Background WACREN is the West and Central African Research and Education Network which supports interconnections and fosters collaboration between R&E institutions in the region and international peers by building and operating a world class network infrastructure, developing state of the art services, promoting collaboration among national, regional, and international R&E communities, and building the human capacity of the REN community. The position of DevOps Fellow is vacant and is to be filled through a competitive and transparent process. Scope of Work Deploy and manage containerised web applications using Docker and Kubernetes; Set up and maintain backend infrastructure, including PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch, and Celery; Configure and integrate object storage solutions, such as MinIO or S3-compatible storage; Develop and manage Helm charts, deployment manifests, and infrastructure-as-code for automated deployments; Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines using tools like GitLab CI; Work with GraphQL APIs for custom application integration, debugging, and performance optimisation; Support Docker-based platforms, ensuring security, performance, and scalability; Write and maintain clear technical documentation covering deployments, upgrades, and operational processes; Key Qualifications, Skills and Experience Essential: A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related field; At least 3 years relevant continuous work experience in DevOps; Strong experience deploying applications using Docker and Kubernetes in production environments; Hands-on experience with Helm, or other Kubernetes deployment automation tools; Proficiency in working with GraphQL APIs (querying, schema understanding, performance tuning); Familiarity with object storage systems like AWS S3 or S3-Compatible, such as MinIO ; Experience with backend services: PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch, Celery; Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines and Git-based workflows (e.g., GitHub Actions, GitLab CI); Experience with modern web frameworks: Python (Flask, Django), JavaScript/Node.js; Strong documentation and troubleshooting skills; Ability to work independently and communicate effectively; Fluency in English or French, with working knowledge in the other language would be an added advantage. Desirable: Experience deploying systems in academic publishing, manuscript submission platforms, repositories, or research infrastructure; Understanding of metadata standards (e.g., Dublin Core, DataCite, Crossref); Familiarity with event-driven systems, search indexing, and messaging queues. Type of Contract, Reporting, Assumption and Place of Duty If successful, the selected applicant, who reports to the CSO, will be proposed a 1-year contract. The contract is renewable, subject to availability of resources and mutual agreement between WACREN and the position holder. Place of duty: Remote/Accra, Ghana Submission of Applications and Timeline Please submit your CV and a cover letter to vacancy@wacren.net Deadline for submission of Applications: 15 September 2025 Please note: only applications submitted to vacancy@wacren.net will be considered and only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Should you have any question, please contact pmo@wacren.net
