Lead Data Engineer – P4  

Are you a Lead Data Engineer 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 a global 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 Thursday, March 28th, 2024 (11:59 PM CET)

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
WFP country offices deliver assistance to beneficiaries through a variety of digital platforms and service providers. WFP works in partnership with several commercial Financial Service Providers (FSPs), including banks, micro-finance institutions, mobile money operators and money transfer agents, in addition to using WFP’s own delivery platform, SCOPE. One of WFP’s corporate objectives is to increasingly digitize the delivery of both in kind and cash assistance, to achieve greater efficiencies and provide greater accountability and traceability of assistance delivered. Therefore, WFP seeks to build its corporate capacity to centrally receive, store, process and analyze digital operational data for the purpose of promoting accountability, controls, and efficiencies as part of cash-based transfers and in-kind assistance. There is also the opportunity to better inform WFP’s programme design through the analysis of digital data emanating from operations.

Several challenges exist in streamlining digital analysis globally, including the tasks of receiving and maintaining amounts of varied operational data from different systems and modalities, processing and generating meaningful analysis of data, and ensuring that data privacy and security standards are upheld. The Delivery Assurance unit within the Supply Chain and Delivery division plays a crucial role in supporting the implementation of cash and in-kind assistance programs, offering end-to-end or standalone data services to meet corporate identity management and reconciliation standards.

THE ROLE

To achieve the objectives outlined above, WFP is recruiting Lead Data Engineer to be part of the Delivery Assurance team established in the Supply Chain and Delivery division, in support of WFP’s operations globally. The selected candidate would be reporting administratively to the Head of Data Assurance Services in the Delivery Assurance team, while (s)he would be technically reporting to an IT Officer in the TEC (Technology) division.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

•  Lead and collaborate with cross-functional teams and Country Offices (COs) to understand assurance gaps and data requirements, providing advice on appropriate data models and architectures for analytical and operational use. Research and introduce new solutions to address identified gaps. 
• Oversee / manage technical specifications from COs requirements. Ensure data engineering efforts align with both business and IT strategies and policies, balancing modular/flexible approaches with standardization for better scalability/maintainability, and speed of implementation in emergency contexts with rigorous controls cybersecurity.
• Oversee the solution engineering of data products and services to support COs in decision-making and implementation of assurance controls.
• Analyze current ETL pipelines, leveraging insights from previous deployments to continuously improve the robustness, maintainability, and progressive standardization of data products for COs.
• Lead the roadmap of data products supporting Delivery Assurance, in close coordination with business experts from the Supply Chain and Delivery division, solution architects from externally contracted companies, and technical specialists from the IT division.
• Stay updated with emerging technologies and industry best practices in data engineering, leading the adoption of relevant tools and technologies, in close coordination with the IT division.
• Ensure that systems and processes developed in support of Delivery Assurance are aligned and implemented in accordance with technical guidelines, industry best practices, and WFP IT standards, under the guidance of the TEC technical supervisor.
• Promote, develop, and maintain guidelines and standardized approaches to implement data governance and data protection in Delivery Assurance products and tools, overseeing their implementation and adherence to WFP corporate standards to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.
• Lead, coach, and motivate the team of Data Engineers to ensure continuous development and promote high performance.
• Take responsibility for an equitable and inclusive workplace which incorporates all dimensions of the WFP diversity and inclusion framework.

QUALIFICATIONS & KEY REQUIREMENTS

Education:

Advanced University degree in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science or other related fields, or a First University Degree with additional years of related work experience.

Experience:

• Minimum eight years of relevant postgraduate professional experience working with data engineering.
• Experience managing diverse teams of data engineers.

Language:

• Fluency (level C) in English.
• Any other UN languages, a plus.

MORE ABOUT YOU

• Experience leading the implementation of scalable data architectures for humanitarian operations.
• Skills in assessing and mitigating technological risks to ensure the security and stability of systems.
• Familiarity with cloud computing platforms like AWS, Azure, or similar.
• Strong programming skills in python/pandas.
• Experience with versioning tools such as git/Azure and CI/CD concepts.
• Strong skills in SQL and relational databases.
• Excellent communication skills, with ability to engage with cross-functional teams, senior management and different types of stakeholders.
• Mature judgement and experience in working in a multicultural environment.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• This is an International Professional position and is open to all nationalities.
• The selected candidate will be employed on a limited fixed-term contract of 1 year renewable.
• Limited Fixed-Term Appointment (LFT) position is a non-mobile staff appointment in the international professional category for a limited period for up to 4 years. The position is based in Munich, Germany and the selected candidate will be expected to relocate. Incumbents of LFT positions are not eligible to apply for other mobile positions advertised internally through the Reassignment.
• 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.

REMINDER 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.

This is how cinfo can support you in the application process for this specific position: 

• Application preparation: Before you apply for this position: Improve your application documents by registering for a Job Application Support. Our coaches are here to help tailor your application to the requirements of the job (service provided at your own cost). 
• Interview preparation: When invited to the interview: Prepare for the interview by registering for a Job Application Support. 
• Additional services for  Swiss nationals who get invited to  the selection process (written test, interview, assessment centre, etc.): 
  • Let us know by writing to [email protected]. We flag matching applications to HR partners and SDC/SECO for visibility. 
  • Benefit from free interview/assessment preparation by registering here: Interview and Assessment Centre Preparation for Jobs in Multilateral Organisations. Our coaches stand ready to help prepare for upcoming interview/assessment centre.​