Chief of Section, Software Research and Development

General Background

The OEC: The Organisation of Educational Cooperation (OEC) is an international intergovernmental organisation, founded in January 2020 by countries from across the Global South, to “contribute to the equitable, just, and prosperous social transformation of societies by promoting balanced and inclusive education, in order to attain the fundamental rights to liberty, justice, dignity, sustainability, social cohesion, and material and immaterial security for the peoples of the world”.

The main functions of the Department of Technological Innovation and Digitalisation Enhancement (TIDE) are to:

• Develop advanced, open-source, customisable software and digital platforms for Member States that support access to knowledge, the production of learning resources, and more efficient governance;
• Building institutional capacities in technology use and development;
• Reinforce the digital infrastructure of Member States; and
• Support the development of endogenous technologies.

Job Title

Chief of Section, Software Research and Development

Duty Station

Headquarters (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

Duration

Indeterminate appointment

Category and Level

T3, Step I

Role Summary

Under the overall authority of the Secretary-General, the direct supervision of the Under-Secretary-General for TIDE, the Chief of Section is responsible for the Chief of Section is responsible for the management of the staff working on software research and development, overseeing the generation of open-source, customizable, and innovative products in furtherance of the Organisation’s mission and of contextual relevance to the needs of Member States. This position provides the unique opportunity of joining the core team of a new international organisation, contributing to its lasting construction and influencing its future trajectory.

Duties

• Oversee and coordinate the work of the Section’s staff, and the efficient execution of its budget and work plan ;

• Supervise and direct the design, testing, and roll out plans software solutions;

• Support Member States in the optimization, contextualization, and troubleshooting of open-source software;

• Develop software solutions for multiple platforms, including Linux, iOS and Android, with a focus on the Internet of Things;

• Oversee the software development, deployment, and maintenance of the Greater South Information System (GreSIS) ;

• Oversee the development of distributed ledger technologies and machine learning solutions;

• Keep abreast of digital innovation and technological developments and trends;

• Develop and maintain partnerships key development stakeholders and technical resources;

• Perform other duties as required.

Competencies

• Ability to analyse technical challenges to identify and communicate actual and potential solutions;
• Excellent communication, planning, and management skills ;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills ;
• Strong negotiation skills
• Strong managerial and leadership skills.
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and remain effective and composed under pressure.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s Degree (or higher) in Computer Science with a specialization in Computer Engineering, or other related fields.
• Proven experience in:

1. Full cycle of software development “Full stack” with a focus in PHP/Laravel, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3 & Sass and MySQL;

2. AI/ Machine Learning and Neural networks;

3. No SQL database e.g., Mongodb, Cassandra;

4. Designing, developing and testing integration of software components;

5. Front-end frameworks: Angular, React, Vue.js, Ionic & Cordova, webpack.js;

6. Common third-party APIs (Google, Facebook, etc.);

7. Web applications’ security principles;

8. Object-oriented programming;

9. Linux OS and commands.

– At least 8 years of experience in software development.

Language Requirements

Candidate must at least be fluent in English. Additional knowledge of one or more other official languages (French, Arabic, Spanish) is an asset.