This position is located in the Methodology, Education and Training Section (METs), Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division (TESPRDD) of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland.
ResponsibilitiesThe Data Engineer will work under the overall supervision of the Chief of the Methodology, Education and Training Section and report to the Technology Adviser in METS. Within delegated authority, the Data Engineer will be responsible for the following duties:
• Manage individual projects regarding the optimal extraction, transformation, and loading of data from a wide variety of sources into data pipelines, as well as the creation and maintenance of data catalogues. Design and develop solutions for data-related technical problems and data infrastructure needs surfaced by Executive, Analytics and Design teams.
• Manage the identification, design, and implementation of internal process improvements: automating manual processes, optimizing data delivery, re-designing architecture for greater scalability.
• Deploy resources to extract data features, information and insights from complex datasets, many of which are in the form of unstructured or semi-structured text, requiring natural language processing tools and methods.
• Manage the implementation of changes to data systems to ensure compliance with data governance, protection, privacy, and security requirements.
• Performs other related duties as required.
• Professionalism: Knowledge of data analysis life cycle from ingest and wrangling to analysis and visualization to present findings. Knowledge of best practices and IT operations in an always-up, always-available service. Knowledge of Agile Software Development methodologies. Strong analytic skills related to working with unstructured datasets. Ability in managing and communicating data warehouse plans to internal clients. Excellent problem solving and troubleshooting skills. Working knowledge of message queuing, stream processing, and highly scalable ‘big data’ data stores. Process oriented with great documentation skills. Ability to convey complex / difficult data science topics to clients in a relatable manner. Takes pride in the work for the organization and understands the impact that can be brought into the organization by allowing data-driven and evidence-based decisions. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
• Planning& Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in computer science, statistics, applied mathematics, data management, information systems, information science or a related quantitative field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work ExperienceA minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in data management, integration, modeling, optimization and other relevant areas is required.
Experience supporting cross-functional teams and collaborating with stakeholders in support of analytics initiatives is required.
Experience in programming languages such as Python or R is required.
Experience with database programming languages (SQL, etc.) is required.
Experience in designing data integration and pipeline architectures, which must include ingesting data through different methods such as message queues, database connections, flat files, REST, or specific APIs, is required.
Experience in DevOps tool chains consisting of tools like Git, Jenkins or Bamboo – or equivalent tools - and experience with the deployment of data pipelines is required.
Experience in delivering big data use cases, including projects using technology such as Apache Spark, Hadoop or others is desirable.
Experience in Artificial Intelligence, particularly Machine Learning techniques for data mining and extraction of large amounts of data is desirable.
Experience with concepts of bias and fairness (i.e., how to identify, assess, and minimize harmful biases, discrimination, and unfair outcomes in algorithmic systems and data) is particularly desirable.
Experience with natural language processing libraries and tools in Python such as NLTK, Gensim, spaCy and NetworkX is desirable.
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required; Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is also desirable.
AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice• This position is temporarily available until 31st December 2021. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.
• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.
• This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.
• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply.Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.
• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.
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.