Org. Setting and Reporting
The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the UN headquarters in Africa and the Director-General of UNON is the representative of the Secretary-General in Kenya. UNON supports programme implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the Resident Coordination System (RCS) globally, as well as other UN offices in Kenya, by providing administrative, security, conference, and information technology services (www.unon.org). This position is located in the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Division of Administrative Services (DAS), Information and Communication Technology Service (ICTS), Conference and Client Support Section (CCSS). The incumbent will report to the Chief of Conference and Client Support Section. The Information Systems Officer will provide strategic and operational leadership and oversee the planning, management, and delivery of technical conference and meeting services to UNON clients, including Governments, UN entities and other stakeholders. Within delegated authority, the Information Systems Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
Responsibilities
• Provide strategic and operational leadership to Conference Facility technology, covering but not limited to: Conference Management and Simultaneous Interpretation Systems (CMSI), Remote Simultaneous Interpretation (RSI), Audio-Visual (AV) Distribution and Control, AV Broadcasting and Recording Systems, Web Streaming, Video Conferencing, Digital Signage, Conference Operations, Conference Engineering and Maintenance. • Develop cost proposals for contractual services, oversee the technical evaluation of proposals received and manage the contract service related to conference technology and support. • Plan for phased and minimal upgrade of outdated AV and IT equipment in the existing conferencing facility to have uninterrupted conferences to ensure customer satisfaction until the new Gigiri Master Plan (GMP) project is implemented. • Contribute to the design phase and participate in the implementation of the GMP project together with the Project team and AV consultants. • Track and monitor AV and ICT support requirements for upcoming conference support requirements against both approved calendar and non-calendar meetings. Monitor progress against plan, requirements, quality measures, standard processes and take corrective actions when required. • Provide professional leadership and work direction to assigned conference support team, and/or mentor and supervise the work of new/junior officers, contract staff, etc. • Propose policies, standards, and operating procedures to contribute towards a managed end-to-end conference technology support and ensure that compliance is maintained under his/her area of responsibility. • Manage, mentor, support and train staff including recruiting temporary and permanent staff, managing and maintaining rosters of temporary staff, conducting performance reviews, demonstrating dynamic leadership and promoting a customer-focused approach. • Develop, implement and monitor information standards and guidelines, including testing paradigms. • Prepare technical and user documentation for conferencing technology systems and interdependent applications; prepare training material and detailed technical presentations. • Keep abreast of developments in the field of conference technology, support and determine the need for testing and evaluating new products and technologies; provide leadership on introducing technological changes; prepare various technical reports. • Collect and analyze data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables, and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. • Perform related duties that are assigned by the Chief of the Section.
Competencies
PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of design, development, management, implementation and maintenance of complex information & conferencing systems; the ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management; ability to develop and oversee large centralized or decentralized institutional systems; conceptual and strategic analytical capacity to understand information systems and business operational issues so as to thoroughly analyze and evaluate critical systems matters; 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. COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. 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. MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; ensures that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately assesses the amount of time and resources required to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports staff when they make mistakes; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in computer science, information systems, mathematics, statistics, business management or related field is required. A first-level degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the specified fields of studies with two (2) additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.
Job – Specific Qualification
Supplemental certifications in the AV, fields such as Certified Technology Specialist (CTS, CTS-D, CTS-I), Dante, Shure/DIS, AMX etc. are required. Supplemental certifications in the ICT & Project Management fields such as ITIL, Prince 2 or PMP are required.
Work Experience
A minimum of Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in planning, design, development, operation and maintenance of large-scale Conference Management and Simultaneous Interpretation (CMSI) systems with 1,500+ delegate positions is required. Experience with Remote Simultaneous Interpretation (RSI) platforms, AV Distribution and Control, AV Broadcasting and Recording Systems, Web Streaming, Video Conferencing & Digital Signage is required. AV experience in an international organization is desirable. Two (2) years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable. NOTE: “fluency equals a rating of “fluent” in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and ” Knowledge of” equals a rating of “confident” in two of the four areas.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.
Special Notice
Appointment against this post is for an initial period of one year and any extension will be subject to availability of funds. 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. 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 or be appointed to any professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions, within six months of the end of their current or most recent service. For such positions, at least six months need to have elapsed between the end of a consultancy or individual contract and the time of application and consideration for an appointment as a staff member under the Staff Rules and Regulations of the United Nations. 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. 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 email 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. For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 June 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu.
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. 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.