DUTY STATION
Home-based, Remote
COMMENCEMENT OF DUTY
31 July 2025
or as soon as possible thereafter NATURE OF APPOINTMENT
Variable (depending on needs of Department/Division)
120 days over a period of 7.5 months
Organizational Unit
Development Partnerships Office (DPO), Project Development and Management Unit (PDMU) WMO is committed to achieving diversity and a balanced workforce. Applications are welcome from qualified women and men, including those with disabilities. The statutory retirement age after 1 January 2014 is 65. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The consultant will work closely with Meteo Rwanda, WMO experts, and technology partners to achieve the following. The consultant will be responsible for:
A) Strengthen Functionality of ADL to Collect and Integrate Data from Different Sources;
- Develop and document procedures to collect AWS data from various sources, including but not limited to Vaisala, Adcon, Campbell, KOICA, and TAHMO networks.
- Develop and deploy a web-based and mobile app (forms) for remote data entry to accommodate manual ground stations and upper air stations.
- Create and update standardized stations and parameters metadata tables for both manual and upper air stations.
- Design and implement a unified relational database that integrates all incoming data, including data from manual and upper air stations.
B) Strengthen Functionality for Data Processing and Quality Control;
- Develop and enhance data aggregation routines (daily, decadal, monthly, yearly, and climate statistics).
- Develop and implement configurable and WMO-compliant quality control procedures for real-time data as well as historical observations, including:
o Syntax verification,
o Gross error checks,
o Tolerance and climatological checks,
o Internal, temporal, and spatial consistency checks.
- Expand quality control processes to support flagging, highlighting, and removing erroneous values and enable interactive review of quality control flags.
C) Add Functionality to Interface with Different Systems (Climsoft, SmartMet, WIS2, etc.);
- Develop protocols and middleware for seamless integration with in-house systems (Climsoft, SmartMet) and third-party systems such as AMSS and the WMO Information System (WIS2) via standard WMO protocols.
- Centralize climate data and metadata in a robust relational database optimized for high performance and rapid queries.
- Provide third-party data access through API clients (R and Python packages) and API URLs, enabling automated data retrieval by authorized users and applications.
- Enable web download of data and products in various formats (tables, graphs, charts, maps, JSON, CSV, Excel, NetCDF).
- Facilitate automated interaction between ADL and Climsoft, including getting and injecting data, and ensure data ingestion with wis2box and SmartMet.
- Enable automated message encoding for SYNOP, METAR, and BUFR weather messages as required.
D) Strengthen Functionality for Data Analysis and Visualizations;
- Improve and expand existing solution with aggregate menu, enabling generation of daily, decadal, monthly, and yearly reports, climate statistics, normals, extreme values, and climate indexes (e.g., CLIMDEX).
- Develop and add new climate products such as wind rose diagrams, maps, time series graphs, and heat maps.
- Design a configurable and customizable web interface allowing users to request and visualize specific variables at any time for any station, in multiple formats (graph, table, map, gridded data, etc.).
- Enable user customization for charting and reporting based on the needs of Meteo Rwanda and different user profiles.
E) Upgrade the Radar Data Processing Tool (RDT) with Additional Functionality;
- Implement and update quality control procedures for radar data, possibly including conversion to interoperable formats.
- Develop procedures for radar data processing and product generationโto be displayed and downloaded, and for integration with other meteorological parameters for adjustment or comparison.
- Support generation and sharing of selected radar products with relevant stakeholders.
- Support Meteo Rwanda in adopting ClimWeb for website, data visualization, and generation of warning using Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).
F) Strengthen Capacity of Meteo Rwanda Staff to Use and Maintain ADL and RDT;
- Conduct hands-on training and develop technical documentation for the installation, configuration, operation, and management of ADL and RDT.
- Provide guidance and training on system maintenance, including server administration, user management, configuration changes, and data backup.
- Train staff on the use of the ADL web application and APIs (including data navigation, data download, quality control review, and connection with other tools like CDT).
- Facilitate workshops and capacity-building sessions on radar data processing and integration, as well as overall data management best practices.
G) Reporting, Testing, and Handover;
- Provide regular progress updates and technical reports on system enhancements and activities.
- Conduct unit and integration testing of all new features, ensuring alignment with Meteo Rwandaโs operational needs and WMO standards.
- Prepare and deliver a final project report, including recommendations for sustainability, and complete handover to Meteo Rwanda and WMO. QUALIFICATIONS
Education
Masterโs degree in meteorology or Climatology, Atmospheric Sciences, Computer Science, Geospatial Technologies, Environment, or a related field.
Experience
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in software development for meteorology or GIS applications.
- Experience working with National Meteorological Services (NMHSs) or similar institutions.
Other requirements
Technical Skills
- Strong proficiency in Python, Django, Wagtail, JavaScript, and API development.
- Hands-on experience integrating numerical weather prediction models (ECMWF, GFS, AROME, ICON, WRF).
- Expertise in GIS and meteorological data visualization using QGIS, ArcGIS, or web-based GIS platforms.
- Knowledge of CAP-XML, alert generation, and multi-platform dissemination (SMS, Email, Web, Mobile Apps, Social Media).
- Knowledge of standard WMO observation message formats (e.g., SYNOP, PILOT, and TEMP in TAC and BUFR formats).
- Experience in cloud-based deployment, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and server management.
Project Management Skills
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
- Experience in drafting technical reports, system documentation, and anomaly reports.
- Experience in capacity-building, user training, and system sustainability planning.
Languages
Excellent knowledge of English (both oral and written) and working level language skills of the scope countries (French, Spanish) would be advantageous.
(Note: The official languages of the Organization are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.) Availability during the proposed period:
The consultant will be available and accessible online and is expected to travel to the country once for an on-site visit.
The consultant will report to the WMO Project Manager in coordination with WMO Technical focal points in the Region and coordinate with Meteo Rwandaโs technical team throughout the assignment. Additional Information:
Proposed fee: Payband C โ apprx. 400 USD per day depending upon experience, knowledge and skills.
Focal point email for additional information: Jason Watkins (jtwatkins@wmo.int) and Abubakr Salih Babiker (ababiker@wmo.int)
Applications should be made online through the WMO e-recruitment system at https://erecruit.wmo.int/public.
Do not send your application via multiple routes. Only applicants in whom WMO has a further interest will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit a written test and/or an interview. Date of issue of vacancy notice: