Data Engineer

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 committed to addressing pressing environmental challenges. The organization was established in 1972 and operates in over 150 countries, employing thousands of staff members dedicated to environmental sustainability and advocacy. UNEP's Chief Digital Office (CDO) is at the forefront of the organization's digital transformation, ensuring that digital technologies are effectively utilized to support Member States and partners in tackling the triple planetary crisis.

Job Overview:
The Data Engineer position is situated within UNEP's Chief Digital Office, where the incumbent will play a crucial role in the organization's digital transformation efforts. The primary responsibilities include designing, building, and maintaining secure and efficient data pipelines and ETL/ELT processes that facilitate the ingestion, cleaning, transformation, and delivery of various data types from multiple sources into UNEP's corporate data platforms. The role requires collaboration with various teams, including data science, analytics, and application delivery, to ensure that data products meet the needs of users and comply with UNEP's data governance policies. The Data Engineer will also be responsible for implementing internal process improvements, supporting platform operations, ensuring data quality, and maintaining compliance with security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security and governance standards.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Data Pipeline and Integration Engineering: Design, build, and maintain secure and performant data pipelines and ETL/ELT processes to ingest, clean, transform, and deliver environmental, administrative, and partner data from various sources into UNEP's corporate data platforms. Implement internal process improvements, automate manual ingestion, and optimize data delivery. Develop and maintain data catalogues and metadata to ensure compliance with UNEP's data governance policies. Apply infrastructure-as-code and CI/CD practices in the deployment of data pipelines across environments.
• Platform Operations and Quality: Support the operation of UNEP's enterprise data lakes and analytics platforms, ensuring data reliability and availability. Implement data quality controls and collaborate with data owners to remediate issues. Contribute to the configuration and optimization of cloud and hybrid data infrastructure.
• Security, Governance, and Interoperability: Ensure compliance with UN and UNEP policies on information security and data protection. Implement role-based access control and secure API integrations. Support the application of UNEP's digital and data standards to facilitate data sharing across divisions.
• Collaboration and Support: Work closely with data analysts and application developers to understand data requirements and deliver data products. Provide technical support to program units and participate in agile ceremonies and UNEP-wide digital communities of practice.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a strong knowledge of the data analysis life cycle, best practices in IT operations, and Agile Software Development methodologies. They should have excellent problem-solving skills, the ability to manage and communicate data warehouse plans, and a strong understanding of message queuing and big data stores. The ideal candidate will also have great documentation skills and the ability to convey complex data science topics in a relatable manner. A commitment to gender perspectives and equal participation in all areas of work is essential.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in computer science, information systems, data management, engineering, or a related field is required. Alternatively, a first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Experience:
A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in data engineering, data integration, or data management is required. Candidates should have experience building and operating data pipelines using ETL/ELT tools, proficiency in database programming languages (SQL), and at least one high-level programming language (such as Python). Experience with version control and CI/CD toolchains for deploying data workflows is also necessary. Familiarity with cloud or hybrid data infrastructure and deployment of data solutions in containerized environments is desirable, as is experience working with UN entities or large organizations.

Languages:
English is required for this position, with a minimum proficiency level of UN Level II in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. French is desirable, also at UN Level II proficiency. Candidates should refer to the UN Language Framework for detailed language requirements.

Additional Notes:
The appointment for this position is for an initial period of one year, which may be subject to extension based on the continued existence of the mandate and availability of funding. The position is classified as fixed-term and is open to both internal and external candidates. The United Nations is committed to achieving gender balance and encourages female candidates to apply. Reasonable accommodations may be provided for applicants with disabilities upon request.