The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the world's environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the environment.

Background

The consultant shall report to the Head of Web Platforms, who is responsible for work planning, prioritization and overall delivery oversight.

Responsibilities

The consultant will:

• Analyse technical requirements and identify appropriate implementation approaches, dependencies and potential risks.
• Develop, maintain and enhance UNEP Drupal websites, including modules, content models, configurations and custom functionality.
• Implement, enhance and maintain reusable templates and components for the corporate website, Starter Kit and other UNEP web platforms.
• Implement technical requirements for migration of child, campaign and project websites to common UNEP templates and technical standards.
• Implement and enhance hybrid or decoupled Drupal functionality using React, Next.js and related technologies where appropriate.
• Develop and maintain APIs and integrations that support content and data exchange between UNEP web platforms and external systems.
• Develop, enhance and optimize search and content-discovery functionality, including OpenSearch, indexing, ranking, relevance configuration and semantic search.
• Implement and improve AI-supported search and content-discovery capabilities to increase relevance, accuracy and user experience, in accordance with approved technical standards and organizational guardrails.
• Develop and maintain multilingual website functionality, including templates, components, CMS translation workflows and related integrations.
• Maintain Drupal core, contributed and custom modules, themes and dependencies, including implementation and testing of security and technical updates.
• Apply Git-based development, code-review, testing and CI/CD deployment workflows.
• Test and troubleshoot website functionality, integrations, performance and deployment issues, including support for major releases and migrations.
• Apply UNEP requirements and accepted web-development standards for security, accessibility, performance, responsive design, interoperability and maintainability.
• Review code and technical implementations and contribute to technical quality assurance across the web portfolio.
• Provide technical input to vendors and other developers working on UNEP web platforms.

Qualifications/special skills

• An advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in computer science, information systems, software engineering , or related field is required.
• A first-level university degree, combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

• At least two (2) years of professional experience in web development, including substantial experience with PHP and Drupal is required.
• Strong experience with Drupal architecture, themes, modules, templates, configuration, custom functionality and reusable components is required.
• Experience with website migrations and modernization of enterprise web platforms is required.
• Strong experience with HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript and modern JavaScript frameworks, preferably React and Next.js is required.
• Experience with relational databases and with developing and integrating RESTful APIs and other web-platform integrations is required.
• Strong experience with Elasticsearch, OpenSearch or similar enterprise search technologies, including indexing, query configuration, ranking and relevance optimization is required.
• Experience developing or integrating semantic search, AI-supported search or other AI-enabled content-discovery functionality is required. Strong knowledge of Git, code review and CI/CD deployment workflows is required.
• Experience applying security, accessibility, performance, responsive design and maintainability standards to web platforms is required.
• Experience troubleshooting complex web-development, integration and deployment issues is required.
• Ability to evaluate and apply AI technologies with appropriate consideration of accuracy, security, performance and responsible use is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining complex websites or multi-site digital platforms is desirable.
• Ability to document technical systems and communicate technical issues clearly to technical and non-technical colleagues is desirable.
• Experience implementing multilingual websites and CMS-based translation workflows is desirable.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multicultural and international environment is desirable.

• Analyse technical requirements and identify appropriate implementation approaches, dependencies and potential risks.
• Develop, maintain and enhance UNEP Drupal websites, including modules, content models, configurations and custom functionality.
• Implement, enhance and maintain reusable templates and components for the corporate website, Starter Kit and other UNEP web platforms.
• Implement technical requirements for migration of child, campaign and project websites to common UNEP templates and technical standards.
• Implement and enhance hybrid or decoupled Drupal functionality using React, Next.js and related technologies where appropriate.
• Develop and maintain APIs and integrations that support content and data exchange between UNEP web platforms and external systems.
• Develop, enhance and optimize search and content-discovery functionality, including OpenSearch, indexing, ranking, relevance configuration and semantic search.
• Implement and improve AI-supported search and content-discovery capabilities to increase relevance, accuracy and user experience, in accordance with approved technical standards and organizational guardrails.
• Develop and maintain multilingual website functionality, including templates, components, CMS translation workflows and related integrations.
• Maintain Drupal core, contributed and custom modules, themes and dependencies, including implementation and testing of security and technical updates.
• Apply Git-based development, code-review, testing and CI/CD deployment workflows.
• Test and troubleshoot website functionality, integrations, performance and deployment issues, including support for major releases and migrations.
• Apply UNEP requirements and accepted web-development standards for security, accessibility, performance, responsive design, interoperability and maintainability.
• Review code and technical implementations and contribute to technical quality assurance across the web portfolio.
• Provide technical input to vendors and other developers working on UNEP web platforms.

• PHP
• Drupal
• Drupal architecture
• themes
• modules
• templates
• configuration
• custom functionality
• reusable components
• website migrations
• modernization of enterprise web platforms
• HTML5
• CSS3
• JavaScript
• React
• Next.js
• relational databases
• RESTful APIs
• web-platform integrations
• Elasticsearch
• OpenSearch
• enterprise search technologies
• indexing
• query configuration
• ranking
• relevance optimization
• semantic search
• AI-supported search
• AI-enabled content-discovery functionality
• Git
• code review
• CI/CD deployment workflows
• security standards
• accessibility standards
• performance standards
• responsive design
• maintainability standards
• troubleshooting complex web-development issues
• troubleshooting integration issues
• troubleshooting deployment issues
• AI technologies evaluation
• AI technologies application
• complex websites development
• multi-site digital platforms development
• technical systems documentation
• clear communication of technical issues
• multilingual websites implementation
• CMS-based translation workflows implementation
• independent work
• collaborative work
• multicultural environment work
• international environment work

• An advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in computer science, information systems, software engineering , or related field is required.
• A first-level university degree, combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.