Job Description
Under the general supervision of the Chief, Infrastructure and Conference Support (ICS) and the direct supervision of the Chief, Infrastructure Management (IMS), the Information Systems Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
Responsibilities
Manage the back-office Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure that supports the UNON Data Centre and the UNON telecommunication infrastructure, specifically supporting the local area network, metropolitan, wide area and telephone networks, catering for the business needs of UNON Divisions and for its client Organizations.
Develop requirements for procuring goods and services, oversee technical evaluation of proposals received and manage contracted service.
Establish, supervise and coordinate the work programme of the team he/she supervises; lead and direct a team of systems integrators, network administrators and telecommunication specialists; supervise and evaluate staff; participate in the recruitment and selection of new staff and oversee the development of the team’s specific training programmes.
Manage projects involving feasibility studies, systems analysis, design, development and implementation of new, moderately complex systems, and/or, participates as a member of a project team with responsibility for major components of the more complex systems.
Develop detailed system and other functional specifications and user documentation for major systems.
Provide specialized advice to users, analyzing users’ requirements and translating these into new applications; determine application systems integration and linkage issues.
Maintain, upgrade or enhance existing user systems; troubleshoot and provide continuing user support, to include resolving difficult problems, advising on the use of new techniques, monitoring transactions to measure performance and continued effectiveness of assigned systems, etc.
Organize and perform unit and integrated testing, designing and utilizing test bases; assist users in acceptance testing.
Develop disaster recovery plans and ensure appropriate planning and training of those responsible.
Research, analyze and evaluate new technologies in the field of networking, telecommunication, ICT service hosting and systems integration, determining the cases for future adoption; provide leadership in introducing technological changes; ensure adherence of new initiatives to UN standards of system and project management.
Participate in writing reports and papers on systems-related topics, system requirements, information strategy, etc.
Facilitate communications between ICTS and its clients for good client relations. Serves as coordinator in the development of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between the client and ICTS, for either specific IT services or general technology support, including any charge back mechanisms.
Develop project proposals, business cases and service descriptions for the services he/she is responsible.
Handle all aspects of contract administration including establishment of service level agreements with vendors and charge-back policy for users.
Provide guidance to, and may supervise, new/junior staff, consultants, etc.
Provide occasionally after office hours on call support and assistance as required.
Perform other related duties as required.
Competencies
PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of information technology/information management, particularly in LAN/WAN networking, telecommunications and IT security systems. Extensive knowledge and in-depth understanding of routing/switching protocols and significant exposure to and demonstrated proficiency in all aspects of network management, including Local Area Networks, Wide Area Networks, Firewalls, Virtual Private Networks, and Wireless Networks. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, to include proficiency in the development and implementation of network systems of moderate size/complexity. Knowledge of interactive systems; good knowledge of organization’s information infrastructure and IT strategy as it relates to user area(s); independently maintains assigned systems and develops innovative approaches to resolve a wide range of issues/problems. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be ‘clients’ and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
PLANNING AND ORGANISING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in computer science, information systems, mathematics, statistics or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) is required. Certification in Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) is desirable.
Work Experience
A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in planning, design, development, implementation, operation and maintenance of computer information systems with relevance to infrastructure systems and operations is required.
Significant experience in functional and technical aspects of inter-alia of Local, Metropolitan and Wide Area Networking is required.
Significant experience in WiFi technologies, IP Telephony, IP Video Conferencing, IP audio and video multicasting, telecommunications and satellite communications is required.
Experience in cloud network (AWS, Azure), cloud security and solution architecture, network security, firewalls, Intrusion Detection and Prevention is required.
Experience in Access Control, Directory Services, wiring standards and best practices, mobile solutions, secure communications and disaster recovery / business continuity environments is required.
Experience in implementing industry standards such as ISO/IEC 20000 and 27001 is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Working knowledge of other UN official languages is an advantage.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
Initial appointment against this post is for a period of one year and may be subject to extension. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.
The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 December 2018, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belarus, Belize, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, China, Comoros, Cyprus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening.
Internal Applicants – when completing the PHP, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.
Individual contractors and consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered.
All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided.
If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira “Need Help?” link.
United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
