Database Associate

Job Posting Organization:
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, dedicated to saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impacts of climate change. Established in 1961, WFP operates in over 120 countries and assists more than 115.5 million people each year. The organization is committed to diversity and inclusion, ensuring equal employment opportunities for all employees, and fostering a healthy work environment that reflects its core values of Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion. WFP has been recognized for its efforts, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its work in alleviating hunger and promoting peace. WFP Lebanon specifically provides cash assistance to Syrian refugees and in-kind assistance to vulnerable Lebanese, while also supporting the government in strengthening social safety nets and resilience-building activities. The organization is dedicated to improving nutrition and school attendance through its school meals program, and it has scaled up its food assistance efforts in response to recent conflicts.

Job Overview:
The Database Associate will play a crucial role in supporting the design, development, administration, and continuous improvement of WFP’s database systems. This position requires maintaining high standards of data integrity, implementing database best practices, and providing technical guidance to users and colleagues. The appointee will be responsible for documenting, optimizing, and modernizing existing and future data systems, including activities related to database server migration and integration with corporate platforms. The role is essential for ensuring that WFP's data management processes are efficient and effective, contributing to the organization's overall mission of providing humanitarian assistance. The Database Associate will work closely with various stakeholders to ensure that data systems meet the needs of the organization and support its operations in delivering food assistance and other services to those in need.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The incumbent will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including but not limited to: developing, testing, and maintaining database components, stored procedures, scripts, automation processes, and data models; designing and optimizing database schemas, including tables, indexes, keys, relationships, and normalization; troubleshooting, debugging, and resolving database performance or functional issues; ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of data through validation, sanity checks, deduplication, and quality-control procedures; developing and maintaining ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes to support organizational data flows; responding to user requests, offering technical assistance, and supporting report preparation; assisting in planning, coordinating, and executing database migration activities across environments (on-premises, cloud, hybrid); implementing backup, rollback, and disaster-recovery procedures; collaborating with infrastructure teams to ensure secure, reliable, and efficient database solutions; maintaining up-to-date technical documentation for all database solutions; and performing other related duties as required.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with attention to detail. They should have strong proficiency with major DBMS platforms such as Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB, with a primary focus on Microsoft SQL Server. Excellent SQL skills are required, including query design, stored procedures, functions, indexing, and performance optimization. Knowledge of ETL tools such as Microsoft SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services) and other ETL platforms is essential. Experience in C# and Python for automation and data-processing tasks, as well as scripting skills in PowerShell for database automation tasks, are also required. Candidates should have the ability to design ERDs, normalized schemas, and logical/physical database structures, and experience conducting database server migrations, upgrades, and platform transitions. Effective communication of technical information to diverse stakeholders is crucial.

Educational Background:
The minimum educational requirement for this position is the completion of secondary school education, along with a university degree in computer science, computer engineering, information technology, or a related field. This educational background is essential for understanding the technical aspects of database management and development.

Experience:
Candidates should have at least six (6) years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas: database development, database administration, data engineering, data analysis, or software development, with strong exposure to bulk data processing. This level of experience is necessary to ensure that the candidate can effectively manage and optimize WFP's database systems and contribute to the organization's mission.

Languages:
Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and Arabic is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset, but English and Arabic are the primary languages required for effective communication within the organization and with stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position is full-time and is based in Beirut, Lebanon. WFP Lebanon encourages female candidates and people with disabilities to apply, reflecting the organization's commitment to diversity and inclusion. The recruitment process is designed to be accessible and fair, with reasonable accommodations available for individuals with disabilities. WFP offers an attractive compensation package, and all employment decisions are made based on organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. The organization does not charge any fees in connection with the application or recruitment process.