INFORMATION SYSTEMS ASSISTANT (Temporary Job Opening) [Temporary]

This post is located in United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva. The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Chief of the Statistical Information Technologies Unit, Development Statistics and Information Branch (DSIB), Division on Globalization and Development Strategies (DGDS).

Within delegated authority, the Information Systems Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

- Participates in the development, programming, testing, debugging and implementation of UNCTAD Statistical Information system releases, modules and functionalities.
- Develops, tests and implements simple computer application systems and programs using UN established standards for IT technologies, programming languages and tools.
- Serves as team member in the planning, specification, design, development and implementation of statistical web sites and interactive data visualizations (graphs and maps).
- Installs computer application systems software and hardware according to specifications; monitors computer applications systems using appropriate monitoring tools and produces
monitoring reports.
- Prepares technical and user documentation for deployed computer application systems, as well as training materials and conducts technical presentations.
- Maintains functional specifications for computer application systems, programs and procedures developed and/or modified.
- Provides support for deployed computer application systems including version management, data recovery and deployment to users' offices; performs ongoing reviews with users and developers and responds to users' requests.
- Keeps abreast of developments in the field; performs benchmarking and proposes new acquisitions.
- Provides guidance to new/junior staff.
- Performs other duties as assigned.

PROFESSIONALISM : Knowledge of statistical information infrastructure, including software and application systems. Knowledge of relevant programming language(s) and ability to use programming skills to develop information systems. Knowledge of web development (including statistical data visualization) and geospatial databases. Ability to respond to changing requirements and assignments, ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given. 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. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

TEAMWORK : Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places
team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

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.

High school diploma or equivalent.

A minimum of seven years of experience in information systems analysis and programming, systems administration and maintenance, software development, technical writing or related area is required. Experience in statistical and geospatial databases, Microsoft SQL Server, .Net framework, C#, jQuery, HTML5, and/or QGIS is desirable. Experience in data visualization using D3.js and/or Leaflet.js is desirable. Experience in Debian and/or Apache is desirable.

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

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

The duration of the temporary appointment is through 31 December 2019 with an estimated start date as soon as possible.

Candidates should have no expectation of any fixed-term appointment possibility after the end of this temporary assignment. If the selected candidate is an internal staff member of the UN Secretariat, the selection will be recorded as a temporary assignment. Subsequent to the initial temporary appointment, new and successive temporary appointments may be granted for service in the same office or in a different office any number of times, for any duration, provided that the length of service does not exceed the period of 364 calendar days.

All TJOs in the General Service and related categories, at the levels GS-5, GS-6 and GS-7 shall be open only to internal staff members at the respective duty station holding a Fixed-
Term Appointment, Continuing Appointment or Permanent Appointment. When a qualified internal staff member cannot be identified, the hiring manager may submit a request for an
exception for selecting an external candidate (including a staff member holding a temporary appointment). Such requests must be substantiated and submitted to the respective
Recruitment focal point who in turn will review for transmittal to OHRM. In addition, all new entry-level recruitment in the General Service and related categories, for positions at the GS-4/TC-3/S-2/ PIA I levels and below, irrespective of the source of funding, will only be granted Temporary Appointments . Vacancies at these levels are open to both internal and external candidates, including staff members on temporary appointments. However, priority consideration will be given to serving staff members holding Fixed-Term Appointments followed by those holding Temporary Appointments. New external candidates will only be considered when a serving staff member holding a Fixed-Term or Temporary Appointment cannot be identified. Selection of a new external candidate requires the approval of OHRM. No entry level Fixed-Term Appointments will be granted to new external candidates.

For more details on the administration of temporary appointments please refer to ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1. For information on special post allowance, please refer to ST/AI/1999/17. The Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and administrative issuances governing staff appointments can be viewed at: http://www.un.org/hr_handbook/English United Nations Administrative Support Assessment Test (ASAT) or Global General Services Test (GGST) at Headquarters or an equivalent locally-administered test at Offices Away.

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.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.

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.