Job Description

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This is a requisition for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

Contractual Agreement:

Non-Staff - International PAHO Consultant

Job Posting:

March 27, 2026

Closing Date:

April 6, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Primary Location:

Off Site

Organization:

ITS Information Technology Services

Schedule:

Full time

PURPOSE OF CONSULTANCY

This requisition is for a consultancy at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Provide a short description of the objective of the office/department here.
• Provide a description of the purpose of the consultancy here.

OF DUTIES:

1. Objective of the Department

The Information Technology Services Department (ITS) provides leadership and direction in the deployment of information and communication technologies and systems to support the Pan American Health Organization/Regional Office of the Americas of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) in carrying out its mandate. ITS establishes and maintains strategies, policies, standards, and procedures to ensure the effective and efficient provision of information and communication services in a geographically dispersed environment.

2. Purpose of the Consultancy

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is seeking an experienced Drupal Developer consultant to support the ITS Web Services team in the development, maintenance, and enhancement of PAHO's digital web presence. The consultant will contribute to a broad portfolio of web properties including seven (7) Drupal-based websites and approximately forty (40) additional sites, including static sites and applications built with Angular.js and React.js.

PAHO's combined web portfolio receives approximately 4 to 5 million visits per month, serving health professionals, researchers, government bodies, and the general public across the Americas and beyond. This level of traffic underscores the critical importance of site reliability, performance, security, and availability. The Drupal Developer must bring solid hands-on technical experience to maintain and enhance high-traffic, mission-critical public health web infrastructure.

The consultant will work within an agile, Kanban-driven development environment, contributing to incremental feature deployments, security-conscious development practices, and cross-functional collaboration with stakeholders, content managers, and the ITS security team.

3. Statement of Work

The Drupal Developer consultant will be responsible for the following areas:

3.1 Drupal Development & Site Management

• Develop, maintain, and enhance seven (7) Drupal websites across versions 9 through 11, including custom modules, themes, and content types.

• Write and maintain PHP code for custom Drupal modules, hooks, APIs, and integrations, following Drupal and Symfony coding standards.

• Develop and maintain Twig templates for Drupal theming, including custom template overrides, preprocess functions, and theme hooks.

• Leverage Symfony components (HttpFoundation, EventDispatcher, DependencyInjection, Routing) within Drupal's architecture for back-end development.

• Build and maintain custom Drupal plugins, services, and event subscribers using Drupal's object-oriented architecture and dependency injection container.

• Develop and manage content architectures using Entity API, Field API, and custom entity types.

• Design and implement Drupal Migrate API pipelines to import, transform, and validate content from legacy systems and external data sources.

• Build and maintain RESTful and JSON:API endpoints within Drupal for headless or decoupled front-end consumption, applying proper authentication and caching strategies.

• Configure and manage Drupal's configuration management system (CMI) — exporting, importing, and synchronizing configuration YAML across multi-dev, Dev, Stage, and Live environments.

• Manage and optimize Drupal's caching architecture including Internal Page Cache, Dynamic Page Cache, Varnish, and Redis integration.

• Perform Drupal core and contributed module updates, patch management, and version upgrades including major version migrations (e.g., Drupal 8 to 9, Drupal 9 to 10, Drupal 10 to 11).

• Configure and manage Drupal site settings, user roles, permissions, workflows, and content moderation states.

• Implement and maintain Views, Paragraphs, Layout Builder, Panels, Webforms, and other common Drupal components.

• Administer Drupal cron jobs, Queue API workers, and background processing tasks.

• Use Drush and Drupal Console for command-line site administration, code generation, database operations, and deployment automation.

• Manage PHP dependencies and Drupal module installation using Composer, including version constraints, patches, and lock file management.

• Support multilingual site configuration using Drupal's Language, Content Translation, Configuration Translation, and Interface Translation modules across PAHO's official languages.

• Implement Drupal security hardening measures including input filtering, access controls, and module-level permission audits.

3.2 Front-End Development

• Develop and maintain static websites, Angular.js applications, and React.js applications across the ~40-site portfolio.

• Build and refactor reusable UI components using React.js and Angular.js best practices.

• Write clean, semantic HTML5, CSS3/SCSS, Bootstrap, and JavaScript (ES6+).

