Information Technology Assistant, G6

Under the general guidance of the Chief, UNON/ICTS/IMS and the direct supervision of the Chief UNON/ICTS/IMS/Server & Data Center Unit (SDCU) the incumbent will be responsible for the day-to-day server service operations, coordination, installation and administration support. Specifically, the incumbent will perform the following duties: 1. Server Operations and Administration • Installs, configures, tests, deploys and maintains physical and virtual server infrastructure, including Local Area Networks (LANs), Windows Server, Linux, Unix, virtualization platforms, open-source systems, Citrix, database systems, Internet and web services, Domain Name System (DNS), DHCP, mail relay systems, Active Directory, and security software.

• Administers, manages, monitors, and provides technical support for physical and virtual server infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance, availability, reliability, and security. • Independently manages and supports Windows, Linux, Unix, and other open-source server operating systems with minimal supervision, applying technical expertise to maintain operational efficiency and service continuity. • Performs troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of server, virtualization and infrastructure-related issues. Escalates unresolved problems to higher-level support in accordance with established procedures. • Liaises with IT Service Desk teams and user departments to maintain efficient, reliable, and secure server operations.
• Performs 24x7 operational support for assigned systems and services as required. • Assists in identifying requirements for new systems and opportunities for re-engineering or enhancing existing systems and infrastructure. • Responds to requests from user offices and assists in the deployment and configuration of systems to ensure compliance with infrastructure standards and best practices. • Implements, monitors, tests, and reviews server backup, recovery and restoration processes in accordance with established backup and disaster recovery procedures. • Collects, analyzes, and reports on infrastructure performance, capacity, availability, and reliability metrics, providing recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Maintains comprehensive and up-to-date documentation of server systems, operational procedures, configurations, and system administration activities. • Ensures compliance with organizational policies, security standards, and industry best practices related to server administration and infrastructure management. 2. Service Installation, Configuration, and Support • Receives and logs problem calls or service requests in the automated tracking system with minimum delay. • Attempts to resolve as many problem tickets or service requests on initial contact.
• Performs tasks related to scheduled service requests, including equipment replacement, equipment installation/de-installation, software installation, LAN connection, return to stock, site surveys, etc. • Diagnoses, resolves and troubleshoots any hardware, software, or connectivity problem with minimum delay. • Logs all actions in the automated tracking system, including site survey information, steps taken to resolve a problem or to complete a task, problems encountered, current status, etc. • Acts as a problem escalation point for the focal point technical staff • Escalates problems/tasks to the appropriate parties in accordance with established procedure. • Detects problem patterns and recommends solutions. 3.

Procurement and Logistics • Receives, unpacks, inspects, and verifies Data Centre, Switch Room, network, server, and end-user computing assets delivered by vendors and suppliers. • Records and maintains asset information and asset transactions within the organization's inventory and asset management systems in accordance with established procedures and audit requirements. • Initiates, prepares, and manages requisitions for hardware, software, licenses, subscriptions, applications, network equipment, Data Centre infrastructure, and related ICT services through the Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) system, ensuring timely availability of resources to support operational requirements.

