JOB DESCRIPTION

Deadline for Applications

November 22, 2025

Hardship Level

A (least hardship)

Family Type

Family

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

NOA

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Target Start Date

2025-12-01

Standard Job Description

Assistant IT Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

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 ITS 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 ITS/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

To ensure reliable delivery of IT services within the GSS scope, the incumbent will liaise with the GSS IT personnel in the central and hub location on a regular basis, as well as with other key stakeholders such as ITS, as required. The Assistant IT Officer is expected to demonstrate:

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and attitudes.

Proven experience in managing delivery of IT support services in organizations with a multicultural and global context.

A successful track of professional records with increasing managerial responsibilities in the IT and Telecommunications domain, preferably with the UN field and HQ experience.

Ability to provide clear procedural and technical guidance to diverse teams; ability to plan, prioritize and organize work assignments, often under competing deadlines. Capacity to address multiple tasks timely and in a courteous and service-oriented manner. Skills to analyze processes and statistical data for business reporting, decision making, and optimization. Ability to translate customer requirements into business solutions.

Good understanding of the ITIL framework and its application for improved service delivery, risk management, cost optimization, and strategic alignment with business objectives.

Ability to support development and implementation of SOPs, checklists, and quality assurance frameworks.

Experience with managing service performance, being able to understand reasons behind the metrics performance and take corrective actions where necessary.

Experience with service management tools (e.g. ServiceNow) and ERP systems (such as Oracle and SAP). Relevant training and certifications would be an advantage.

Ability to act as the escalation point for the service issues in scope and deal appropriately with sensitive information.

Ability to work in a multicultural environment and manage a diverse team. Demonstrate excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Competencies and attitudes expected in IT service delivery to promote a collaborative and customer-centric culture.

Strong proficiency in both written and verbal communication in Spanish and English is essential.

Additional Information:

Application open for all nationals with right to work in Panama.

Candidates must be nationals or legal residents of Panama. The candidates who are not nationals of Panama but are legally residing in the country must demonstrate a proof of residency and work permit at the time of application

Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a test. No late applications will be accepted. UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

Deadline for Applications: November 23rd, 2025 (Midnight, Geneva Time)

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

Spanish

,

English

,

Desired languages

,

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel.

Nature of Position:

Global Shared Services (GSS) provides location-independent transactional services in Finance, Payroll, Human Resources, Supply, and IT, to enable operations to focus on strategic and context-specific priorities globally. The GSS located in Budapest serves as the backbone of the service, which is supported by satellite teams in Panama, Amman, Kuala Lumpur, Dakar, and Nairobi.  The GSS also works very closely with all enabling functions (DPM, DRM, DEPS, and ITS) to ensure policies and controls are implemented and delivered in an efficient manner. The strategic direction and operating modalities of the service are governed by the GSS Advisory Board.

The Assistant IT Officer position is a part of the GSS Regional Hub and will facilitate delivery of the GSS IT services within his/her scope of responsibilities. The incumbent will administratively report to the Head of the GSS Regional Hub. Functionally, the Assistant IT Officer will be supervised by the relevant GSS IT authority and play a multi-functional role across several IT service domains of GSS.

The Assistant IT Officer will oversee and manage provision of IT services within the area of his/her responsibilities in GSS. The functional authority of the incumbent will define objectives and provide the implementation directions to the incumbent. The incumbent will also be guided by information found in the UNHCR manuals and relevant policy papers to ensure compliance with the organization’s practices.

The Assistant IT Officer will monitor and manage performance of IT services within the area of his/her GSS responsibilities, and provide regular, timely, and insightful reports to the supervisory authorities. The incumbent may, in turn, supervise UNHCR staff and/or members of the Affiliated Work Force.

The Assistant IT Officer will work closely with other support teams to ensure service continuity and high-quality outcomes that enhance satisfaction of customers, provide them with technical and procedural advice, and support high-quality standards of GSS services.

The incumbent will drive continuous improvements by monitoring performance of the services in his/her GSS scope and analyzing reasons behind the metrics behaviour to discuss and apply appropriate corrective actions, if required.

Further, the incumbent will assist with maintenance of a business IT structure that is robust and flexible enough to accommodate variable needs of GSS customers, that is scalable and can leverage internal and external capacities for provision of reliable GSS IT support.

The Assistant IT Officer will be required to maintain impartial, ethical and customer-oriented relations with stakeholders, partners and customers. This includes evidence-based planning, timely coordination, and exchange of information within the established service perimeter of GSS and in compliance with the UN/UNHCR rules and policy documents.

Living and Working Conditions:

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: 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

UNHCR Salary Calculator

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

Compendium

Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position doesn”t require a functional clearance