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, LOVE

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Senior Software Engineer Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Social Policy Section – PG – NYHQ

Duration: 21 May 2024 – 30 July 2025

Home/ office Based: REMOTE

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

To achieve better results for children, in a more efficient and effective way, UNICEF has initiated the mainstreaming and scale up of the humanitarian cash transfer (HCT) modality across the organization. This has become a priority area of work under UNICEF’s strategic plan, as well as UNICEF’s agenda to increase the resilience of households, communities, and systems.

As part of its HCT scale-up plan, UNICEF has developed an integrated software called HOPE – Humanitarian cash Operations and Programme Ecosystem. HOPE is UNICEF’s humanitarian cash transfer management information system. HOPE can (i) collect beneficiary data, (ii) associate data with cash programmes, (iii) create target population (iv) manage payment lists (v) send them to Financial Service Providers (FSP), (vi) reconcile payments, (vii) triangulate payment verification information directly from beneficiaries, (viii) handle grievances and feedback, as well as (iv) reporting.

HOPE enhances the quality of programmes implementing Humanitarian Cash Transfers (HCT) by increasing compliance with UNICEF guidance and tools and ensuring accountability and traceability of the information managed.

UNICEF is looking for a competent Senior Software Engineer consultant to develop additional functional and technical features to be implemented to enhance the beneficiary data management experience for UNICEF Country Offices.

Technology

HOPE utilizes Python as a programming language and Django as a framework for its admin interface. React is used for front end development. As HOPE continues to scale as a system and scope, UNICEF will be seeking engagement with technology partners to develop new features for the roadmap above.

In this engagement, the consultant shall be participating in relevant vendors meetings required for the completion of his/her tasks.

Scope of Work:

Accountabilities:

Under the direct supervision of the PG SPSP HCT team data manager, and in close collaboration with the ICTD Core Solution Unit IT Manager, the consultant will be responsible for the deliverables listed in the section “Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables.”

Under the mentioned high-level activities framework, the modality of implementation of the deliverables will be jointly determined with HOPE team beneficiary data manager and IT manager in an agile way and are outlined in summary with the activities below. The consultant will directly interface with the HOPE team beneficiary data manager in Programme Group Social Policy Social Protection in concert with the HOPE IT Manager. Upon successful completion of deliverables, the HOPE team beneficiary data manager will certify completeness and quality of work for payment.

The scope of some deliverables may evolve as these are implemented and informed by technical consideration jointly agreed between consultant and UNICEF. To achieve the required deliverables the consultant will have to perform the following activities. Bidders should include in their financial proposal an USD amount for each deliverable which should include all costs assessed to achieve such deliverable.

Activities:

• Software development and testing activities

• Contribute to requirement specification processes

• Develop enhancements and improvements to HOPE and related systems

• Add / improve code organization and documentation

• Write test scripts / bug fixes as needed

• Conduct code reviews as needed

• Collaborate with project team members to ensure all requirements are met

• Participate in conference calls, webinars, and correspondence as needed

• Create project specific documentation and artifacts as per UNICEF’ standards. Create technical documentation on completed work.

• Act as mentor and assist in building internal capacity and expertise within the team. Ensure knowledge transfer and technical handover to UNICEF staff.

• Document and improve overall technical architecture

• Maintain documentation libraries of any developed artifact

• Advise on Python and Django best practices

• Document and improve data modelling and database performance

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

• Complete one Docker, Move from Graph QL to Django Rest Framework, ensure Code Coverage ~95% by 30 July 2024
• HOPE grievances module is outside the code stack of HOPE by 30 October 2024
• Biometric use for deduplication (Face) and authentication voice is operational by 30 January 2025
• Country workspace for country office data cleaning and manipulation is available by 30 April 2025
• HOPE Deduplication is refactored with programme specific rules by 30 May 2025.
• Country report chart and maps available in production by 30 June 2024
• HOPE has implemented distributed architecture by 30 July 2025

Qualifications

Education:

Software architecture, software engineering, systems integration, product lifecycle, information security, data protection, software quality assurance, systems monitoring.

Work experience:

• A minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible work experience in software engineering, systems integration, product lifecycle, information security, quality assurance, systems monitoring.
• A minimum of 12 years of agile project management in a multi-stakeholder
• Software design, systems integration and system architecture experience, systems designed for confidential or proprietary data, as well as proficiency best practices, including source code management and continuous integration CircleCI/Travis, Jenkins etc.
• Prior experience with field deployment/implementation in developing contexts is highly desirable.

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Deep knowledge of Agile Methodologies, and the following technologies: Python Phyton PHP (Zend Framework/Laravel/Symfony) Node.js .NET Framework Vanilla JavaScript PostgreSQL – PREFERRED MongoDB Elasticsearch Kubernetes Azure, Celery Redis FactoryBoy RabbitMQ DockerActive memberships in Open-Source
• Sharp analytical and interpersonal communication skills, attention to detail. needs into technical requirements.
• Excellent Ability to foster positive work relationships, build alliances with compromise between competing views.
• Strong ability to work with multiple stakeholders inside and outside the organization.
• Understanding of mathematics and cryptography in theory and in practice. preserving approaches like differential privacy, zero-knowledge proofs, computation.
• knowledge of tactics, techniques, procedures associated with malicious crime/fraud groups, as well as state and non-state sponsored threat.
• Ability to stay abreast of new technologies and their ability to support the Management Information System to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Prior experience working with a multilateral or UN organization is highly desirable.
• Prior experience working in the financial industry, cash transfer is desirable.
• Language Proficiency: English

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect:
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors 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.

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: 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.