Vacancy #: 6563 Unit: Biodiversity assessment and knowledge Organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Location: Cambridge Office, Cambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Reporting to: Conservation Informatics Manager Work percentage: 100% Grade: SP Expected start date: 01 September 2023 Type of contract: Fixed-term (24 months) Closing date: 28 August 2023 BACKGROUND Since its conception by Sir Peter Scott in 1963, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Speciesโข has become the most authoritative source of information on the global extinction risk of species and is widely used to underpin decision-making and conservation action around the world. The IUCN Red List is the result of a massive data gathering and data management exercise produced by a vast partnership.
The Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the worldโs biodiversity โ a Barometer of Life. The Conservation Informatics Developer will help us plan and implement the evolution of the Red List and its connected services such as the Species Information Service, Contributions for Nature, and Knowledge for Nature.
The role is highly varied and will include a range of software and infrastructure engineering that touches on all aspects of the IUCN.
The IUCN is a supportive, inclusive and caring organization and we warmly welcome applications from those of different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs and those who are typically underrepresented in the tech sector. JOB DESCRIPTION CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES
This new senior position in IUCNโs Science and Data Centre will be responsible for supporting, developing and maintaining the technological foundation that underpins The IUCN Red List of Threatened species and its underlying databaseโthe Species Information Service (SIS).
We are looking to grow the biodiversity informatics team and this role is a critical part of the growth and continued success of IUCN and its data products. The role will be highly varied, and the successful applicant will be responsible for a combination of systems architecture tasks and software development, helping IUCN improve its current processes and services while looking toward to the future.
The role will be expected to undertake a range of highly technical tasks relating to the maintenance and development of the IUCN Red List and associated services. IUCNโs tech stack is complex, variable andโin some casesโnon-standard. Core tasks shall include; server and database (Postgres) updates to improve service performance and improve security, cloud infrastructure upgrades (node balancing, database and website service redundancy etc.) and API development (Rails or Django) for key projects which utilise Red List data (e.g. Contributions for Nature, Knowledge for Nature). The position will also be expected to have at least a working knowledge of other key languages and frameworks used within the informatics team and IUCN in general including: Python, R, Ruby on Rails and/or Django. This position would particularly suit applicants who enjoy โfull stackโ development and systems administration.
The post holder will be required to perform tasks under the general direction of the Conservation Informatics Manager, but they shall be responsible for planning and performing day-to-day development tasks, as well as coordinating development work with the wider informatics team.
SPECIFIC DUTIES
โข Support in the running of SIS and Red List website infrastructure, which includes Linux servers operating within a cloud-based architecture.
โข Improving and consolidating the current cloud-based architecture
โข Developing a new generation geospatial API which will enable Red List data to be shared efficiently with other services and data partners within IUCN and externally.
โข Develop code to calculate the Red List Index (and other metrics) and serve these results via APIs
โข Responding to and troubleshooting technical and performance issues
โข Coordinate software development relating to SIS and the Red List website, including code review and acceptance processes, coordination and participation in functional requirements and scoping processes
โข Working in close association with the Head of the Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team, Head of the Red List Unit, the Chief Scientist and Science Team and with other key stakeholders (e.g. Red List Technical Working Group) to maintain and refine SIS and the IUCN Red List website to further streamline the process of conducting species assessments from data collection through to dissemination to target audiences. At the same time, it is necessary to manage expectation levels, and assess, on an ongoing basis, the feasibility and priority level of the work to be done.
โข Provide technical support to a cross-functional team which includes GIS staff, software development and support team members, other internal customers, external vendors and technology/programmatic partners
โข Liaise directly with internal (e.g. IUCN Regional office teams, Corporate Units, Programmatic Centres and Teams) and external stakeholders (e.g. Red List Partners, GBIF, UNEP-WCMC) to ensure timely and appropriate completion of priority IUCN work.
REQUIREMENTS โข Undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience in computer science, information systems, environmental science or a related field.
โข Fluency in spoken and written English
โข Excellent communication, writing, and presentation skills
โข A keen interest in--and concern for--the natural world and biodiversity conservation
โข Esential
โข 5 + years of infrastructure architecture experience with significant depth around designing, implementing, and managing critical cross-functional integration projects using cloud-based technologies.
โข Highly competent with the use of Unix-based operating systems.
โข Experience with updating software and database versions on Unix-based systems while retaining service continuity.
โข Proven experience with modern web development frameworks including Ruby on Rails (RoR) and/or Django
โข 3+ years experience in developing RESTful APIs in either RoR or Django
โข Proven experience with popular database technologies, particularly PostgreSQL and PostGIS
โข Continuous integration and deployment experience (e.g. GitHub Actions, Travis CI)
โข Experience working within a Test-Driven Development (TDD) environment
โข Desirable
โข Experience with Linode and associated services (e.g. NodeBalancer) would be advantageous.
โข Experience is popular front-end technologies such as Javascript (React)
โข Web Mapping experience (using PostGIS, CartoDB or ArcGIS, and front-end mapping technologies such as Leaflet/Mapbox/OpenLayers etc.) would be a distinct advantage
โข Knowledge of biological nomenclature and taxonomy, as well as electronic management of taxonomic information would be advantageous
โข Experience with R
โข Experience in a commercial software development team
โข Experience with data visualization
โข Experience in architecting and deploying Apache Airflow would be a distinct advantage APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the \"Apply\" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: http://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the worldโs largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and some 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve peopleโs well-being.
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