Back Consultant as Smallholder Hub Platform Developer (Pekanbaru-based)

Program Overview

WRI Indonesia is an independent research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. At WRI Indonesia, we aim to bring innovations in research and business approaches in order to create the enabling conditions for Indonesia to achieve robust economic growth while respecting environmental and social values. We seek to contribute to the accomplishment of ambitious sustainable development goals through working with leaders in public and private sectors, as well as collaborating with civil society organizations, in turning big ideas into action.

Within our Food, Land, and Water (FLW) Program, we envision critical ecosystems such as forests and peatland across Indonesia to be governed fairly and sustainably. We believe sustainable land use management is key for Indonesia to meet its climate goal, in line with keeping the global climate target below the 1.5 degree Celcius warming treshold, while providing sustainable livelihoods to forest-dependent communities and conserve biodiversity in the landscape. We intend to achieve this through safeguarding the remaining forest and peatland from deforestation, degradation, and fragmentation; maintaining forests and peatland quality through sound stewardship; and restoring degraded ecosystem to improve its productivity, conservation value, and ecosystem services.

Smallholder Empowerment Program

WRI Indonesia believes that empowering oil palm smallholders is key to producing sustainable palm oil in Indonesia. Empowered smallholders have the ability to control and manage their oil palm business properly and sustainably. With this capability, smallholders' welfare and the environment's quality are expected to improve. Therefore, increasing the inclusiveness of smallholders in sustainability and empowerment programs is indispensable to a better and greener palm oil supply chain in the country.

Collaborating with a consumer goods company, WRI Indonesia aims to improve the sustainable palm oil supply chain and the welfare of smallholders in Riau Province. This is done through a series of capacity-building and empowerment. In 2023, we aim to increase the knowledge and skills of at least 4,000 smallholders to implement oil palm Best Management Practices (BMP) in order to improve their productivity.

Job Highlight

Smallholder Hub Platform Developer will be responsible to lead the design and development of a digital platform tailored to the needs of palm oil smallholders. A comprehensive and user-friendly platform will drive innovation, strengthening data integration, enhance data transparency, providing, and support a precise and accurate decision making process for smallholder farmers and other relevant stakeholders.

This position will play a pivotal role in architecting scalable solutions and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to empower smallholder farmers in the smallholder empowerment program.

Smallholder Hub Platform Developer will report directly to Smallholder Hub Project Lead while working collaboratively with West Sumatera Senior Program Lead, Supply Chain and Livelihood Transformation Senior Manager, and other FLW Program teams to support the implementation of the WRI Indonesia FLW strategy.

What You Will Do

1. Strategic Platform Development:
   • Lead the design and development of a comprehensive digital platform for palm oil smallholders, encompassing features such as user registration, crop management, market access tools, financial services, and knowledge sharing functionalities.
   • Define the platform's architecture, ensuring scalability, security, and extensibility to accommodate future enhancements and integrations.
     1. Technology Selection and Implementation:
        • Evaluate and select appropriate technologies, frameworks, and tools to support platform development, considering factors such as performance, scalability, and maintainability.
        • Implement best practices for software development, including modular design, clean code principles, and automated testing.
          1. Data Management and Integration:
             • Design and implement robust data management solutions, including databases, data pipelines, and APIs, to efficiently store, process, and analyze relevant data such as smallholder profiles, crop information, market prices, and financial records.
             • Develop and manage databases (Kobo Toolbox) to store and retrieve relevant data, including smallholder profiles, crop information, market prices, and financial records.
             • Integrate third-party services and APIs to augment platform functionality, such as weather forecasting, market price aggregation, and financial services.
             • Implement efficient data storage and retrieval mechanisms to optimize platform performance.
               1. User Experience (UX) Design and Optimization:
                  • Collaborate with UX/UI designers to create intuitive and engaging user interfaces that prioritize usability and accessibility for smallholder farmers, taking into account factors such as limited connectivity and device constraints.
                  • Conduct user research and usability testing to gather feedback and iterate on platform design and features to continuously improve the user experience.
                    1. Security and Compliance:
                       • Implement robust security measures to protect user data and ensure compliance with relevant data privacy regulations, such as GDPR or CCPA.
                       • Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify and mitigate potential risks.
                         1. Documentation and Knowledge Sharing:
                            • Document platform architecture, design decisions, APIs, and development processes to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration within the team.
                            • Provide training and support to platform users to ensure they can effectively utilize the platform's features.
                            • Provide guidance and mentorship to junior developers, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

                              What You Will Need

                              Required Qualifications:

