Position: Systems Developer (1)/Senior Systems Developer (1) Fixed Term (6 months)
Reporting to: Principal Digital Technology Specialist
Location: Remote, with flexibility for travel to project sites in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific
Starting Salary: Competitive consultancy rate, based on experience
About Development Pathways
Development Pathways is an international consultancy with deep expertise in social protection, poverty and vulnerability analysis, social development, management information systems, research, and training. We are committed to delivering innovative, evidence-based social policies and actively influencing global discussions through our website and participation in international forums. Our approach combines rigorous country-specific social and political analysis with insights gained from extensive international experience, ensuring that policies and programs are both effective and inclusive, benefitting the most vulnerable populations, including children, women, and people with disabilities.
Our team has worked extensively across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America, collaborating with a diverse range of clients, including United Nations agencies (UNICEF, WFP, FAO, ILO, UNDP, UNDESA), development banks (World Bank, ADB, KfW), governmental donors (FCDO, GIZ, DFAT), and international NGOs (e.g., HelpAge, Save the Children). Development Pathways leads several high-impact projects, such as the Partnership for Social Protection (P4SP) with DFAT in the Pacific, the Strengthening Societal and Economic Resilience in Jordan (SSERJ) project with FCDO, DFAT’s Social Protection Advice, Research, and Capability (SPARC) platform, and a KfW project in Malawi focused on the Social Cash Transfer Programme.
With a team of around 50 staff members spread across our four offices in Greater London (UK), Nairobi (Kenya), Amman (Jordan), and Canberra (Australia), we work alongside a global network of trusted consultants. As an employer, we prioritize our staff’s well-being, championing flexible working practices and fostering professional growth and development.
We are recognized for our pioneering, evidence-based work in social protection, underpinned by strong delivery capabilities and expertise in digital technology. At the forefront of digital innovation, we have developed a range of technology products and services that can be tailored to specific country or sector needs. Our focus is on creating innovative digital solutions that enhance governments’ ability to deliver core public services. Since our founding in 2010, we have supported governments across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East in improving their IT systems, with a focus on social protection information systems. More recently, we have expanded into supporting education and health service delivery.
As our portfolio of work expands, we aim to enhance our digital technology capacity by recruiting reliable and skilled short-term consultants specializing in analysis, design, software development, and quality assurance. These experts will support ongoing social protection information system projects, working remotely from any location worldwide while collaborating closely with our Nairobi-based digital technology team to deliver effective software engineering solutions to governments in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
Purpose of the position
The Systems Developer or Senior Systems Developer will develop a deep understanding of the business, user, and system requirements for social protection projects before translating them into code. Some projects will involve building software applications from scratch, while others will require code reuse to create new components, or ongoing maintenance. Throughout the development process, this role will ensure that source code is consistently backed up in the designated company repositories.
The developer will collaborate closely with the Systems Analyst to gather and clarify requirements, and with the Quality Assurance Specialist to address testing issues based on the project’s test strategy. The role will also provide valuable input into system architecture design, facilitate deployment in test environments, and ensure proper documentation of the source code.
While most software development projects can be delivered remotely, this role may require international travel to project sites in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
Main Responsibilities and Duties
- Collaborate with other system developers to transform system specifications into components, features, and modules, following Development Pathways’ development standards and international best practices.
- Research and evaluate cutting-edge technological frameworks to create cost-effective migration plans for legacy social protection information systems built by Development Pathways.
- Provide technical support in the implementation of social protection management information systems (MIS) contracts, ensuring timely, high-quality contributions to deliverables such as software solutions and source code documentation.
- Lead the development of social protection information system projects using Visual Studio (C#) and SQL Server RDBMS or PHP and MySQL, ensuring adherence to best practices throughout.
- Enhance existing social protection information system projects by conducting source code reviews and developing a strong understanding of the underlying business processes, all in line with established service level agreements.
- Integrate quality assurance practices into the development lifecycle by performing unit tests and addressing feedback from quality assurance specialists as part of a test-driven development approach.
- Ensure effective backup of source code for all social protection MIS projects, utilizing company code repositories.
- Troubleshoot technical issues in social protection MIS projects, offering support to users at various levels and locations.
- Oversee the management of the systems development team, assigning tasks and responsibilities, particularly for the Senior Systems Developer.
- Contributing to broader business growth, including providing support in bid development.
Your Profile
ESSENTIAL:
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Information Science, or a related field.
- A minimum of 5 years of professional experience for a Systems Developer, and at least 10 years for a Senior Systems Developer, working in a fast-paced software development environment with expertise in object-oriented programming languages and relational database management systems.
- Proficiency in web development using Visual Studio with C# .Net Core Framework, Blazor technology along with JavaScript, JQuery, Angular, CSS, HTML5, TypeScript, and SQL Server for web applications.
- Experience with mobile application development using .Net MAUI.
- Competence in developing Web Services, building Rich Internet Applications, and creating Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
- Strong problem-solving skills, applying methodical approaches such as building mental models, designing experiments, and developing test tools to understand and resolve issues.
- Proficiency in design techniques, debugging, and making informed technology choices.
- Flexibility to adopt new methods and tools to improve performance and results.
- Strong focus on meeting deadlines and providing accurate coding time estimates.
- Ability to analyse specifications, seek clarifications, and critique design models to enhance final solutions.
- Understanding of deployment architectures supporting enterprise applications.
- Familiarity with the latest frameworks, tools, and technologies to boost coding speed and software performance.
- Knowledge of testing methodologies, including automated tests for performance, security, and functionality.
- Strong debugging skills with the ability to estimate accurate resolution timelines.
- Experience with microservices architecture, containerization technologies (e.g., Docker), and orchestration tools (e.g., Kubernetes).
- Fluent in English.
DESIRABLE:
- A master’s degree in a computer-related field is preferred.
- International work experience in developing countries, performing similar tasks, is a strong advantage.
- Proficiency in additional programming languages such as Java or PHP, with experience in Java for Android, Flutter for mobile development, and expertise in relational database management systems like MySQL or PostgreSQL.
- Understanding of digital principles and how to apply them to create user-centred and sustainable digital technology solutions.
- Knowledge of social protection systems.
- Proficiency in additional languages is highly desirable.
Terms of Employment and Benefits
Recruitment will be conducted at the mid-level for Systems Developers and at the senior level for Senior Systems Developers. Consultancy fees will be determined during the selection process, based on the candidate’s experience, scope of responsibilities, and relevant international expertise.
Equality Statement
Equality and inclusion are at the core of Development Pathways’ values. In the selection of our staff, we are committed to gender balance and diversity without distinction as to race, ethnicity, sex, or religion, and without discrimination of persons with disabilities: well qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Our staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.
How to apply
We invite interested candidates who meet the requirements to email their applications to recruitment@developmentpathways.co.uk
Applications should include:
- A one-page letter explaining why you are applying for this position, and how your recent relevant experience and skills meet the requirements for this position.
- A detailed Curriculum Vitae (maximum of two pages) specifying your qualifications, education, and relevant work experience.
- If short-listed, you will be expected to provide the names, email addresses, and daytime contact numbers for two referees (supervisors of the current post and a past post) and undergo some written tests.
Closing date for this post will be the close of business 31st October 2024.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and a successful candidate may be selected prior to the closing date. Candidates are encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete a brief assessment and to participate in an interview.
Due to the high number of applications expected, unfortunately, only successful candidates will be contacted.