Head of IT Services

Parent Sector: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

Duty Station: Montreal

Job Family: Computer Sciences / Information Technologies

Type of contract: Project Appointment

Duration of contract: 1 year

Recruitment open to: Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time): 19-DEC-2024 (Re-advertisement)

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Duration of contract: 1 year with the possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

Background: The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is a statistical agency that produces cross-nationally comparable data for education, science, culture, and communication and information. Established in 1999, the UIS provides statistical and technical inputs for global, regional, and development agendas, including the UN Transforming Education Summit, the Global Education Cooperation Mechanism, G7, and G20. The UIS aims to serve the needs of Member States by providing sound statistical information that informs policies and decision-making, benchmarks progress toward national and international goals, and promotes learning from the experience of others. The UIS IT and Data Production Services team supports the successful implementation of this vision through technology, tools, and processes that enable stakeholders to make the best use of the data produced by UIS.

Purpose: Under the overall authority of the Senior Executive Officer (SEO), the head of ITS services is responsible for planning, directing, and evaluating all informational technology programmes of the UIS. The incumbent ensures the availability of appropriate IT infrastructure, applications and software required to support the substantive statistical programmes of UIS and the delivery of responsive IT support to the staff and programmes of UIS. A key role is the identification and management of complex and diverse user requirements.

The work involves the planning, development, and coordination of the information technology systems for the UIS. Included is the oversight of the development, design, and implementation of new IT applications and changes to existing IT systems and software packages. This work requires innovative approaches in the development of new IT applications and systems to meet changing and emerging statistical and programme needs of the Institute. The work of IT services has a direct impact on, and is critical to, the delivery of the substantive statistical programmes of the Institute.

Managing a team of three staff, s/he will develop a UIS IT Strategy and contribute his/her expertise to the overall UIS data management strategy.

Long Description

Specifically, the incumbent shall:

1. Establish and implement an IT systems and infrastructure strategy aligned to the UIS programme goals. Provide the following services: - Develop, implement, and coordinate systems policies and procedures as needed. - Determine standards for the Institute regarding acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of data and information. - Plan, implement, manage, monitor, and upgrade the overall efficiency of the UIS IT systems and networks.
2. Contribute to the UIS’s digital strategy to increase the access to, visibility and usage of UIS data and information products among its user target segments. Provide the following services: - Data Architecture and Maintenance: design and implement data centered infrastructure and solutions for current and future information products. - Data Release: support the data production of programme team as needed. - Database Administration: manage, monitor, and maintain UIS databases.
3. Manage the implementation of changes to data systems to ensure compliance, protection, privacy, and security requirements.
4. Plan and maintain UIS’ audiovisual, camera and phone systems, and software license control.
5. Develop the section’s budget and spending plan, selecting and purchasing new and replacement hardware and software, when necessary, and maintaining inventory records of all IT assets. Establish and manage IT contracts.
6. Develop training materials, technical and user documentation and train staff in the use of UIS systems.
7. Keeping abreast of developments in the field and providing leadership on introducing technological changes.
8. Lead and supervise the staff of the IT Unit, ensuring effective planning, coordination, and prioritization of daily tasks and responsibilities to achieve the overall objectives.
9. Coordinate/liaise with UNESCO DBS on matters related to information technology systems for the UIS.
10. Perform any additional activities that may be required in support of the mandate of the UIS and to ensure the success of the UIS team.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)
• Professionalism (C)
• Building partnerships (M)
• Driving and managing change (M)
• Leading and empowering others (M)
• Making quality decisions (M)
• Managing performance (M)
• Strategic thinking (M)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in computer science, data management, information systems, information sciences, information technology or a related field.

Experience

• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in planning, development, implementation, and maintenance of data ecosystems.
• At least five years of experience in envisioning, planning, and executing Information Technology roadmaps in a technical product environment in an organized way.
• Experience in DevOps tool chains consisting of tools like Git, Jenkins or Bamboo – or equivalent tools.
• Experience of creating, testing, and implementing business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
• Experience in managing teams.
• Experience in supporting cross-functional teams and collaborating with stakeholders in support of analytics initiatives.

Skills and Competencies

• Exposure to a variety of technologies such as web application proxies, databases, LDAP and directory services, application servers, network infrastructure, and understanding of security and dataflow within these components.
• Strong understanding and experience of network, application and infrastructure security; information security administration, data privacy compliance and cyber security.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Language

• Excellent knowledge (spoken and written) of English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Relevant certifications such as Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), AWS Certified Big Data - Specialty, or Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate.

Work Experience

• Experience at a senior or principal Product Manager / IT Manager level.
• Experience in delivering big data use cases is desirable, including projects using technology such as Apache Spark, Hadoop, or others.
• Experience working in team environments that utilize an Agile methodology.
• Experience working with the C# programming language.

Languages

• Working knowledge of other UNESCO official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc.

The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 117,303 US $.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview.

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.