Org. Setting and Reporting
The Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT) is leading the digital transformation of the Organization to enable a better, safer, more sustainable future through secure, reliable, and innovative technology solutions. OICT is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. OICT supports the principles of work-life balance and flexible work arrangements. This position is located in the Office of Information and Communications Technology, Enterprise Solutions Service, Enterprise Application Center—Asia, hosted by UNESCAP and located in Bangkok, Thailand. The incumbent will report to a Senior Information Systems Officer within OICT/ESS.
Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of a Senior Information Systems Officer and overall guidance of the Chief, ESS, the Information Systems Officer may be responsible for the following duties:
Manages projects involving feasibility studies, systems analysis, design, development and implementation of new, moderately complex systems, and/or participates as a member of a development team with responsibility for major components of the more complex systems.
Develops detailed system and other functional specifications and user documentation for major systems.
Provides specialized advice to users, analyzing users’ requirements and translating business needs into technical solutions and corresponding technical requirements used throughout the development process.
Develops functional specifications and system context diagrams as required.
Facilitates effective project requirement discovery meetings while exhibiting confidence and extensive knowledge of business requirements and emerging technology standard methodologies.
Organizes and performs unit and integrated testing, designing and utilizing test bases; assists users in acceptance testing.
Develops training materials, operating and user manuals; trains staff in assigned systems.
Researchanalyzes,yzes and evaluates new technologies and makes recommendations for their deployment.
Participates in writing reports and papers on systems-related topics, system requirements, information strategy, etc.
Provides guidance to, and may supervise, new/junior staff, consultants, etc.
Develops creative approaches to problem resolution.
Develops effective recommendations on functional design and applications to meet business requirements and implements projects in a timely and effective manner.
Facilitates communications between OICT/ESS and its clients for good client relations. Serves as coordinator in the development of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between the client and ESS for either specific IT services or general technology support, including any charge back mechanisms.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
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.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, to include proficiency in the development and implementation of systems of moderate size/complexity. Knowledge of interactive systems; good knowledge of the organization's information infrastructure and IT strategy as it relates to user area(s); independently maintains assigned systems and develops innovative approaches to resolve a wide range of issues/problems.
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; and 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.
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 the team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect their own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ points 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 timelines for delivery of products or services to clients.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in computer science, information systems, mathematics, statistics or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Certification in Prince2 or equivalent is desirable.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in planning, design, architecture, development, implementation and maintenance of computer applications and mobile applications is required. A minimum of four years of hands-on experience with following software development technologies: Java / Spring Boot, C# / .Net Core, React, to build REST API services and web front ends, is required. A minimum of four years of hands-on experience in architecture and building software solutions for International Development and SDG related topics is required.
At least four years of experience with CI/CD, containers and deploying on Azure is required. A minimum of three years of hands-on experience in architecture and building software for extreme conditions (low-bandwidth, high latency, intermittent connectivity) is required. A minimum of two years of hands-on experience with all the following mobile software development technologies: native iOS, native Android, React Native is required. Demonstrated experience with ICT security applied to software development and excellent knowledge of Internet protocols and services is required.
Experience with Natural Language Processing, with Large Language Model and with deployment and running Machine Learning models at the edge (on mobile or small PC) is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. French is desirable. 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
Desirable Languages
Language | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking
French | UN Level I | UN Level I | UN Level I | UN Level I
Assessment
Qualified applicants may be assessed through a competency-based interview and/or other assessment methods.
Special Notice
This post is funded from extra budgetary resources. The initial appointment is for a period of one year. Extension of appointment is subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds. 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.
Pursuant to section 6.9 of ST/AI/2010/3/Rev. 1, interns, consultants, individual contractors and gratis personnel may not apply for or be appointed to any vacancy in the Professional or higher categories within six months of the end of their current or most recent service. Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position.[S
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.