Web and Forest Database Management Specialist

Position details

• Vacancy number: 2601861
• Opportunity type: Non-staff opportunities
• Grade / contract type: PSA (Personal Services Agreement)
• Organizational unit: FAINS - FAO Representation in Indonesia
• Duration: 11 Months (120 Working Days)
• Application deadline: 16/Sep/2026, 12%5C:59%5C:00 AM

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

Monitoring and Enhancement of Remote Sensing for National Forest Inventory (MERANTI) is a three‑year project funded by Norway and managed by the FAO Office in Jakarta. It serves as Indonesia’s new National Forest Inventory (NFI) initiative, integrating enhanced land‑monitoring approaches to improve the accuracy, availability, transparency and timeliness of forest and tree‑resource data. Through the combination of a strengthened NFI and an improved national forest monitoring system, MERANTI aims to significantly enhance Indonesia’s capacity to generate high‑quality forest information. This strengthened data ecosystem will:

•    Improve national strategic planning and decision‑making on forests and trees
•    Support climate change mitigation efforts
•    Enable greater access to scalable climate finance
•    Strengthen Indonesia’s position in climate‑finance negotiations
•    Increase opportunities for results‑based payments (RBPs) and other forms of results‑based contributions (RBC)
•    Ensure fulfilment of Indonesia’s international commitments to global climate and sustainable development goals

The collaboration will also expand to other projects and programmes related to forest monitoring, including the UK-funded AIM4Forests initiative and affiliated programmes within the FAO portfolio and pipeline, as appropriate.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the FAO Representative in Indonesia, the general supervision of the Lead Technical Officer, and the direct supervision of the FAO UN-REDD Programme Coordinator and the MERANTI National Project Coordinator, as well as close coordination with Directorate General of Forestry Planning/IPSDH. The Specialist will work in accordance with established technical requirements, instructions and workplans and will support coordination among the relevant technical teams as assigned.

Technical Focus

The Specialist will provide technical and operational support for the management, integration, documentation, testing and quality checking of forest inventory and forest monitoring information systems supporting NFI 2.0, including SI-INTAN, Arena and other agreed platforms.
Working closely with FAO, IPSDH, and relevant technical partners, the Specialist will assess existing systems and workflows, establish practical data governance and interoperability requirements, and provide technical direction and quality assurance for agreed improvements. The assignment will focus on outputs that can realistically be completed within the consultancy period and that can be maintained by IPSDH after project completion.

The Specialist will support the System and Server Administrator and Web Development and Dashboard Consultant to ensure that data, application, and infrastructure workstreams are aligned. Collaborate with the FAO Information Resources Assistant to ensure secure-by-design principles are incorporated throughout the system lifecycle and FAO compliance.

The Specialist will not be responsible for detailed application coding or server administration, but will provide requirements, technical review, coordination, and acceptance support.

Tasks and responsibilities

Planning and System Assessment

•    Assess existing data management workflows, database structures, analytical processes, and information systems supporting NFI 2.0, IHM, SI-INTAN, Arena, and other agreed forest monitoring platforms.
•    Identify priority data management, interoperability, reporting, information-product and information security requirements requirements for the next 12 months.
•    Review user requirements, metadata needs, data quality procedures, access arrangements, and data publication practices relevant to NFI.
•    Assess existing system architecture, application components, infrastructure dependencies, and security controls to identify potential technical and security risks.
•    Ensure that secure-by-design principles and appropriate security requirements are considered during system planning, architecture, application design, and integration activities including authentication and access control, data protection, input validation, secure coding, vulnerability management and secure configuration.
•    Prepare and maintain a practical workplan, technical roadmap, and priority requirements for agreed system improvements.
•    Support technical planning among FAO, IPSDH, and the three IT consultants and document agreed technical decisions.
•    Support the FAO Information Resources Assistant to ensure that application and infrastructure designs follow applicable information security requirements and secure application development practices, including planning for regular vulnerability assessment of web applications, databases, servers, and relevant infrastructure components.
•    Ensure that identified security vulnerabilities are addressed by three IT consultants.  
•    Review implementation progress against the agreed workplan and flag issues that require IPSDH/FAO decisions.

Data Governance and Analytical Workflow Development

•    Support senior colleagues in developing a practical data governance framework covering data standards, metadata, data quality control, publication, and user access for agreed NFI information products.
•    Document and recommend improvements to data synchronization/workflows between Collect, Arena, SI-INTAN, and other agreed systems, based on operational needs.
•    Prepare or update priority SOPs and workflow documentation for forest inventory data management, analysis, reporting, and dissemination.
•    Prepare and document priority data migration, synchronization, and validation workflows agreed with IPSDH.
•    Provide technical inputs to relevant NFI data management guidelines and procedures.
•    Review agreed analytical outputs and information products against defined requirements before dissemination.

System Integration and Interoperability

•    Define a prioritized interoperability approach for SI-INTAN, Arena, and other agreed systems, rather than committing to integration of all identified systems.
•    Prepare technical specifications and data exchange requirements for priority integrations agreed by IPSDH and FAO.
•    Conduct technical quality assurance of agreed integration and application changes, focusing on functionality, data consistency, and operational readiness.
•    Provide requirements and technical review for priority dashboard and analytical information products.
•    Coordinate technical inputs from the System and Server Administrator, Web Development and Dashboard Consultant, GIS experts, and other agreed specialists.

Documentation, training, and support

•    Prepare technical documentation, workflow documentation, integration specifications, and user guidance materials for agreed outputs.
•    Prepare recommendations for phased system enhancement based on operational priorities and infrastructure readiness.
•    Conduct knowledge-transfer sessions for IPSDH staff on data governance, agreed workflows, and integrated data management.
•    Provide technical recommendations for future enhancement based on lessons learned during the consultancy.
•    Support handover and institutionalization of agreed outputs within IPSDH.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements 
 

•    Advanced university degree (Master's) from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in Informatics Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or another closely related field.
•    At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in information systems, database management, data governance, system integration, or related technical coordination, preferably supporting forest inventory, forest monitoring, natural resources, environmental, or geospatial information systems.
•    Working knowledge of English and Fluent in Bahasa Indonesia
•    Nationals of Indonesia or resident of the country with a work permit

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Demonstrated experience in information system architecture, database/data management, system integration, or related technical coordination. Detailed programming expertise is not mandatory, but the ability to review technical specifications is required.
•    Demonstrated experience in data governance, data quality, metadata, information management, or interoperability; experience with database platforms such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, or equivalent is an advantage.
•    Experience in developing or reviewing technical requirements, workflows, information products, or web/GIS-based systems is an advantage.

Selection Criteria
 

•    Sound understanding of information-system security, version control, software development lifecycle, and quality assurance principles.
•    Familiarity with Indonesia's forest inventory and forest monitoring systems. Experience supporting IPSDH or the Ministry of Forestry in integrating, managing, and analysing forest inventory data is mandatory.
•    Direct experience with SI-INTAN, NFI, mangrove inventory information systems, Arena, Collect, or related forest monitoring platforms is highly desirable. 
•    Strong analytical skills and attention to detail; ability to work within a multidisciplinary team and to communicate effectively with non-technical stakeholders.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. 

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
•  We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

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