• Ensure all web properties are responsive, accessible (WCAG 2.1 AA), and cross-browser compatible.

• Manage front-end dependencies using npm or yarn; configure and maintain build pipelines using Webpack, Gulp, or Vite.

• Optimize front-end performance including Core Web Vitals, image optimization, lazy loading, code splitting, and bundle size reduction.

• Implement and maintain Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager integrations, validating data layer configurations and conversion tracking.

3.3 Agile Development & Pipeline Workflow

• Work within PAHO's Agile/Scrum framework using a Kanban board with stages: In Queue, In Progress, Testing, Ready for Production, and Live.

• Participate in daily Scrum stand-ups to report progress, surface blockers, and coordinate team support.

• Develop features on the designated multi-branch environment; provide stakeholders with gated testing links prior to integration.

• Merge code into the Dev branch following successful stakeholder sign-off and automated Semgrep security scan clearance.

• Follow the controlled Thursday production deployment schedule to ensure predictable, traceable releases.

• Collaborate with the ITS security team during the security scanning and integration phases.

3.4 Pantheon Platform & CI/CD Pipeline

• Manage site code, databases, and files across all Pantheon environments: Multi-Branch (Multidev), Dev, Test (Stage), and Live.

• Leverage Pantheon's Git-based CI pipeline for automated builds, deployments, and environment promotion.

• Sync databases and files between environments as required for testing and validation.

• Use SFTP and Git-based workflows to develop and deploy code within the Pantheon environment.

• Ensure Stage is used exclusively for final pre-production validation — no active development in this environment.

3.5 Security Compliance & Code Quality

• Adhere to secure coding standards and remediate vulnerabilities flagged by the Semgrep automated SAST/SCA scanner.

• Collaborate with the ITS Security team to address and fix vulnerabilities identified during security scans.

• Apply OWASP best practices in all development work, including protection against XSS, CSRF, SQL injection, and insecure direct object references.

• Implement and maintain HTTP security headers (CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, Referrer-Policy); enforce HTTPS and manage SSL/TLS certificate provisioning.

• Conduct dependency audits using Composer audit and npm audit as part of the development lifecycle.

• Participate in code reviews, applying and following team coding standards and best practices.

3.6 API Development & Third-Party Integrations

• Design, build, and document RESTful APIs; consume third-party REST/JSON APIs within Drupal and front-end applications.

• Implement and manage Drupal's JSON:API and REST modules for headless and decoupled use cases.

• Integrate with external services including authentication providers (OAuth 2.0 / SAML / SSO) and communication tools.

• Handle API authentication, error handling, and response caching in a secure and performant manner.

• Produce detailed API documentation covering endpoints, request/response schemas, and integration workflows.

3.7 Testing & Quality Assurance

• Write and maintain unit tests, integration tests, and functional tests using PHPUnit and JavaScript testing frameworks (Jest, Cypress, or equivalent).

• Conduct cross-browser and cross-device testing before promoting features from multi-branch to Dev.

• Perform regression testing after each deployment to confirm existing functionality is unaffected.

• Use accessibility auditing tools (Axe, WAVE, Lighthouse) to validate WCAG 2.1 AA compliance across all web properties.

• Apply code linting and validation standards using ESLint, Stylelint, and PHPCS.

• Collaborate with stakeholders during the gated testing phase to confirm acceptance criteria are met.

3.8 Web Server, Hosting & Environment Configuration

• Work within Apache and/or Nginx web server configurations, including virtual hosts, .htaccess rules, redirects, and rewrite rules.

• Manage environment-specific configuration files (settings.php, .env) across Pantheon environments.

• Assist with DNS records, domain routing, and SSL certificate provisioning as needed.

• Manage Composer-based dependency workflows including applying security advisories and module patches.

• Monitor server logs (PHP error logs, Apache/Nginx access logs) to identify and resolve performance or error issues.

3.9 Database & Back-End

• Write, optimize, and maintain MySQL queries for Drupal and other web applications.

• Use phpMyAdmin for database administration, inspection, query execution, and troubleshooting across development and staging environments.

• Manage database schema changes, migrations, and data integrity during deployments.

• Assist with database performance tuning, slow query analysis, and backup verification.

3.10 CDN, Caching & Performance

• Configure and manage CDN settings to optimize asset delivery, caching headers, and geographic distribution for PAHO web properties.

