Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Regional Field Technology Service (RFTS) of the UN Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE) in Entebbe, Uganda. The selected candidate will serve as Telecommunications Officer, FS6 to supervise the ICT Operations Unit in support of the RSCE and client missions in accord with the RFTS mandate. The Telecommunications Officer will report to the Unit supervisor. The Department of Operational Support (DOS) was established to provide end-to-end operational support, advisory services, and other solutions to operating entities across the Secretariat, including departments, offices away from headquarters, peace operations, and regional commissions. The Regional Service Centre in Entebbe, Uganda (RSCE), was established in July 2010, following the adoption of General Assembly resolution 64/269. The Centre provides efficient, client-oriented and scalable services with the goal of moving transactional, non-location dependent administrative functions to the Centre from its client entities. This includes transactional elements of human resources, finance, multimodal movement, and control, personnel and cargo transport and information and communications technology (ICT) support. In addition to these services, the RSCE Office of the Director and support offices through the Deputy Director RSCE provides overall guidance on the operations of the RSCE including strategic planning, communication, budgeting, human resources management, property management, quality assurance and business intelligence, conference services, record keeping and archive management, audit response, and risk management. For more information, please visit https://rsce.unmissions.org.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Telecommunications Officer will be responsible for the following duties: • Leads the design, installation, testing, commissioning, and decommissioning of various information communications technology (ICT) systems such as local area networks, metro-area networks, or country-wide or regional networks. • Leads the introduction of new systems while managing legacy systems throughout their lifecycle. • Drafts specifications and standards for ICT equipment such as hub routers and switching systems, and creates and maintains documentation, in particular Standard Operating Procedures, Work Instructions, and documentation describing the functioning of the infrastructure, etc. • Provides support for developing technical specifications for equipment procurement; evaluates vendors’ proposals, performs tests, and recommends selection of ICT equipment. • Establishes performance standards for telecommunications equipment and service and recommends corrective measures to improve service quality and operational performance. • Provides planning support for rapid set-up and operation of ICT infrastructure from “scratch” at local and wide area levels, including visiting regions for technical reconnaissance missions. • Provides engineering services for planning, implementing, and maintaining local and wide area telecommunications networks. • Provides emergency communications capabilities supporting staff security, including providing a focal point for interagency emergency field security communications liaison. • Collaborates with HR in preparing training modules and other training activities in all aspects of communications technology usage. • Prepares and makes presentations on ICT networks, systems, and equipment to staff and other UN agencies. • Manages ICT Projects as per the project management standards and Prince2 standards. • Ensures effective coordination with other UN agencies to maximize possibilities of inter-agency collaboration in the field of telecommunications. • Leads, manages and supervises various teams and staff/technicians as required. • Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of communication equipment with adequate skills for their installation and maintenance. Knowledge of operations of commercial telecommunications services, voice and data communications techniques, radio and satellite communication systems. Ability to analyze telecommunication data and conduct reviews. 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. • TECHNOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology. • 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

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job – Specific Qualification

A technical or vocational certificate in Project Management, i.e. Prince2 practioner is Desirable A technical or vocational certificate in IT Service Management, i.e. ITIL4 is desirable.

Work Experience

A minimum of Ten (10) years’ of progressively responsible professional experience in telecommunications, electronic data transmission, network design and experience in providing ICT operational support services or related field is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five (5) Years for candidates who possess a first level university degree. Experience leading and managing medium to large Information Telecommunications Technology teams over diverse geographical and remote areas is required. Experience in designing, coordinating and delivering training and capacity building activities related to new and innovative technologies in a challenging environment is desirable. Experience providing services in Information and Telecommunications Technology Systems or related area in a field operation of the United Nations common system or comparable international organization or in a military operations environment is desirable. Experience in carrying out administrative functions, which would include preparation of budget/cost estimates, reporting on budget/programme performance, procurement of goods and services along with contract management, and the recruitment of staff, is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

• 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. • This position is funded by the Support Account. The Appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year. • The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. • Applicants from troop and police-contributing countries who are found most suitable and recommended for selection will be given due consideration for positions in a peacekeeping operation or Headquarters support account funded positions in the Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Operational Support, taking into account their contribution to United Nations peacekeeping, in accordance with General Assembly resolutions 66/265 and 67/287. • 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. • 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.

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.