Omnichannel Project Management System Development

Project Proposal (Job Post) — n8n Developer
Title: Build an Omnichannel Volunteer + Research Project Management Automation (n8n + Monday.com or free alternative)
1) Project Overview
We need an experienced n8n developer to build an automated, scalable workflow that manages a volunteer network and research projects end-to-end. The system must collect and respond to messages coming from multiple channels (WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, website chat, email, and other messaging systems where possible), unify them into a single operational workflow, and synchronize everything with a project management hub (preferably Monday.com, but we are open to a free/low-cost alternative if it meets requirements).
Key goals:
• One “brain” (n8n) that receives messages from many platforms and routes them consistently
• A structured volunteer database + project/task tracking
• Approval control points for registrations, new project submissions, and task return/reassignment
• Role-based access and audit-friendly process (who approved what, when)

2) Scope & Core Features
A) Omnichannel Messaging (Inbound + Outbound)
Inbound channels (must support):
• WhatsApp
• Telegram
• SMS/Text messaging
• Email (Gmail/SMTP/IMAP acceptable)
• Website chat (via widget tool or webhook integration)
Design requirement: Use a modular “channel adapter” approach so we can add “other messaging systems” later (e.g., additional chat widgets, social DMs, etc.) via APIs/webhooks without rebuilding the whole system.
Capabilities:
• Normalize inbound messages into a standard format (sender, channel, timestamp, message, attachments, conversation/thread id)
• Auto-respond with structured options (menu-style prompts)
• Route requests into workflows: registration, task updates, project submissions, support questions
• Maintain conversation logging (at least in the PM hub and/or a database)
B) Volunteer Pool Management (with Approval Gate)
• Volunteer registration form (web form and/or chat-guided registration)
• Data fields include at minimum: name, age, email, affiliation, interests, skills, availability, timezone, preferred contact channel
• Verification option (e.g., email OTP)
• Control point: Admin reviews and approves/rejects new member registrations before activation
• Status states (example): New → Pending Review → Approved → Active → Suspended/Inactive
C) Research Project Submission (with Approval Gate)
• Separate submission form for new research projects (fields to be provided by us; developer should design for easy updates)
• Control point: Admin reviews and approves/rejects project submissions before they appear to volunteers
• Project states (example): Draft → Submitted → Pending Review → Approved → Recruiting → Active → Completed → Archived
D) Task Assignment + Task Lifecycle + Return/Redo Approval
• Create tasks and assign to volunteers based on rules (interest match, skills, availability, workload)
• Send automated reminders and escalation messages
• If a task is overdue: notify assignee → notify lead/admin → optional auto-unassign and reopen
• Control point: When an assignee returns a task (cannot complete / needs reassignment / requests extension), the system routes it for review & approval by admin/lead before reopening or reassigning
• Task states (example): Open → Assigned → In Progress → Submitted → Under Review → Approved/Done + Returned → Review Needed → Reassigned/Reopened
E) Access Control / Roles
Define privilege levels and what each role can do:
• Admin: full control, approvals, global visibility
• Project Lead/Editor: manage specific projects, approve task outcomes
• Volunteer: sees only assigned tasks and permitted project info
• Optional: Reviewer/QA role for verification of deliverables
F) Central Hub (Prefer Monday.com; open to alternatives)
• Monday.com as the primary option (boards for Volunteers, Projects, Tasks, Approvals, Message Log)
• If Monday is not ideal due to cost/limits, propose a free alternative (e.g., Trello + Airtable-like DB, Notion, self-hosted tools) but must still support: statuses, assignments, automations, and structured querying.

3) Technical Requirements (Expected from Developer)
• Build using n8n best practices: modular workflows, reusable sub-workflows, clear naming, environment variables, robust error handling
• Use webhooks where needed for channels/tools that don’t have native triggers (website chat, custom forms, future messaging systems)
• Monday.com integration using the GraphQL API with proper authentication and rate-limit/complexity awareness
• WhatsApp integration via official platform webhooks/API (Cloud API or approved provider)
• Telegram bot integration via Bot API webhooks
• Logging + monitoring approach (at minimum: workflow execution logs + a message/event log table)
• Documentation: setup guide, workflow map, and an admin “how to operate” guide
Compliance/Security note (important): If any protected health information (PHI) could ever appear in messages, the solution must be designed with that in mind (secure hosting, restricted access, retention policy, and channel limitations). Developer should flag any channel that may be risky for PHI and propose safeguards.

4) Deliverables
1. Architecture & Workflow Map (diagram or written)
2. n8n workflows (exported JSON) with modular structure:
o Channel ingestion & normalization
o Volunteer registration + approval
o Project submission + approval
o Task assignment + reminders + escalation
o Task return → review/approval → reopen/reassign
o Admin commands (approve/reject/override)
3. Monday.com (or alternative) workspace setup:
o Board templates + required columns/statuses
o Automations needed on the PM side
4. Message log + audit trail (who approved what, when, why)
5. Documentation + short handover session (recording optional)

5) Acceptance Criteria (What “Done” Looks Like)
• Messages from all agreed channels are received, normalized, logged, and routed correctly
• New volunteers cannot become “Active” until approved by Admin
• New projects cannot be listed/recruiting until approved by Admin
• Returned tasks cannot be reopened/reassigned until reviewed/approved by Admin/Lead
• Task reminders and overdue escalation work reliably
• Roles/permissions are enforced in the PM hub
• Workflows are stable, documented, and easy to extend to new channels

6) What We Will Provide
• Final list of project submission fields
• Branding/basic message templates (welcome, reminders, approvals, rejection reasons)
• Access to required accounts (Monday workspace, email inbox, WhatsApp provider account, etc.)
• Rules for matching volunteers to tasks (initial version)

7) Developer Requirements
• Proven experience with n8n (webhooks, error handling, modular design)
• Experience integrating APIs (WhatsApp, Telegram, email, Monday.com GraphQL)
• Strong understanding of automation reliability (retries, deduplication, idempotency, rate limits)
• Comfortable producing documentation and handover



DATA STORES (recommended)
- Monday Boards (or alternative):
1) Volunteers (status: New/Pending/Approved/Active/Suspended)
2) Projects (Draft/Subm/Pending/Approved/Active/Completed/Archived)
3) Tasks (Open/Assigned/In Progress/Submitted/Review/Done/Returned)
4) Approvals (queue for Admin actions + reason + timestamp)
5) Message Log (all inbound/outbound, channel, sender, linked record)
- Optional DB (Postgres/Airtable) for robust conversation history + dedupe keys