Information Comm. Technology Specialist, P-3, Office of the Chief Data Officer, DAPM

Contract

This is a P-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 140,639 USD and 184,155 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a smile

The Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM) was established in 2019 to drive decision making and organizational learning, improve effectiveness and achievement of results of UNICEF and its partners to realize the rights and improve the life of every child. DAPM promotes the use of data and monitoring to achieve transformative impact on lives of children.

The Division is responsible for driving, shaping and guiding UNICEF’s evidence-informed analysis, strategic planning, programme monitoring and organizational performance management. As such, DAPM enables the organization to deliver on results in a more coherent manner, based on agile and contextualized programming process, and on data, evidence, and analysis, as well as the application of human-rights based and results-based management approaches.

Within DAPM, the Data Team (DAT) is the global go-to for data on children. It leads the collection, validation, analysis, use and communication of the most statistically sound, internationally comparable data on the situation of children and women around the world. For this purpose, both traditional and innovative data and analysis – including administrative and household survey data as well as geospatial analysis, big data and machine learning – are used. DAT upholds the quality, integrity and organization of these data and makes them accessible as a global public good on the data.unicef.org website.

DAT provides leadership, strategic and normative guidance and technical support to generate data and evidence on children. The team works together with other teams within UNICEF as well as partner organizations, to support statistical systems strengthening at the country level. DAT is also fostering a data-driven transformation in how UNICEF works internally and together with partners that includes positioning UNICEF as a leader on data for children, protecting children through governance of data and building an organization-wide culture of data.

How can you make a difference?

The ICT Specialist (Level 3) reports to the Chief of the Frontier Data and Technology Unit (FDTU) within the Section of the Chief Data Officer in the Division of Data, Analysis, Planning and Monitoring. The purpose of the incumbent role is to act as a senior supplier and technical lead for software and data solutions in support of UNICEF needs across the data lifecycle, including geospatial, data and spatial data catalogs, data warehouses, and bespoke components deployed on UNICEF’s Azure infrastructure using Kubernetes.

1. Following iterative PDCA (Plan Do Check Adjust) cycles, maintain and enhance existing D&A IT tools in support of statistical business processes:

• Data Management: Maintain and enhance a suite of .NET Core tools that support indicator data, including the Reference Data Manager (allows the agency to manage the metadata about its indicators in a central repository), CONSULT, (allows for the flexible creation and execution of complex multi-stakeholder, and inter-agency consultations); Microdata Harmonization Component (facilitates the harmonization of surveys and censuses);
• Data Discovery: Maintain and enhance D&A’s Apache Solr search engine, a tool that facilitates data discovery across the section’s many disparate datasets, and How Many, a query engine that connects common questions to precise technical answers;
• Spatial Data: Lead the technical delivery of GeoSight and GeoRepo, two key open-source Python-based GIS components.

2. In concert with ICTD and T4D staff, work with analysts, statisticians, and monitoring and evaluation staff at headquarters and in the field to offer expert advice and guidance in the selection and use of IT tools, standards, and services along the data lifecycle:

• Engage with users in HQ and in the field to foster complementary technical solutions, and shared approaches to the collection, management and exchange of data;
• Support Supply and programme staff to establish Long Term Agreements (LTAs) for ICT-related programme contracts for services and products;
• Conduct oversight of providers and third parties of ICT-related services and products;
• Stay abreast of ICT trends, developments and best practices through professional development.

3. Liaise with ICTD colleagues on Azure cloud-based deployments and products, and to maximize benefits to be realized by shared architectures, infrastructures, tools, and common standards:

• Work with ICTD colleagues (infrastructure/platform/database) to facilitate deployment, maintenance, security, and performance of .NET Core applications, virtual machines, and containers using Azure Devops, CI/CD pipelines, and Kubernetes;
• Working with colleagues in field offices, assist and promote the use of FDTU tools and standards for data management, geospatial, and data science;
• Work with other data-centric teams at UNICEF to realize mutual benefits of efficiency, de-duplication, and effective use of existing data assets by collaborating on shared tools, components, data, and standards

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, or another relevant technical field. *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in information technology in a large international organization and/or corporation is required. Experience in a UN organization is an asset.
• Full-stack experience developing software for official data and statistics across the data lifecycle (e.g. harmonization, discovery, analysis, consultation, reporting)
• Experience as an engineering and technical lead, building and documenting service-oriented architectures, guiding the work of internal and external suppliers;
• Indexing, keyword extraction, and search engine implementation experience;
• Devops experience in container deployment on the cloud
• Experience understanding non-IT customer requirements, developing product plans, and executing them to iteratively develop user-oriented tools;
• Experience with open-source Python GIS libraries and components is a plus.
• Advanced proficiency developing web-based applications using .NET Core with SPA front-ends using Razr and Blazr;
• Ability to deploy to the Azure cloud using both classic Azure pipelines, and Kubernetes;
• Experience installing and maintaining Linux to support Java-based web applications, including installation and configuration of components such as Apache Server, JDK, Apache Solr, and Log4J;
• Proficiency in at least one JavaScript framework, (e.g. React, Angular);
• Relational data modelling expertise and proficiency with SQL;
• Experience with SDMX-based structures, and working with SDMX datasets and SDMX-based registries and data warehouses;
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.