Associate IT Service Delivery Management Officer -Mekele, Ethiopia

Organization: UNHCR

Location: Mekele, Ethiopia

Deadline: December 15, 2022

Job Description

Hardship Level

D

Family Type

Non Family with Residential Location

Family Type

Non Family with Residential Location Danger Pay

Residential location (if applicable)

Addis Ababa, Eth Fed Dem Rep

Grade

PR2

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Remote work accepted

No

Target Start Date

2022-11-24-08:00

Job Posting End Date

December 15, 2022

 

Standard Job Description

Associate IT Service Delivery Management Officer Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Associate IT Service Delivery Management Officer is responsible for ensuring that IT systems and services are available and delivered consistently, reliably, and effectively.

The incumbent oversees day-to-day operations and coordinates the work of multiple support groups, both internal to UNHCR, as well as, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and ensures the various MSPs (both local and corporate) and UNHCR IT staff under their supervision deliver efficient and effective systems and services in accordance to contractual obligations and best practices.

Understanding the current and future needs, the incumbent ensures that the IT requirements are understood and that offices within their respective area of responsibility (AoR) have adequate IT Services to maintain communications across the organization and have the IT tools necessary to support their work.

The incumbent has regular contact with MSPs (globally and locally within the AoR), with other Service Delivery Managers (SDMs), with Solution Engineers, with vendors, and all Services of DIST.

S/he understands and communicates the UNHCR IT strategy and vision, policies, and decisions throughout the AoR in a positive manner and leads by example in the adherence and adoption.

The Associate IT Service Delivery Management Officer establishes and sustains relationships with respective business leaders & management in order to achieve technical and business strategic alignment.

S/he may have supervisory responsibility for other IT staff both directly and in a matrixed structure. The specific reporting relationships may vary based on the size and structure of the Operation and will be specified in the Operational Context; the incumbent may receive functional direction and advice from the functional Division. Travel within the AoR is an integral part of this function, sometimes at short notice and potentially for extended periods of time, particularly when supporting an emergency.

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 Within the Area of Responsibility: – Oversee daily Business-As-Usual operational decisions, including; incident, problem, change, service request, and asset management.

– Prepare an IT Operations Plan and forecast annual IT budget needs; including lifecycle management, application licensing, maintenance, recurring and capital expenditures, providing input to the Annual Programme Review.

– Ensure compliance with Service Management and IT security policies and standards, technical architecture, and service level agreements reporting non-compliance as appropriate.

– Monitor Service Level performance targets (internal and external); including, follow up, validation, and audit of results.

– Serve as primary escalation point for end-user and operational issues (Incidents & Service Requests) not resolved within established SLA’s; coordinate with MSPs to expedite resolution including prioritization and escalation of SLA performance breaches to supervisor or responsible service tower owner.

– Work closely with UNHCR SDMs and MSPs to carry out problem management and root cause analysis and prevent recurrence of critical problems by executing approved changes.

– Review and validate that Change Management processes are adhered to by both staff and MSPs. Ensure that change, test, and release processes are properly planned and executed. Approve installation of new or upgraded systems and services. Support deployments and testing of new IT components.

– Recommend, and implement approved, service delivery process improvements. Define support processes in accordance with ITIL best-practices.

– Maintain accurate inventory of all IT equipment for all sites and ensure relevant Asset Management policies and guidelines are followed and the ITSM databases are up-to-date.

– Maintain accurate inventory of all locally developed applications and systems and report in the central registry.

– Leverage the broader IT community (UNHCR, UN agencies, partners and external providers) to deliver the most efficient and cost-effective solutions to the business. May represent UNHCR IT in inter-agency and other external meetings.

– Ensure solutions are of high-quality from a technical perspective and that end-user support is responsive and effective. – Monitor, analyse, and report on system and infrastructure performance and capacity in a timely manner and ensure that service owner take appropriate action.

– Track expenditures against budgets, prepare forecasts, and verify invoices from service providers and suppliers against SLA performance targets before payment is approved. Participate in periodic performance review meetings with partners.

– Provide accurate and timely information on operational status and reports to management. – Ensure Audit recommendations and actions are completed in a timely manner.

– Assist in drafting requests for proposals and reviewing support contracts including SLAs, SOPs, and OGs. Additional duties for Country Operations positions

– Liaise and negotiate, when necessary, with relevant regulatory bodies to ensure all required permissions to operate UNHCR networks are granted.

