Senior Database Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda and promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system. UNEP serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment and is dedicated to fostering sustainable development through sound environmental practices. Established in 1972, UNEP has grown to encompass a diverse workforce of thousands of employees and operates in over 150 countries, working collaboratively with governments, civil society, and the private sector to address pressing environmental challenges. The organization is committed to providing leadership and encouraging partnership in caring for the environment, and it plays a crucial role in coordinating responses to environmental issues at the global level. UNEP's initiatives include the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), which focuses on reducing methane emissions, a significant contributor to climate change, by providing reliable and actionable data to inform policy and action.

Job Overview:
The Senior Database Consultant role at UNEP's International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) is pivotal in establishing a robust, secure, and well-governed database ecosystem that integrates multiple methane data streams. This position is essential for ensuring high-quality data flows across IMEO applications, which are critical for delivering trusted and scalable methane intelligence for decision-making and action. The consultant will be responsible for defining the direction, standards, and architecture of the database, informed by business unit priorities. This includes overseeing the entire data cycle from ingestion to analytics, charting a database roadmap that aligns with program goals, and maintaining governance and documentation to ensure data quality. The role also involves coordinating closely with various teams, including DevOps and AI engineering, to design and manage reliable data flows, ensuring that database structures and pipelines are scalable and secure. The consultant will lead weekly data strategy calls and liaise with data analysts to address key business priorities and bottlenecks, ultimately supporting IMEO's mission to provide actionable methane data for global climate action.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Senior Database Consultant include:

• Defining the database direction, standards, decisions, and architecture based on business unit priorities.
• Overseeing the full data cycle from ingestion to analytics, ensuring seamless integration of diverse methane data streams.
• Charting a comprehensive database roadmap that aligns with IMEO's program goals.
• Managing data-related implementation carried out by internal developers and external vendors.
• Maintaining governance, documentation, and data quality discipline to ensure high standards are met.
• Ensuring the performance, interoperability, and sustainability of the database system.
• Developing and implementing database strategies and roadmaps, incorporating findings from database audits.
• Providing architecture consulting and guidelines for database schema, making informed architecture decisions.
• Establishing and maintaining a data governance framework, including data dictionaries, metadata standards, and access levels. 1
• Overseeing technical documentation for all platform features, including diagrams of data flows and endpoints. 1
• Optimizing queries and coaching developers on best practices while addressing critical performance issues. 1
• Making security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security and access control decisions, including roles and permissions, and conducting quarterly access audits. 1
• Coordinating with DevOps and AI engineering teams to design and manage reliable data flows across IMEO applications. 1
• Leading weekly data strategy calls with database engineers, AI engineers, and developers. 1
• Liaising with data analysts from various workstreams to understand and execute key business priorities while resolving bottlenecks. 1
• Implementing quality assurance and hygiene practices, including creating a lightweight data hygiene routine.

Required Qualifications:
The required qualifications for the Senior Database Consultant position include:

• An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent minimum) in computer science, statistics, data science, or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in data analysis or software engineering, including experience leading teams and setting technical direction.
• Proven experience with large data sets, distributed computing, and systems that handle big data and advanced analytics in cloud environments.
• Familiarity with emissions data, satellite data, and a sectoral understanding of methane emissions is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating closely with business stakeholders, data analysts, development teams, and AI teams is a plus.
• Experience with scientific programming systems is preferred.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent minimum) in fields such as computer science, statistics, data science, or a related discipline. This educational background is essential to ensure that the candidate has the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to effectively manage and analyze complex data systems and contribute to the development of the IMEO database ecosystem.

Experience:
The position requires at least 10 years of relevant experience in data analysis or software engineering. Candidates should have a strong background in leading teams, setting technical direction, and establishing best practices in data analysis. Recent professional experience with large data sets and distributed computing systems, particularly in cloud environments, is crucial. Additionally, experience with emissions data and satellite data, as well as a sectoral understanding of methane emissions, will be advantageous.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required for this position, as English is one of the working languages of the United Nations. Proficiency in French is also beneficial, as it is another working language of the UN. Candidates should be able to communicate effectively in both languages to collaborate with diverse teams and stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position is remote and is expected to last for a duration of 12 months. The role is full-time and involves working closely with various teams within the UNEP framework. The United Nations does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, interview, or training. Additionally, the UN does not request information regarding applicants' bank accounts.