Suitably qualified citizens of the Member States and Associate Members of the Association of Caribbean States are invited to apply for the position of Information Technology (IT) Officer at the ACS Secretariat at its headquarters in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Full time

Indefinite (with a 1 year probationary period)

1. Assess the ACS’ Digital Maturity and identify gaps, opportunities, and areas for improvement;
2. Develop and implement a comprehensive Digital Transformation Strategy inclusive of a change management plan that aligns with our business objectives and addresses both short-term and long-term goals;
3. Analyse the Secretariat’s Information Management Framework and aligns it with the Secretariat’s Strategic Objectives to deliver added value for stakeholders;
4. Analyse the ICT Infrastructure and aligns it with the Secretariat’s Strategic Objectives;
5. Contribute to the establishment of Information Technology policies and strategies to support the organisation’s infrastructure;
6. Lead the provision of end-user services, including help desk and technical support services;
7. Work with the Legal Unit to ensure that the Secretariat’s Information and Communication operations adhere to any applicable laws and/or regulations;
8. Provide recommendations on the most suitable technologies, tools, and platforms to achieve our strategic objectives;
9. Identify potential risks and challenges and develop mitigation strategies applicable to ACS Secretariat operations;
10. Support the development and implementation of a Data Protection framework, preparing reports, answering queries, and all other tasks as defined in the IT Officer`s Terms of Reference;
11. Maintain all computer equipment, servers and other ICT equipment;
12. Manage technical operations of network services, and complete any problem resolution of operational issues;
13. Facilitate set up and usage of ICT equipment for events and meetings;
14. Troubleshoot ICT related issues, equipment and software;
15. Advise on any ICT services or upgrades as necessary;
16. Coordinate the continuous development, implementation and updating of security and privacy policies, standards, guidelines, baselines, processes, and procedures;
17. Develop and implement frameworks, processes, tools, and lead consultancy vital for IT to manage risk effectively and to make risk-based decisions related to IT activities;
18. Identify and mitigate all IT risks as well as responding to observations identified by auditors or any official while assisting in the development of periodic reports and dashboards communicating the level of controls compliance and current IT risk posture;
20. Assist with the audits and facilitate management response and remediation efforts. Ensure overall IT compliance with regulatory requirements through proactive planning and communication, ownership, and relationships;
21. Expand the cumulative knowledge bank of the Secretariat’s staff with respect to the delivery of projects, critical initiatives, and systems portfolio;
22. Facilitate Continuous Professional Development of the Secretariat’s staff with respect to IT risks, compliance management and any other technical areas that is aligned to the ACS’ Strategic Objectives;
23. Identify residual risk and assist with action plans, policy, and procedural changes for risk mitigation;
24. Provide strategic recommendations to key IT projects to help improve project results, quality of work, risk optimization, security processes and compliance with regulations;
25. Conduct investigations into security incidents; prepare written findings, recommendations, and follow-up evaluation; and analyse patterns and trends;
26. Coordinate information security incident response and reporting for events or exploited vulnerabilities, including unauthorised system or network access, denial of service, inappropriate data access, data corruption, and/or collection of private or confidential information;
27. Facilitate information systems security management education and training in data protection, regulatory and industry standards for all employees;
28. Obtain and demonstrate ‘expert’ knowledge of data protection regulations and best practices;
29. Develop and maintain a Records Retention Procedural Handbook;
30. Manage Records Management System and Archival procedures;
31. Oversee the establishment of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the IT and Records Management functions;
32. Establish objectives, evaluate the performance of Unit Assistant(s) and provide required feedback and coaching to optimise performance;
33. Assist the Chief Operating Officer and / or the Secretary General with any other activity needed to attain the Association’s goals and objectives, including other related tasks which are relevant to the effective operation and strategic running of the Secretariat activities.

Under the general guidance of the Chief Operating Officer and in concert with the IT Consultant, the incumbent is responsible for:

• Acting as the primary champion for all Digital Transformation initiatives.
• Monitoring Information Security, Compliance, and Risk Management.
• Ensuring that all computers and information technology equipment are available for use by the organisation.
• Coordinating Information Security Controls, Cybersecurity and IT Risk Management programmes based on industry-accepted Information Security and Risk Management Frameworks.
• Implementing the adoption of best practices and standards for Records Management Practices.
• Troubleshooting systems and resolves technical issues to ensure maximum up-time.

The incumbent is responsible for co-ordinating, managing and overseeing the work of at least one Unit Assistant. Other duties include training and evaluation; planning and assigning responsibilities.

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field;
• At least five (5) years’ experience in the area of Information Systems;
• A Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field;
• At least two (2) years’ experience with any Enterprise Records Management System;
• Sound understanding of Data Protection principles;
• Experience with the development of awareness programmes in IT security;
• Strong agile Project Management skills in performing security assessment, audit reviews for business teams or external partners.

THE FOLLOWING WOULD BE CONSIDERED ASSETS:

• Demonstrated experience in any Enterprise Records Management System;

• Knowledge or expertise in other IT segments (e.g., DevOps, IoT);

• Demonstrated experience in working with organisations of similar size and industry, showcasing the ability to understand and address the unique challenges and opportunities of this specific sector;
• Demonstrated experience in IT security in an international organisation;
• Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Information Protection, Compliance Center, Azure Policies, Cloud Security App, Advance Threat Protection (ATP) or similar cloud solutions.

• Monthly Remuneration: US$3,100.00 (tax exempted);
• Group Health Insurance for the Professional and dependants (if applicable).
• Participation in the ACS’ Staff Fund (employee – 7% & employer – 14%);
• Annual paid vacation entitlement of 25 working days (2.08 per month).

Currriculum vitae. University degree certificate. Language Certificates (not in first language). Names of three referees and contact information.

Applicants must complete the Applicant Job Profile Summary Form included with the website vacancy. Failure to complete the Applicant Job Profile Summary Form will result in automatic rejection of the application. This form must be completed using either Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Do not attempt to complete this document using any web browser.

Applications must be addressed to:

Mr. Rodolfo Sabonge

Secretary General

Association of Caribbean States

5-7 Sweet Briar Road, St. Clair

PO Box 660, PORT OF SPAIN

Tel: 868-622-9575

Fax: 868-622-1653

And sent by email to: hrcontact@acs-aec.org

The details stated above outline the nature and level of the tasks normally assigned to this position. It does not constitute an exhaustive list of these tasks. Additional related duties may be assigned as necessary for the effective functioning of the Association.

Only electronic applications will be acknowledged. All your submissions via email must not exceed 5MB in size.

Due to the high volume of applications received, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview. These candidates will also receive notice of the final outcome of the selection process.