• Monitors inventory levels, maintenance contracts, software licenses, and equipment lifecycles, and initiates procurement actions when stock levels or service requirements warrant replenishment, renewal, or replacement. • Coordinates with procurement, finance, vendors, and user departments throughout the procurement lifecycle, including requirements gathering, specification development, quotation evaluation, receipt verification, and asset acceptance. • Recommends and justifies the acquisition, upgrade, replacement, or disposal of hardware, software, applications, devices, tools, and infrastructure components to improve operational efficiency, reliability, security, and service delivery.
• Performs hardware preparation, configuration, testing, imaging, and deployment activities, including the creation and maintenance of standard operating system images and software deployment packages. • Sorts, stores, tracks, and manages ICT equipment and materials in accordance with inventory controls, operational requirements, and asset management policies. • Prepares, issues, and releases equipment, software, and related ICT resources for operational use and service requests while maintaining accurate inventory and accountability records. • Ensures compliance with organizational security, procurement, asset management, and inventory control policies, procedures, and standards.
• Liaises with other ICT units, focal points, vendors, and user departments to support procurement planning, logistics coordination, asset tracking, and service delivery activities. 4. Data Centre, Switch Rooms and Structured Cabling • Manages and maintains campus-wide Data Centre and Switch Room facilities, ensuring compliance with applicable ISO, TIA, ASHRAE, and organizational standards relating to infrastructure, environmental controls, power, cooling, physical security, and operational reliability. • Oversees the day-to-day operation, monitoring, environmental monitoring, capacity planning, maintenance, and continuous improvement of Data Centre and Switch Room environments to ensure high availability, resilience, and service continuity.
• Coordinates with internal stakeholders, vendors, and user departments to ensure Data Centre and network infrastructure services meet business requirements, service-level expectations, and client satisfaction objectives. • Leads and manages the campus-wide structured cabling infrastructure and support team, ensuring effective administration, maintenance, documentation, and expansion of approximately 11,000 network and telecommunications ports across the campus. • Plans, implements, and monitors structured cabling installations, upgrades, testing, certification, and remediation activities, ensuring compliance with industry standards, quality requirements, and best practices.
• Provides technical leadership and support for troubleshooting network connectivity issues, structured cabling faults, and the installation, configuration, and replacement of active network devices, while ensuring timely resolution of client requests and minimization of service disruptions. • Assists in planning Data Centre capacity, including rack space utilization, power, cooling and infrastructure growth requirements. 5. Service Coordination • Occasionally supervises a team of technical staff for special projects, a team of service coordination staff, and a team of logistical staff. • Receives and logs service requests in the automated request management system. • Creates and assigns work orders in accordance with established procedure.
• Distributes work assignments and monitor progress. • Liaises with other areas of ICT to facilitate completion of service requests. • Provides advice to clients regarding ICT standards and workflow processes. • Performs quality assurance procedures to ensure client satisfaction. • Addresses escalated problems and monitor to resolution. • Detects problem patterns and recommends solutions. • Keeps abreast of latest ICT standards and development in technology both in the UN and in the industry in general. • Provides basic training to end-users on the use of standard systems and applications. • Provides guidance and training to new/junior technical staff. • Prepares, maintains, and updates files (electronic and paper) and internal databases.
• Drafts end-user and/or technical documentation and reports. • Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of information technology and applications, including computer system networks. Good technical skills, ability to conduct network maintenance, provide server services and user support. Ability to respond to changing requirements and assignments, ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given. 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. • 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. • TECHNOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Keeps abreast of available technology. Understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office. Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks. Shows willingness to learn new technology.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required. Supplemental courses/technical certificate in information technology or any other related field is required. Certification in Comptia A+ and Microsoft Certification in Azure Cloud Foundation is required.

Not available.

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in information systems, server administration, data centre operations, network infrastructure management, ICT support services, or a related field is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five (5) years for candidates who possess a first-level University degree. Experience in administering and managing Linux, Windows and virtual server environments, including server configuration, deployment, monitoring, maintenance, security, and troubleshooting, is required.

Experience in managing Data Centre facilities and Switch Room operations, including environmental monitoring, power, cooling, physical infrastructure, and compliance with industry standards and best practices, is required. Experience administering and supporting open-source databases, web applications, and related technologies, including Apache, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and similar platforms, is desirable. Experience in ICT service delivery, end-user support, vendor and service provider coordination, and engagement with counterparts and clients is desirable.

Experience in scripting, infrastructure automation, enterprise backup and recovery, disaster recovery solutions, and the use of automation tools to streamline operational and administrative tasks is desirable. Experience preparing technical documentation, operational procedures, standards, reports, and system administration documentation, together with demonstrated ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and provide technical leadership in operational environments, is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult for details).

Required Languages

Language Reading Writing Listening Speaking

English UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include a substantive assessment, such as a written test, which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Appointment against this position is for an initial period of one year and any extension will be subject to availability of funds. The appointment and renewal thereof are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate. 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.

External candidates will be considered only when no suitable internal candidate from the duty station is identified. The candidate is responsible for any travel expenses incurred to take-up the appointment. 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. 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. Internal Applicants: When completing the form, 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. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs.

The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. 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. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. 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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c).

Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. 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.