DUTY STATION
Geneva, Switzerland
COMMENCEMENT OF DUTY
To be determined NATURE OF APPOINTMENT
Short-term
364 days
Organizational Unit
Information System Section, Infrastructure Department 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. Pursuant to WMO Standing Instructions, the minimum age to be eligible for consideration for vacant positions is 18, and the maximum age must enable the candidate to serve for at least the term of the contract before reaching mandatory age of separation. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the direct supervision of the Chief, WMO Information System Section and under the guidance of the Scientific Officer (Member Platforms), Infrastructure Department, the incumbent will work in close coordination with the Hydrology and Water Resources Services Section, Services Department. The incumbent will:
a) Review and document the existing system and support the transition to a maintainable, modular architecture leveraging existing WMO systems such as WIS 2.0.
b) Review and document the existing software and support the transition to open-source.
c) Advise and provide technical assistance to leveraging public cloud deployment of FFF components with a view of sustainability maintainability and cost effectiveness.
d) Participate in technical working groups and expert networks focused on the operationalization of the Flood Forecasting Framework (FFF), including interaction with Programme Management Committee and its Technical Support Groups and pilot regional and country teams.
The Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) is an operational platform used in over 70 countries to support short lead-time forecasting and early warning of flash floods. Developed and implemented over the past two decades, it has been adopted by several national meteorological and hydrological services (NMHSs). The current system is based on legacy code and fixed software architecture, primarily using FORTRAN, C/C++, Java, SQL and QGIS, running on physical servers operated by NMHSs.
To modernize this capability, WMO is developing the Flood Forecasting Framework (FFF) within the scope of Early Warning Systems for Floods Project, a new generation, modular, maintainable, open-source, and interoperable environment for flood forecasting.
The FFF initiative builds upon the technical foundation of FFGS but is designed to enable greater flexibility, focus on maintainability, regional adaptation, integration with national platforms, and alignment with WMO's evolving digital infrastructure, such as WIS 2.0 and the WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System (WIPPS).
The incumbent will work closely with project team, regional and national centres who are beneficiary of both FFGS and EWS-F projects, as well as WMO Experts.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
Master's degree or equivalent in cloud architecture, software engineering or a related technical field.
A first level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience will be accepted in lieu of a Master's degree.
Experience
- Minimum five (5) years experience in cloud architect, systems or software engineering roles.
- Experience in open-source software development and relevant platforms (e.g. GitHub, CI/CD, modular packages).
Other requirements
- Experience with transitioning legacy systems to modular, interoperable and open-source platforms is an advantage.
- Familiarity with hydrometeorological data processing, modelling and forecasting systems is an advantage.
- Knowledge of WIS 2.0, WMO data standards (BUFR, GRIB, NetCDF) is an advantage.
- Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, with the ability to adapt to diverse technical environments and project needs.
COMPETENCIES
The Project Officer must demonstrate proficiencies in the following competencies:
• Communication & Influence
• Collaboration & Team Dynamics
• Inclusive Mindset & Cultural Awareness
• Decision Making & Problem Solving
• Integrity & Accountability
• Innovation & Digital Agility
• Stakeholder Understanding & Engagement
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.)
The position is funded from extra-budgetary resources. SALARY AND ALLOWANCES
Annual net base salary on initial appointment is: US$ 70212
Annual post adjustment on initial salary is: US$ 62278 (in addition to the net base salary) Additional Information:
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: 9 September 2025