• Configure and maintain Redis caching layers to optimize site performance and reduce database load.

• Troubleshoot CDN-related issues including cache purging, origin pull configurations, and SSL/TLS certificate management.

• Monitor and tune caching performance to ensure fast, reliable page delivery across PAHO's global audience.

3.11 Search Integration

• Configure and maintain site search functionality using Apache Solr and Elasticsearch integrated with Drupal Search API.

• Build and maintain search indexes, faceted search interfaces, and custom index configurations for PAHO content.

• Troubleshoot search indexing issues and ensure newly published content is properly indexed and discoverable.

3.12 Monitoring, Logging & Incident Response

• Monitor web application health using New Relic and Pantheon dashboards; proactively review PHP error logs, slow query logs, and CDN hit-rate reports.

• Respond to site incidents including outages, performance regressions, and broken deployments — triage, isolate root cause, and coordinate rollback when necessary.

• Set up and maintain alerting for critical error thresholds, uptime failures, and security events.

3.13 Email & Notification Systems

• Configure and maintain transactional email delivery for Drupal sites using SMTP modules and providers (SendGrid, Campaign Monitor or equivalent).

• Develop and maintain HTML email templates for system notifications, newsletters, and automated workflows.

3.14 AI Tools & Productivity

• Utilize AI-assisted development tools (Microsoft Copilot, GitHub Copilot) to accelerate development, code review, and documentation.

• Apply AI tools responsibly, validating generated code for security, accuracy, and compliance with PAHO standards.

• Stay current with emerging AI capabilities relevant to web development and propose practical applications to the team.

3.15 Ticket & Request Management

• Receive and process web requests submitted through the Salesforce-integrated ticketing system.

• Review incoming tickets for completeness: domain validation, URL specificity, description clarity, and correct issue type (QUICK TASK or PROJECT).

• Maintain up-to-date ticket status, progress notes, decisions, and testing documentation throughout the lifecycle.

• Communicate ticket status and blockers proactively to stakeholders and the team lead.

3.16 Documentation & Knowledge Transfer

• Produce and maintain clear technical documentation for all developed features, configurations, and processes.

• Document deployment procedures, rollback steps, and environment-specific configuration notes.

• Contribute to internal knowledge base articles, SOPs, and onboarding materials.

• Ensure all tickets are documented with decisions, change rationale, and testing outcomes.

4. Qualifications

4.1 Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Web Development, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).

• 7 to 8 years of professional Drupal development experience, with demonstrated hands-on expertise across multiple Drupal versions in production environments.

• Proven experience developing and maintaining Drupal 9/10/11 sites, including custom module development, theming, Entity API, Migrate API, and configuration management.

• Experience supporting or executing Drupal major version migrations (e.g., Drupal 7 to 8/9, Drupal 8 to 9, Drupal 9 to 10).

• Solid experience with PHP 7/8 and Symfony-based development patterns within Drupal.

• Demonstrated experience with React.js and/or front-end frameworks in production applications.

• Experience with REST API and JSON:API development, including third-party service integrations.

• Experience with OAuth 2.0 / SAML / SSO authentication integrations.

• Familiarity with Linux server administration and the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP).

• Experience with the Pantheon hosting platform and CI/CD pipeline management.

• Prior work in an Agile/Scrum or Kanban development environment.

• Experience with international organizations or non-governmental projects is an asset.

4.2 Required Technical Skills

Domain/Skills & Technologies:

• CMS / Drupal: Drupal 9/10/11, custom modules, themes, Twig, Entity API, Field API, Migrate API, CMI, Layout Builder, Paragraphs, Views, Panels, Webforms, Drush, Drupal Console, Composer, multilingual configuration

• PHP & Frameworks: PHP 7/8, Symfony components (HttpFoundation, EventDispatcher, DependencyInjection, Routing), OOP, dependency injection, Twig templating, Drupal hooks, services, plugins, Queue API

• Front-End: HTML5, CSS3/SCSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript ES6+, React.js, Angular.js, jQuery, responsive design, WCAG 2.1 AA, npm/yarn, Webpack/Gulp/Vite

• APIs & Auth: RESTful API design and consumption, Drupal JSON:API, OAuth 2.0, SAML/SSO, third-party API integrations, error handling, response caching, API documentation

