software engineering communities of practice representing more than 100 professionals.

Relationships

Internally, interacts with a wide variety of teams and people up to senior-level leaders;
Externally, interacts with suppliers and thought leaders in the Software and FOSS communities;
Participates to external events, with professional communities;
This role reports directly to the Software Engineering Manager and is a transversal role.

Background and experience required

Master's or Bachelors’ degree in computer science, computer engineering, computing, or related field of study.
Excellent command of English. French is an asset.
Certification or experience into Agile delivery, SAFe certification preferred.
Minimum 5 years’ experience working with software engineering.
Minimum 10 years’ experience in large scale IT projects.

Desired profile and skills

Technical skills:

Strong technical background with an in-depth understanding of software development processes, methodologies, and technologies.
A mindset for continuous improvement, staying updated on industry best practices for software engineering, and applying them to enhance product lines performance
In-depth understanding of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines and automation.
Proficiency in one or more programming languages such as Java, .NET, Python, C++, C#, JavaScript, etc.
Expertise in code quality tools and coding best practices.
Understanding of both frontend and backend development in an enterprise environment.
Knowledge of containerization technologies like Docker and container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes.
Understanding and experience with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform for cloud-native development and deployment.
Awareness of security considerations related to open-source software, including vulnerability management, patching strategies, and ensuring the security of integrated components.

Desired profile dans skills

Non-technical skills

Communication and Collaboration — Must be a strong listener, communicator and collaborator. Must be able to communicate and adapt to different stakeholder groups. Must be able to facilitate group work sessions.
Presentation - Must have strong presentation skills and be able to adapt to the audience.
Leadership - Ability to make technological decisions, and solve problems.
Mentorship - Willingness and ability to mentor team members, teams and facilitate their learning path.
International and multicultural — Experience in a complex and diverse international environment is a plus.
Language — Strong English (written and spoken) is a must, French is a plus.

Our Values

At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect, and compassion. We seek candidates who demonstrate behaviors based on these shared values. For more information on the ICRC values, please visit this page.