Assistant IT Officer

Job Description

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

National Professional Officer

Reason: Regular > Regular Assignment

Under the technical supervision of IT Officer, Administrative Officer, or a Bureau IT Lead, the Assistant IT Officer implements the IT operational plan in a well-defined geographical area. The incumbent provides technical supervision and guidance to locally recruited staff and ensures that IT equipment is always fully operational. S/he receives technical support and guidance from their supervisor.

Internally, the incumbent liaises directly with own IT Service Delivery Team daily as well as with end users to clarify, analyse and resolve reported issues. S/he may also liaise with external service providers, as required, to resolve escalated infrastructure issues.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional, and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

• Oversee daily Business-As-Usual operational IT matters, including incident, problem, change, service request, and asset management – following ITIL principles and DIST Standard Operating Procedures and guidelines.
• Participate in the assessment of operational and security infrastructure needs in each UNHCR office in the area of responsibility (AOR).
• Support the implementation of the IT operations plan and thereafter ensures that all equipment is always in good working conditions as to meet the IT needs of the office(s).
• Discuss infrastructure needs with the IT Officer and Head of office in the AOR and provide input for the budget submission.
• Monitor and coordinate the work of local IT staff as directed by the IT Officer or Head of Offices in accordance with the standards set by DIST/HQ.
• Maintain accurate inventory of all IT equipment for the AOR and ensure relevant Asset Management policies and guidelines are followed and the ITSM databases are up to date.
• Provide coaching and training to local IT staff and users. Draft procedures and instructions to promote a better understanding of the use of the IT equipment – using shared resources on the Intranet, when available.
• Participate in the assessment of security related projects in coordination with the Field Security Officer and assist in the formulation of recommendations on security communications.
• Promote relation with UNHCR implementing partners to enhance communication and avoid duplication of efforts.
• Provide accurate and timely information on operational status and reports to management,
• Liaise with Registration and Information Management colleagues to ensure their IT needs are met.
• Liaise with the National Regulatory Authority to ensure that licenses and permissions required to operate UNHCR telecommunications networks are granted.
• Actively participate in IT related meetings to ensure that all decisions taken meet UNHCR’s operational and security requirements.
• Liaise directly with end users to clarify, analyse, and resolve reported issues, delivering high standards of customer service.
• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P1/NOA – 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Information Technology;                    or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

*ITIL Certification

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Hands on experience working with current versions of IT products and services used in UNHCR offices – including a good understanding of network and telephony infrastructure; MS Office productivity software (Windows, Office 365); and Cloud collaboration services (MS Teams, SharePoint, etc.). Experience working with external managed service providers for IT infrastructure maintenance and support.

Desirable

For offices with satellite connectivity: experience in VSAT technologies. For offices with Security Comms (Radio room); experience in HF/VHF radio technologies. Practical experience working in the deep field.

Functional Skills

IT-IT Systems and Standards

IT-IT Network Monitoring & Alerting Tools

IT-IT Collaboration & Communications Tools

IT-Microsoft Office Productivity Software

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.

For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

• Accountability
• Communication
• Organizational Awareness
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

Empowering and Building Trust

Cross-Functional Competencies

• Analytical Thinking
• Innovation and Creativity
• Technological Awareness

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Desired Candidate Profile

As per the standard Job Description

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

,Desired languages

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

Uganda hosts approximately 1.6 million refugees, predominantly from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Sudan and Burundi. This dynamic and challenging environment requires robust Information and Communication Technology (ICT) support to facilitate efficient delivery of protection and assistance activities. Since the comprehensive verification exercise in 2018, the role of ICT has been significantly magnified, becoming a cornerstone in managing complex refugee flows and operations.

During critical periods such as presidential elections, the country office encounters significant ICT and connectivity challenges, necessitating a proactive approach to contingency planning and crisis management. The ICT department plays a vital role in ensuring continuous and reliable service, particularly during these high-stress periods when demand surges unexpectedly.

Infrastructure and Operations:

The ICT operation supports continuous refugee registration activities, currently operational in over 45 distinct locations across Uganda. This extensive network requires a sophisticated approach to managing ICT infrastructure, IT support to connectivity for schools and community centers, including the deployment, support, and maintenance of connectivity and core network services. Collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), which is integral to the registration process, is a key aspect of the operation, highlighting the strategic importance of ICT in governmental partnerships.

Scope of Operations:

The ICT operations oversee 15 site office locations, including the Country Office, Sub Offices, Field Offices, and Field Units. Each of these sites is equipped with essential core ICT infrastructure, enabling effective onsite IT Service Delivery and Provisioning. Under the direct supervision of the Senior IT Service Delivery Management Officer, the Assistant IT Officer expected to provide technical supervision and guidance to locally recruited staff and ensure that ICT equipment is always fully operational. He/she will be requested to supervise the implementation of the ICT operations plan and thereafter ensure that all equipment is always in good working conditions as to meet the ICT needs of Representation Office Kampala, Uganda.

Strategic Leadership and Compliance:

The incumbent manages relationships with service providers to troubleshoot and resolve issues promptly and effectively, contributing to the overall success of ICT service delivery. Furthermore, the incumbent monitors outsourced ICT services to ensure they deliver the best value for money without compromising service quality. Additionally, the incumbent coordinates closely with the Supply Unit for ICT-related procurement and service contracts, ensuring they meet UNHCR’s operational requirements and financial guidelines.

S/he will report directly to the Senior IT Service Delivery Management Officer. The incumbent will have functional supervision of the local IT staff in the office and provide guidance to them as well as oversee the IT functions in the field location.

Living and Working Conditions:

Kampala is a Family Duty Station Capital city with a large offer of comfortable houses and flats are available, bank services are excellent as well as a decent internet service and mobile coverage. Power supply might be irregular in some areas hence a generator or backup inverter might be necessary. Medical facilities including hospitals of good quality are available as well as a large choice of International schools and nurseries. Food and house supplies are available in supermarkets and markets and online purchases and home deliveries are efficient. No decent public transport is available, but Taxis/Uber are commonly used and car purchase is an easy option as the offer is wide.
Although Kampala and Entebbe are considered under moderate security levels (Security level III), many UN agencies and funds are headquartered in Kampala including the UNHCR branch office to provide support on the mandate to protect and assist refugees of both Urban caseloads and those in settlements in the Southwest, Midwest and West Nile regions. Kampala is considered a family duty station with better social amenities- schools, recreation and health services. The major threat to staff includes and is not limited to prospects of terrorism allowed heavy security presence in both uniform and plain cloth, high road traffic accidents, common law crimes and spontaneous outbreaks of water born disease like Typhoid, cholera plus occasional political /civil unrest mostly contained by Government. The security management systems have put in place mitigation measures to avert the impact of the threats therein and is a collective responsibility of all staff members.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

IT-IT Collaboration & Communications Tools, IT-IT Network Monitoring & Alerting Tools, IT-IT Systems and Standards, IT-Microsoft Office Productivity Software

Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA): Information Technology

Certifications

ITIL Certification – Foundation Level – AXELOS Ltd

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Innovation & creativity, Organizational awareness, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

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