Description of assignment title

IT Systems Developer

Assignment country

Zambia

Duty stations

Lusaka (4)

Work location

On UN premises

Expected start date

10/12/2026

Duration

6 months
(with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal

Decent work and economic growth

Host entity

UNCTAD ZMB

Modality

Onsite

Type

National

Volunteer category

Expert UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule

Full-time

Number of Assignments

Mission and objectives

UNCTAD ZMB organization mission TBD

Context

The UNCTAD Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) is an integrated customs management system for international trade and transport operations in a modern automated environment. ASYCUDA is a computerized customs management system that covers most foreign trade procedures. It handles manifests and customs declarations, along with accounting, transit and suspense procedures. It also generates trade data that can be used for statistical economic analysis. The ASYCUDA software is developed by UNCTAD. Source: https://asycuda.org/en/about/. The ASYCUDA is a fully extra-budgetary programme implementing technical assistance projects across most continents, including Zambia.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Management Officer and focal point from the Implementing Partner, the IT Systems Developer will:

Develop/programme specific modules and features for ASYCUDA in Zambia.
Provide ASYCUDA IT support to Zambian Customs IT Team as required.
Write technical documentation for ASYCUDA in Zambia.

Age

18 - 80

Required experience

7 years

Nationality

Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Relevant experience

7 years

Languages

English, Level: Fluent, Desirable

Required education level

Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Programming, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Information Systems Management or related area. A bachelor’s degree in the above areas combined with 7 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Competencies and values

Adaptability and flexibility
Creativity
Planning and organising
Professionalism

Skills and experience

Experience in designing and developing RESTful APIs for a microservices architecture. using Java, with frameworks such as Quarkus and Spring Boot, is mandatory.
Proficiency in front-end development using JavaScript is also required.
Familiarity with containerization tools such as (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD tools such as (GitLab CI, Jenkins, Splunk) is desirable.
Candidates should have a background in working within an Agile approach and with Agile project management tools.

Area(s) of expertise

Information technology and telecommunications, Administration

Driving license

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

Zambia is a land-linked, resource-rich country with sparsely populated land in the centre of Southern Africa. It shares its border with eight countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) that serve as an expanded market for its goods. Lusaka is the capital of the Republic of Zambia. The climate is sunny and temperate, but it can be very cold during few months, with freezing temperature at times especially during the night. It is therefore advisable to bring warm clothing and foresee using heaters and other heating options when necessary. As the commercial and cultural centre of Zambia, Lusaka has seen rapid development in recent decades, with reasonable transportation connections and widely spoken English making the city highly attractive to vacationers and experts alike. Unemployment and poverty are issues in the city, and beyond. Key industries for the region and Zambia as a whole, include mining, agriculture, and tourism. Like most Southern African cities, life in Lusaka will require some adjustments for a person moving from outside the region, but the potential rewards and opportunities for experiences are well worth the effort. Lusaka hosts several international organisation and embassies/diplomatic missions, therefore there is a very large community of expatriates from around the world. Housing is most of the time readily available and of good standard options are available. Most foodstuffs, beverages, household goods, furniture, and clothing, mostly imported from South Africa, Europe, and China while some ranges of local brands are available at a competitive price to imports. Meat, fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables are reasonably priced and abundantly available. The basic infrastructures roads, utilities, and telecommunications are of reasonable standard, although the city experiences power outages from time to time. Medical facilities are still largely inadequate, although several private clinics and hospitals provide reasonably good routine care. Several restaurants around the city serve local or international cuisine and there are numerous social and sports facilities (fitness, tennis, swimming, riding, golf, etc.) in the major hotels or in different establishments around the city. There are no major or special security concerns within Lusaka city limits. For more information, please visit http://zambiatourism.com.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.