• Testing & QA: PHPUnit, Jest, Cypress, cross-browser testing, regression testing, WCAG auditing (Axe, WAVE, Lighthouse), ESLint, PHPCS, Stylelint

• Platform & Pipeline: Pantheon (Multidev, Dev, Test, Live), Git, CI/CD pipelines, SFTP workflows, Apache/Nginx, .htaccess, DNS, SSL/TLS

• Security: Semgrep SAST/SCA, OWASP best practices, XSS/CSRF/SQLi prevention, HTTP security headers (CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options), Composer audit, npm audit, input filtering

• Database & Admin: MySQL — queries, optimization, schema management, migrations; phpMyAdmin; slow query analysis

• Caching & CDN: Redis, Varnish, Internal/Dynamic Page Cache, CDN configuration, cache purging, HTTP caching headers, Core Web Vitals optimization

• Search: Apache Solr, Elasticsearch, Drupal Search API, faceted search, custom index configuration

• Monitoring & Logging: New Relic, Pantheon dashboards, PHP error logs, Apache/Nginx access logs, slow query logs, uptime alerting, incident response

• Email & Comms: SMTP, SendGrid, Mailchimp, SPF/DKIM/DMARC, HTML email templates, Drupal mail modules

• Analytics: Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, data layer validation, conversion tracking

• AI & Dev Tools: Microsoft Copilot, GitHub Copilot, DDEV, phpMyAdmin, Kint, Devel, Drush

• Agile / Workflow: Scrum, Kanban, sprint planning, daily stand-ups, ticket management (Salesforce or equivalent)

• Documentation: Technical writing, deployment notes, SOPs, knowledge base articles, onboarding materials

• Version Control: Git — branch management, merge requests, conflict resolution, multi-branch workflows

4.3 Certifications

The following certifications are desirable and reflect the level of platform expertise expected for this role:

Certification/ Issuing Body

• Acquia Certified Developer - Drupal 10 or 11/ Acquia

• WebOps Certified Developer/Pantheon

• LPI Linux Essentials/Linux Professional Institute

• Any Drupal community training (e.g., Drupalize.me, Acquia Academy, university-issued)/Various

4.4 Desirable Skills

• Experience with Drupal 11 upgrade paths, deprecation handling, and new platform features.

• Familiarity with headless or decoupled Drupal architectures (React.js or Next.js consuming Drupal JSON:API).

• Experience with Linux server administration — Apache/Nginx configuration, LAMP stack, system monitoring, and security hardening.

• Familiarity with DDEV or Lando for local containerized Drupal development environments.

• Experience with graphic design tools (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator) for UI/UX asset production.

• Knowledge of Bootstrap or other CSS frameworks for rapid front-end development.

• Familiarity with Salesforce Service Cloud or similar ticketing/CRM platforms.

• Experience working in international, academic, or non-governmental organization environments.

• Continuous learning mindset — active engagement with Drupal community resources (Drupalize.me, Drupal.org, DrupalCon).

5. Language Skills

• Professional working proficiency in English (written and spoken) — required.

• Working knowledge of Spanish — desirable given PAHO's regional mandate.

• Knowledge of French, Portuguese, or other languages — an asset.

6. Work Schedule & Conditions

Position: Drupal Developer Consultant

Salary: Band B of International PAHO Consultant (IPC-Band B)(range $5,160 - $6,280)

Duty station: Remote (Off-Site)

Duration: Until 31 December 2026

Reporting to ITS Web Services Team Lead

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently may be selected for consultancy assignments falling in this area of work or for similar requirements/tasks/deliverables. Inclusion in the Roster does not guarantee selection for a consultant contract. There is no commitment on either side.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this consultancy. For assessment of your application, please ensure that your profile in the PAHO Career page is updated; all experience records are entered with elaboration on tasks performed at the time. Kindly note that CV/PHFs inserted via LinkedIn are no accessible.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. PAHO/WHO 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/ PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO/WHO Regulations, and e-Manual.
• For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org
• PAHO/WHO is committed to providing a respectful and supportive workplace for all personnel
• PAHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.
• PAHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct.
• PAHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoings will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.
• PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between PAHO and the Consultant.
• PAHO/WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by PAHO/WHO.