Org. Setting and Reporting
This national professional position is located in the Office for the Coordination of humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), based in Istanbul, Türkiye. OCHA is part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response efforts.
OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions. This position-specific job opening is being advertised for the position of Assistant Information Systems Officer in OCHA Istanbul and the incumbent reports to the Head of the Administrative Unit.
Responsibilities
Within limits of delegated authority, the Assistant Information Systems Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
Participates in preparing user requirements and other technical specifications.
Assists in the design, development and installation of information systems.
Assists in the analysis of well-defined system modules and contributes to the development of enhancements and features under supervision; supports the development of small components or simple solutions as required. (e.g. to meet individual user requirements).
Undertakes rigorous testing and proving of applications software.
Maintains assigned portions of systems, providing operational support for system’s applications, analyzing and implementing system changes/upgrades, etc.
Assists in the preparation and maintenance of project plans, schedules and related documentation; supports monitoring of timelines and reporting of issues.
Assists in identifying appropriate human and technical resources to complete the project, assists in assuring that deviations from project schedule are addressed and communicated, assists in developing timely project status reports, monitoring project risk factors, escalating project issues, and providing Quality Assurance for all project deliverables.
Writes and develops programs to interface with existing systems.
Ensures data security and integrity.
Participates in developing disaster recovery plans.
Prepares, updates and maintains system’s documentation and related technical/procedural manuals.
Assists in procurements, including conducting needs assessments and benchmarks, preparing technical specifications and evaluation criteria.
Assists in the set-up and monitoring of software performance measures.
Participates in Helpdesk support services.
Participates in facilitating communications between ITSD and its clients for good client relations and be responsible for small to medium client accounts.
Assists in the development of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between the client and ITSD, for either specific IT services or general technology support, including any charge back mechanisms.
Advises users on the most suitable hardware and software for different tasks; maintains and enhances software.
Drafts training materials and conducts training sessions and demonstrations of systems for users.
Participates with senior staff in assessing and testing new technology.
Contributes to the collection and analysis of data as well as identification of trends or patterns and provides draft insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.
Conduct all asset management activities including conducting the yearly asset verification exercise, assigning assets and maintaining UMOJA records, maintaining inventory of equipment, processing the disposal of any obsolete office equipment
Ensure that all hardware remains functional and liaise with vendors for maintenance and repair as required.
Performs ad hoc duties as required.
May provide guidance to new/junior staff.
Competencies
PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of information technology/information management, particularly in systems analysis, database design and programming. Knowledge of several high-level programming languages and significant exposure to and demonstrated proficiency in all aspects of programming and analysis, including structured/object-oriented design, relational systems, scripting and query languages, document design and management, hardware and software requirements, systems facilities and execution protocols.
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.
PLANNING and 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.
Education
First level university degree in computer science, information technology, management information system or related field is required.
Job - Specific Qualification
Not available.
Work Experience
A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in Networking support or related field is required. Experience in Microsoft Operating Systems, Microsoft Office Solution, system installation and configuration or related area is required. Experience supporting clients using MS365 applications is required. Experience in using cloud services is desirable. Experience in ICT inventory management process and systems is desirable. Experience working with the rules and procedures of the United Nations Common System or a comparable organization 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 https://languages.un.org 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 may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
This position is funded for a finite period of one year. Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and the availability of the funds. The contract will be administered by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of OCHA. Appointment against this post is on a local basis. 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. An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. Candidates for the National Professional Officer category shall be of the nationality of the country where this position is located (limited to Turkish nationals).
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.