[Hiring] Backend Software Engineering Consultant @AGORA

Role Description

Connectivity Credits is a Giga initiative designed to create stronger incentives for internet service providers to deliver reliable, high-quality connectivity to schools and other underserved locations. The approach links measurable connectivity performance to digital incentives. Network performance and service delivery are independently measured and verified, and eligible providers can receive Connectivity Credits when agreed service conditions are met. The platform brings together connectivity measurement, verification, rule-based decision-making, workflow orchestration and digital value transfer.

Connectivity Credits is currently moving from MVP and pilot implementations toward a production-grade platform capable of supporting multiple countries, connectivity providers, measurement systems and funding models. This consultancy will provide dedicated backend software engineering capacity to support this transition. The consultant will work closely with the product and tech team of Connectivity Credits, who will provide the overall technical direction and architecture, and will be responsible for implementing agreed backend services, event-driven workflows, integrations and supporting deployment infrastructure.

Much of the work is greenfield, although existing MVPs and prototypes will be used as starting points where appropriate. The consultant is expected to work independently once the technical direction is clear, make sound implementation decisions, and translate requirements and technical designs into clean, reliable and maintainable software.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or another relevant technical field.
• Minimum three (3) years of professional experience in software development, with substantial hands-on backend development experience.
• Demonstrated experience developing backend services and APIs using Python and/or TypeScript.
• Experience working with distributed or service-oriented applications.
• Experience with CI/CD, automated testing and deployment of backend services.
• Fluency in English is required; knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of software design principles, including modularity, separation of concerns and appropriate use of abstractions.
• Good understanding of REST APIs, JSON-based integrations and relational data modelling.
• Understanding of distributed-system concepts such as stateless services, asynchronous processing, retries, idempotency and failure handling.
• Knowledge of containerized application development and deployment.
• Understanding of secure software development practices, including authentication, authorization, input validation, secrets management and least privilege.
• Ability to work independently within an agreed architecture and make sound implementation decisions.

Desirables

• Experience with Apache Kafka or another event-streaming platform.
• Experience with rule engines, workflow engines or workflow-management platforms.
• Professional experience with Java.
• Experience with blockchain/Web3 systems.

Benefits

• UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does.
• UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence.
• Reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities throughout the recruitment process.