Individual Contractor (IC) for AI Systems Development

Job Posting Organization:
The job posting organization is the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which is part of the United Nations. ESCWA was established in 1973 and aims to promote economic and social development in the Arab region. The organization focuses on various areas including sustainable development, social justice, and regional cooperation. ESCWA operates in multiple countries across the Arab region, working with member states to enhance their capabilities and foster regional integration. The organization employs a diverse workforce dedicated to addressing the unique challenges faced by the region.

Job Overview:
The Individual Contractor (IC) position is centered around the design, development, and deployment of advanced AI systems and solutions powered by large language models (LLMs). The IC will play a crucial role in supporting the Arab Development Portal and the broader innovation mandate of the Decision-Support and Data Science Division (DSDSD). This role requires staying updated with the rapidly evolving AI landscape and translating cutting-edge research into practical applications that enhance organizational capabilities. The IC will be responsible for architecting multi-agent systems, integrating LLMs, and developing AI infrastructure, all while ensuring that these solutions align with the strategic goals of ESCWA and its member states. The position emphasizes collaboration with various stakeholders and the need for continuous innovation in AI technologies to support evidence-based decision-making.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Individual Contractor include:

• Designing and developing agentic AI systems, including multi-agent frameworks capable of complex reasoning and action pipelines.
• Implementing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems with advanced retrieval strategies for knowledge-intensive tasks.
• Enabling agents to interact with external APIs and databases through tool-use and function-calling patterns.
• Developing evaluation frameworks for agents, including benchmarking and iterative improvement processes.
• Integrating and optimizing state-of-the-art LLMs for various use cases, including information extraction and question answering.
• Applying prompt engineering and fine-tuning strategies to enhance model performance.
• Designing RESTful and streaming APIs to expose AI capabilities and containerizing AI services for deployment.
• Collaborating with data engineers and domain experts to integrate AI capabilities into data products.
• Preparing technical reports and presentations to communicate findings to stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a bachelor's degree in computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, or a related field. A master's degree in a similar discipline is desirable. A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in AI/ML engineering or software engineering with a focus on AI is required. Hands-on experience with multi-agent frameworks and proficiency in Python are essential. Candidates should also demonstrate knowledge of the current AI landscape, including LLM capabilities and limitations. Experience with RAG architectures and vector databases is desirable, along with familiarity with model fine-tuning and evaluation methodologies. Knowledge of Arabic NLP and multilingual model handling is also a plus.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a bachelor's degree in computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, or a related field. A master's degree in a similar area is considered an asset. All candidates must submit proof of their educational qualifications as part of the application process.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 5 years of professional experience in AI/ML engineering or software engineering, with a strong emphasis on AI-related projects. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in designing and deploying agentic systems using multi-agent frameworks, as well as proficiency in Python and experience with LLM APIs. This level of experience is crucial for effectively contributing to the development of advanced AI solutions within the organization.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required for this position, which means a rating of 'fluent' in all four areas: speaking, reading, writing, and understanding. Knowledge of French is beneficial as it is one of the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Additionally, knowledge of Arabic is desirable, as it is a working language of ESCWA, and familiarity with Arabic NLP is a plus.

Additional Notes:
The position is remote and expected to last for a duration of 6 months. There are no fees associated with the application process, and the United Nations does not charge candidates at any stage of recruitment. The organization emphasizes its commitment to transparency and ethical recruitment practices.