Python & Cloud Developer (Unpaid, Remote)
Volunteer Opportunity: Python & Cloud Developer (Unpaid, Remote) Organization Type: Nonprofit research and public-interest organization Location: Remote / Virtual Time Commitment: Flexible, approximately 5–10 hours per week Duration: 6+ Months Phase I: Spring–Summer 2026 (completes with a limited-audience demo by mid 2026) Phase II: Fall 2026 (completes with a public deployment by late 2026) About the Project We are a nonprofit-led technical research initiative developing an open, public-interest software platform that supports large-scale analysis of technology, cybersecurity, and governance materials for research, policy, and civil society use. This work is conducted in collaboration with United Nations–affiliated agencies and programs. Volunteer participation may involve recognition within the UN ecosystem, including attribution through nonprofit and partner channels where appropriate. The platform has reached a working proof-of-concept prototype, developed by nonprofit leadership with technical backgrounds. We are now seeking volunteer developers to help advance the system toward a limited-audience demo in Summer 2026 and a free public deployment by late Fall 2026. The software is noncommercial, nonprofit-led, and intended to be freely accessible to the public. Role Summary We are seeking up to five volunteer programmers to work collaboratively on backend and infrastructure development. Volunteers will work under nonprofit leadership and alongside other technical contributors to modularize, stabilize, and extend the existing prototype. This is an unpaid volunteer role, well suited for individuals interested in open technology, nonprofit impact, international engagement, and applied engineering.
Key Responsibilities
Volunteers may contribute to one or more of the following areas:
- Developing and maintaining Python-based backend services
- Deploying and managing components using AWS Cloud infrastructure
- Building and refining REST APIs that connect backend services to a web frontend
- Containerizing services using Docker Desktop
- Collaborating via GitHub (issues, branches, pull requests, code reviews)
- Assisting with API integrations to AI / LLM services (experience or interest welcome)
- Improving documentation, stability, and readiness for public demonstration
- Coordinating work within a small, distributed volunteer engineering team
Work will be chunked and modular, allowing volunteers to contribute based on interest, skill set, and availability. Required Skills
- Python programming experience
- Familiarity with cloud environments (especially AWS)
- Experience using GitHub for collaborative development
- Understanding of REST APIs
- Comfortable working in a remote, asynchronous team
- Reliable communication and follow-through
Desired (But Not Required) Skills
- Experience with Docker / containerized development
- AI or machine-learning API integration
- DevOps, CI/CD, or infrastructure-as-code experience
- Interest in open-source or public-interest technology
Time Commitment & Structure
- Flexible schedule; approximately 5–10 hours per week
- Short weekly or bi-weekly coordination calls
- Milestone-driven work aligned to:
- Phase I limited-audience demo (Summer 2026)
- Phase II public deployment (late Fall 2026)
Recognition, Service Hours & Professional Value
- Volunteer participation may be recognized within UN-affiliated ecosystems
- All volunteer hours will be formally tracked for U.S.-based volunteers
- Tracked hours are intended to support eligibility for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) when the federal program resumes
- Contributors gain:
- Real-world experience with cloud-deployed, production-style systems
- Experience contributing to an internationally engaged nonprofit initiative
- Portfolio-worthy public-interest software contributions
Important Notes
- This is a volunteer, unpaid role
- The software is nonprofit-led and intended to be free to the public
- Volunteers are not providing unpaid commercial labor
- The project emphasizes transparency, ethical development, and public benefit
- Until public deployment, all volunteers will need to work on intellectual property and non-disclosure agreements
How to Apply
Please provide:
- A brief introduction
- Relevant technical experience
- GitHub or code samples (if available)
- Approximate weekly availability
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