IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE:  please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

a.    Organizational Setting

The position is located in the Product Development Section, IP Office Business Solutions Division. The IP Office Business Solutions Division delivers technical solutions and related services to enable more than 90 IP Offices, mostly in developing countries, to provide improved IP registration services to their stakeholders. The purpose of the Product Development Section is to design, develop and support complex software applications and platforms that meet the needs of IP offices to provide IP services to their stakeholders and to participate in Global IP Systems.

b.    Purpose Statement

The purpose of the position is to take responsibility for the software architecture and design of the products and platforms that are provided by the Division to IP offices, and to lead software development teams to deliver the products.

c.    Reporting Lines

The incumbent works under the supervision of the Head of the Product Development Section.

d.    Work Relations

The incumbent reports to the Head of the Section and works closely with all other staff of the Division, in particular with the Delivery and Support Section for the coordination of product development plans to meet the needs of IP offices. The incumbent must also work horizontally across the organization to ensure integration with Global IP Systems (PCT, Madrid and Hague), implementation of WIPO Standards, integration with Global Databases and integration with shared ICT services managed by the Information and Communication Technology Department.

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:

a.   Lead the design of architectures for complex, cloud-based applications, based on business requirements and needs, ensuring quality, cost-effectiveness and sustainability of the software products of the division.  Propose and validate, in consultation with the Senior Software Architect of the Division, technical and architectural solutions.

b.   Take responsibility for the development and delivery of assigned products of the division, covering all stages of the software development lifecycle and following modern software design and delivery methods.

c.   Manage the backlog of feature and corrective requests for the assigned software products.  Prioritize requests with input from product managers and business representatives.  Produce detailed component specifications and designs for implementation in the relevant product components.

d.   Provide mentoring and leadership to the development team, ensuring best practices are followed for software lifecycle management, quality assurance and related processes.

e.   Keep abreast of developments in advanced technologies, conduct pilot studies and proof of concept implementations and make recommendations on the application of advanced technologies to enhance the products and services of the Division.

f.    Perform other related duties as required.

Education (Essential)

Advanced university degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or a related technology field.  A relevant first-level university degree plus two years of relevant experience in addition to the experience requested below may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Education (Desirable)

ITIL foundation and project management certification such as Agile, PRINCE2, PMP.

Experience (Essential)

At least seven years of relevant professional experience in system architecture and software development.

Experience with project management, programming and scripting languages.

Experience in working on leading RDBMS platforms (PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, etc) with large datasets.

Experience (Desirable)

Experience with DevSecOps and CI/CD.

Language (Essential)

Excellent knowledge of English.

Language (Desirable)

Working knowledge of other UN languages.

Job Related Competencies (Essential)

Knowledge and demonstrated experience in integrating diverse architecture platforms.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to work in a team with both business and technical audiences at different levels and in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Ability to matrix manage project teams consisting of internal staff and off-shore resources.

Integrity in dealing with confidential and sensitive data.

Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with demonstrated talent for identifying, analyzing and improving complex technology processes.

Excellent time management and work organization skills.

Knowledge and understanding of cloud infrastructure, network, compute and storage resources.

Knowledge in delivering cloud-based architectures and solutions.

Job Related Competencies (Desirable)

Effective presentation skills.

1.    Communicating effectively.

2.    Showing team spirit.

3.    Demonstrating integrity.

4.    Valuing diversity.

5.    Producing results.

6.    Showing service orientation.

7.    Seeing the big picture.

8.    Seeking change and innovation.

9.    Developing yourself and others.

Annual salary:

Total annual salary consists of a net annual salary (net of taxes and before medical insurance and pension fund deductions) in US dollars and a post adjustment.  Please note that this estimate is for information only.  The post adjustment multiplier (cost of living allowance) is variable and subject to change (increase or decrease) without notice.  The figures quoted below are based on the May 2024 rate of 85.9%.

Please refer to WIPO’s Staff Regulation and Rules for detailed information concerning salaries, benefits and allowances.

Additional Information

Temporary appointments are renewable, subject to continuing needs, availability of budget and satisfactory performance with a maximum cumulative length of two years.

Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of unrepresented Member States of WIPO and underrepresented geographical regions are encouraged. Please click on the following links for the list of unrepresented Member States and the list of underrepresented regions and the WIPO Member States in these regions.

The Organization reserves the right to make an appointment at a grade lower than that advertised.

By completing an application, candidates understand that any willful misrepresentation made on this web site, or on any other documents submitted to WIPO during the application, may result in disqualification from the recruitment process, or termination of employment with WIPO at a later date, if that employment resulted from such willful misrepresentations.

In the event that your candidature is shortlisted, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of an identification and of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WIPO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and these will be reviewed individually.

Additional testing/interviewing may be used as a form of screening.  Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory professional references.

Additional background checks may be required.