                              • Bachelor’s degree in a related field, preferably with coursework in information technology, system analyst, web design and programming, web-GIS/geoportal development, and/or information management system.
                              • Minimum 5 years of experience in software development, with a focus on building complex web and mobile friendly platform.
                              • Proficient understanding of web markup, including HTML5, CSS3.
                              • Proficient in using CSS frameworks such as Bootstrap/Material Design/Tailwind CSS.
                              • Proficient understanding of client-side scripting and JavaScript frameworks such as Node.js, Vue.js, Angular, or React.
                              • Experience and strong proficiency on PostgreSQL database.
                              • Experience and strong proficiency on spatial analysis using PostGIS database library.
                              • Experience and strong proficiency on multiple back-end languages (e.g. PHP, Java, Python) and PHP/JavaScript frameworks (e.g. Laravel, Node.js).
                              • Experience in developing middleware application for KoboToolbox toolkit.
                              • Experience in web-based GIS framework such as OpenGeo, GeoNode/GeoShape, Cartoview and/or Leaflet/OpenLayers. Familiarity with GIS Server such as ArcGIS Server, GeoServer, and/or MapServer.
                              • Familiarity with data visualization libraries such as d3 and highcharts.
                              • Strong understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and best practices for building scalable and maintainable systems, including version control, testing, and deployment.
                              • Familiarity with the whole web stack, including protocols and web server optimization techniques. Understanding of, and able to design and setup server and network, including server and network architecture design, software, and/or LINUX operating system.
                              • Experience in facilitating meetings or other capacity development activities and writing reports.
                              • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
                              • Ability to work independently and have strong problem-solving skill to take initiative and make decisions.
                              • Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and a logical thinker with an ability to juggle with multiple priorities and maintain the quality of work within a fast-paced work environment.
                              • Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of smallholder development experience.
                              • Business proficiency on verbal and written communications skill in both English and Bahasa Indonesia.
                              • Ability to travel and spend substantial amounts of time in the field as needed.
                              • Legally able to work in Indonesia.

                                Preferred Qualifications:

                                • Master's degree in related field.
                                • Familiarity on agricultural or rural development projects, particularly in developing countries.
                                • Previous experience working with local communities in Riau provinces

                                  Deliverables

                                  1. Database Schema of Smallholder Hub: Design and documentation of the smallholder database structure tailored to the needs of the palm oil smallholder hub program. This includes tables, relationships, and data types necessary for storing relevant information.
                                  2. Database Implementation: Development and deployment of the database using appropriate technologies such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc., ensuring scalability, performance, and data integrity.
                                  3. Data Collection Tools: Creation of tools and interfaces for collecting data from smallholder farmers, mills, and other stakeholders involved in the palm oil supply chain. This may include web forms, mobile applications, or APIs for data submission.
                                  4. Traceability System: Implementation of a traceability system to track the movement of palm oil from smallholder farms to processing mills and beyond. This could involve assigning unique identifiers to batches of palm oil, recording transactions, and ensuring transparency throughout the supply chain.
                                  5. Integration with External Systems: Integration of the database with external systems such as GPS tracking devices, IoT sensors, or existing supply chain management software to gather additional data and enhance traceability.
                                  6. Data Analysis and Reporting Tools: Development of tools for analyzing the data collected from the palm oil smallholder hub program and generating reports on key metrics such as yield, quality, sustainability practices, etc. This could include dashboards, visualizations, and custom reports.
                                  7. Quality Assurance and Testing: Rigorous testing of the database and traceability system to ensure accuracy, reliability, and security of data. This includes both functional testing (e.g., data validation, CRUD operations) and non-functional testing (e.g., performance, scalability, security).
                                  8. Data Security and Privacy Measures: Implementation of security measures to protect sensitive data such as personally identifiable information (PII) of farmers, proprietary information of mills, and trade secrets of stakeholders. This may involve encryption, access controls, and compliance with relevant regulations (e.g., GDPR, PDPA).
                                  9. Documentation: Comprehensive documentation covering the database design, data models, API specifications, data dictionaries, and usage guidelines. This documentation should facilitate understanding and usage by stakeholders and future developers.
                                  10. Training and Support Materials: Preparation of training materials, user guides, and technical documentation to assist stakeholders in using the database and traceability system effectively. This may include workshops, webinars, and online resources.
                                  11. Deployment Plan: Planning and execution of the deployment strategy for rolling out the database and traceability system across the palm oil smallholder hub program. This involves coordination with stakeholders, infrastructure setup, data migration, and user training.
                                  12. Post-Deployment Support: Provision of ongoing support and maintenance services to address any issues, enhance functionality, and accommodate evolving requirements. This includes bug fixes, performance optimizations, and updates to address changing business needs.
                                  13. Continuous Improvement Initiatives: Proactive identification of opportunities for continuous improvement in the database and traceability system based on feedback, emerging technologies, and industry best practices. This may involve periodic reviews, updates, and enhancements to optimize performance and usability.