The incumbent will support UN Global Pulse’s data innovation portfolio, the Accelerator Programme, UN80 priorities and the DISHA programme. Under the supervision and technical guidance of the Technical Program Officer - Data and AI products for Humanitarian and Development Use will contribute to the development, testing, and responsible application of data and AI solutions for sustainable development and humanitarian impact. The role will include supporting co-building efforts with on-the-ground teams, engineers, academia, and private sector partners, and collaborating with contributors within and outside the UN system to address data, analytical, and research needs. The incumbent will be a staff member of UNOPS under its full responsibility.
To achieve its goals, UN Global Pulse is seeking a Fullstack AI Engineer.
The incumbent works under the direct supervision of the Portfolio Manager of UN Global Pulse and supports hands-on work across design, prototyping, integration, and operational deployment.
AI Solutions Prototyping and Development
Support the co-design, preparation, and implementation of data and AI innovation activities across the UN Global Pulse portfolio, working closely with internal and external partners.
Assist in developing data pipelines and systems, including data ingestion, cleaning, integration, transformation, and the preparation of datasets for modelling and analysis.
Assist in the development and maintenance of analytical and machine learning pipelines by performing data ingestion, assessing and improving data quality.
Support training ML models; identify and test relevant open source and partner-provided models. Implement mechanisms for model performance experiments tracking
Support deploying ML models and implement model monitoring systems to detect drift and performance degradation.
Assist with identifying and co-building solutions with external surge-capacity partners (academia, private sector, technical experts), ensuring rapid prototyping, field testing, and integration of specialised models and tools.
Apply basic MLOps and open-source tools as directed, supporting reproducibility, version control, and the structured development of models and analytical components.
2. Applied Analysis & Innovation Support
Support research and analysis on emerging data science and AI trends (including NLP, computer vision, geospatial methods, and generative AI) to inform strategic planning, innovation design, and portfolio development.
Assist with integrating analytical outputs and prototype results into UNGP initiatives, helping strengthen responsible AI methods, evaluation approaches, and technical guidelines.
Assist in the design, testing, iteration, and refinement of responsible and high-impact data and AI solutions, working closely with policy, innovation, and technology experts to ensure technical alignment with UN and partner priorities.
Help ensure that data and AI solutions are developed with a focus on rapid prototyping, iterative improvement, and readiness for practical deployment in real-world UN operational contexts.
3. Knowledge Integration & System Learning
Assist in preparing knowledge products, brief analytical summaries, simple dashboards and visualisations, helping communicate insights, prototype behaviour, and analytical results to technical and non-technical audiences.
Contribute to knowledge integration and capacity-building efforts by supporting the documentation of methods, lessons learned, and good practices, and assisting in tracking progress across data- and AI-driven initiatives within the UN Global Pulse network.
Using diverse data sources, including open, private-sector, and UN datasets, the incumbent of the position will support data collection, cleaning, integration, exploratory analysis, and model preparation activities across the UN Global Pulse portfolio. The Fullstack AI Engineer will help the Data Science team identify trends and patterns, generate initial analytical outputs, contribute to prototype development, and support analytical work that informs policy and operational decision-making across UN entities and partners.
In doing so, the Fullstack AI Engineer will contribute to transforming early-stage concepts into evidence-based innovations, strengthening the organisation’s mission to accelerate the responsible use of data and AI for people and planet.
The Fullstack AI Engineer supports the execution of data analysis, machine learning, and prototyping activities that contribute to insights for UN Global Pulse initiatives.
Key results may include:
Data systems, workflows, or pipelines supported and maintained, ensuring reliable preparation, cleaning, and organisation of datasets for downstream analytical and ML tasks.
Analytical summaries and exploratory data analysis supported to inform modelling decisions and support project teams with interpretable, actionable information.
Contributions to the development and iteration of machine learning prototypes and MVPs for example by assisting with preparing datasets, running experiments, and maintaining clear notebooks or documentation for reuse and further development.
Basic dashboards, visualisations, or monitoring materials developed, supporting continuous learning, performance tracking, and communication of key insights across projects.
Contributions made to knowledge products, case studies, and documentation that support system learning and can be incorporated into reusable guidance or toolkits.
Support provided in applying responsible AI principles, including assisting with transparency checks, data/ethical reviews, and documentation that supports risk-aware development.
United Nations Office for Project Services
