SENIOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS ASSISTANT

Contract

This is a G-7 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education. More about G-7 contracts.

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Information Systems Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

• Serves as technical team leader for large departmental IT projects such as the Journal project, dealing with the planning, specification, design, development, implementation and maintenance of applications; liaises with users to define and specify requirements; builds, tests and modifies and prototypes applications
• Provides support for databases and applications; performs complex troubleshooting for various applications.
• Designs and develops application as per UN established standards for IT technologies and tools.
• Installs computer application systems software and hardware according to specifications; monitors applications systems using appropriate monitoring tools and produces monitoring reports.
• Manages, designs, creates, produces and maintains technical documentation for relevant computer application systems and products; manages and administers changes to technical documentation in accordance with prevailing change management and operation procedures.
• Contributes to feasibility studies, systems analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation and testing of computer application systems improvements and new computer application systems.
• Assists in the identification of user computer application systems needs, including business process and document workflow analysis, organization and maintenance of document repositories; identifies classification schema, retention and archival procedures; designs and develops workflow systems; conducts research on document/information/knowledge management computer applications’ tools, procedures and standards.
• Provides support on computer application systems development matters, including security and data backup and recovery.
• Keeps abreast of developments in the field; conducts research on new technologies; performs benchmarking and proposes new acquisitions; assists in the implementation of new technologies.
• Provides guidance and training to new/junior staff; plans day-to-day work and supervises other staff as required.
• Oversee the performance tuning exercise.
• Assist the team manager in the management of the journal project in providing inputs for board meetings, prototypes and recruitment.
• Drafts correspondence and communications; including work plan revisions and other related issues, as well as prepares unit contributions for a variety of periodic reports.
• Act as release manager.

• Performs other related duties as required.

  Competencies - PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of organizational information infrastructure, including hardware, software and application systems. Knowledge of relevant programming language(s) and ability to use programming skills to develop information systems. Knowledge of system development workflow and document flow processes, ability to conduct research and gather information from a wide variety of standard and non-standard sources. Ability to respond to changing requirements and assignments, ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given. Ability to perform a wide range of application software development and maintenance tasks under minimum supervision. 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. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

• PLANNING & ORGANIZING: 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.

• 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.

• BUILDING TRUST: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; Manages in a deliberate and predictable way; Operates with transparency; Has no hidden agenda; Places confidences in colleagues, staff members and clients; Gives proper credit to others; Follows through on agreed upon actions; Treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately.

  Education High school diploma or equivalent. Certifications in the area of software development are an advantage.

  Job - Specific Qualification Prince2 certification is desirable.

  ITIL certification is desirable.

  Work Experience A minimum of 10 years of experience in information systems analysis, software development, quality assurance or related area is required.

  Experience with .NET is required.

  Experience in leading distributed teams of software developers is required.

  Experience with agile software development life cycle is required.

  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. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

  Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

  Special Notice This position is available from 25 April 2022 until 31 December 2022 and may be subject to extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

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.

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test in English at the United Nations Headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; or the United Nations Accounting or Statistical Assistant Examination at the United Nations Headquarters may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.

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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.