Senior AI Systems Engineer

The ultimate result of this consultancy is the accelerated implementation, stabilization, and operational deployment of priority AI applications within UNEP, supported by shared technical architecture, operational monitoring mechanisms, and strengthened internal capacity for maintenance and scale-up. This includes: • Priority-identified internal AI productivity tools scoped for this period are operational • At least two environment-focused AI applications deployed or strengthened; • Modular architecture and monitoring systems documented and implemented; • Embedded technical collaboration enabling internal continuity beyond the consultancy period.

Remote

6 Months

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global 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 global environment. UNEP`s vision for the Digital Transformation of the organization is rooted in responding to a changing digital development landscape and the evolving needs of our partners, including government, businesses, finance, and civil society. As such, UNEP continues to seek out and embrace existing and emerging digital technology in all aspects of its work to better serve its partners in their efforts to tackle the triple planetary crises of climate change, nature loss and pollution. Through a process of scanning, testing and scaling relevant digital technologies, UNEP aims to become an increasingly data-driven, agile, transparent and effective partner. UNEP's approach to Digital Transformation is not only about digitalizing our products and services but also using them to drive transformation changes in five areas: environmental decision-making, economic incentives and business models, human behaviors, and environmental governance. UNEP’s Chief Digital Office is advancing the development and deployment of priority artificial intelligence (AI) applications to support evidence-based environmental decision-making, internal productivity, and digital transformation objectives. As part of the current UNEP Medium Term Strategy (MTS) 2026 – 2029 and the Programmes of Work (PoW) 2026 – 2027 under Digital Transformations Subprogramme, it aims to harness digital innovation, data ecosystems and emerging technologies to accelerate delivery of climate stability, living in harmony with nature, land and water, and a pollution-free planet. It commits UNEP to strengthening the use of artificial intelligence tools for the environment, embedding analytics into the World Environment Situation Room (WESR), and expanding the Digital Accelerator Lab To contribute meaningfully to the PoW within the 2026–2027 reporting cycle, UNEP must accelerate the implementation, stabilization, and operational deployment of priority AI-enabled tools. Several AI use cases — including internal productivity tools and environment-focused applications — are at the prototype or early pilot stage. These require senior-level technical expertise to transition into production-grade systems that are secure, scalable, monitored, and aligned with governance guardrails. While recruitment is underway for a permanent P4 Data Scientist and P5 Senior Data Scientist to provide long-term leadership in AI systems development, there is an immediate operational need to: • Implement and enhance priority AI use cases aligned with PoW indicators 7.1 and 7.2; • Strengthen shared technical architecture supporting integration into the World Environment Situation Room; • Establish operational monitoring, performance optimization, and governance safeguards for AI deployment; • Support the assessment, design, and responsible deployment of AI tools in line with UNEP’s mandate to strengthen environmentally sustainable artificial intelligence practices. • Ensure documentation and knowledge transfer to enable internal maintenance and scale-up; Engaging a Senior AI Systems Engineer (Consultant) for a six-month period will enable UNEP to maintain momentum in delivering tangible digital solutions under the Digital Transformations subprogramme, directly contributing to measurable progress under PoW 2026–2027 indicators, while ensuring continuity during the recruitment of the permanent P4 and P5 positions. This post is remotely located in Nairobi with the possibility of remote arrangements with several trips to Nairobi, and reports to the Chief Digital Officer .

An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Data Science, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Statistics, Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related quantitative field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or related technical fields is required. Experience in implementing large language model (LLM)-based applications, including retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architectures, document processing pipelines, and knowledge-based AI systems, is highly desirable. Proven experience with: Cloud platforms (preferably Microsoft Azure, including Azure ML, Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Search or equivalent services); Data ingestion and orchestration tools; Vector databases and embedding-based retrieval systems; API-based system integration and backend services; Monitoring, logging, and performance optimization of AI systems in production environments; Implementing safeguards to mitigate hallucinations, prompt injection, and other AI-related risks is desireable Experience working with environmental, geospatial, or policy-related data is desireable Prior experience working within the United Nations system, international organizations, or similarly complex institutional environments is desirable

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this assignment, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of other UN languages is an asset.

Not available.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.