– Promote partnership with sister Agencies, Implementing Partners, NGOs and other operational partners in consultation with Regional Bureau/Country Representative/DIST, Headquarters.

– Report on regularly to the Regional Bureau, Senior IT Service Delivery Management Officer.

– Coordinate with UNHCR offices for logistic support to clear IT equipment and accessories for speedy deployment.

– Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications Education & Professional Work Experience Years of Experience /

Degree Level For P2/NOB – 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree Field(s) of Education *Information & Communications Technologies; *Computer Science; *Information Systems; *Information Technologies; Project Management; or other relevant field. (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential) Certificates and/or Licenses *ITIL V3 Foundation Project Management (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience Essential

– Experience in IT including managing IT service delivery with SLA based delivery of both centralized and decentralized applications, systems, and services.

– Good understanding and practical experience of ITIL Service Operations processes driven by continuous improvement.

– Experience working with business partners to understand how IT affects an organization and link it to business processes and operational tasks.

– Ability to influence, manage and lead negotiations with stakeholders. Strong interpersonal skills that include effective communications (both verbally and written) at all levels; to technical and non-technical audiences.

– Experience working in a matrixed team to ensure collaborations and effective operations across multiple organisations.

– Experience in project monitoring and control, data analysis, and presentation for executive review and decision making.

– Experience of coordinating activities across different partner organizations developing effective services. Desirable – Formal certification in ITIL Service Operations.

– Experience providing IT services, including deep field locations.

– Experience acting as an inter-agency IT focal point.

– Solid understanding of application and infrastructure technologies used in IT systems and services supported by IT staff in the AoR.

– Experience of operating in humanitarian or United Nations organizations, with field experience.

– A good understanding of UN/UNHCR reforms and the priority agenda of the organization. Functional Skills *IT-IT Service Delivery Management IT-IT Collaboration & Communications Tools IT-IT Network Monitoring & Alerting Tools IT-IT Operations Management IT-IT Project, Program or Portfolio Management IT-IT Service Delivery Management Software IT-IT Systems and Standards 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.

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

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

,

Desired languages

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

The Assc IT Serv Delivery Mgmt Officer will be responsible for the overall ICT infrastructure to make sure all the IT & Communication services are always functional. All the commercial ICT/GSM services in the Tigray region are suspended for the last two years. UNHCR offices and accommodations are solely relying on VSAT connectivity, VHF/HF comms, and satellite phones. The incumbent must have strong knowledge of VSAT (C-Band and Ku Band) and a solid understanding of VHF/HF radio communication systems (ICOM and CODAN). Also, the city power is not stable so the incumbent must have a good understanding of power backup systems.

The restrictions imposed on bringing the ICT equipment to the region are yet another challenge. The position requires the incumbent to be proactive and plan well enough on utilizing the resource and may sometimes require the reuse of old equipment. The incumbent will be managing a team of two subordinates while extending support to three field offices (Abi Adi, Maichew, Adigrat). The position may also require extending support to other offices in the region that doesn’t fall directly under the area of responsibility of the position. Due to the complex nature of the restrictions specifically on ICT equipment and services, the position requires coordination and collaboration with sister agencies and will be participating in ICT sub-working group discussions.

The incumbent must have experience in successfully managing IT and telecommunications related projects; experience working in emergency situations, including in insecure environments; experience planning and delivering IT and telecommunications or related training to audiences of various technical abilities and experience working with external suppliers or partners to deliver against agreed upon objectives. She/he will be under the direct supervision of the Admin Officer.

Key skills and competencies required for the position

  • Experience with external managed service provider for IT infrastructure maintenance & support
  • IT-Wide Area Networks (WAN)
  • Satellite Communications (VSAT)
  • Radio Communications (HF, UHF, VHF)
  • Network Monitoring and Alert Tools
  • Telephony, VoIP
  • EX-Field experience

Living and Working Conditions:

Mekelle, is the capital city of Tigray Region in Ethiopia. It is located around 780 kilometers (480 mi) north of the capital Addis Ababa, with an elevation of 2,254 meters above sea level. Administratively, Mekelle is considered a Special Zone, which is divided into seven sub-cities. Mekelle is the economic, cultural, and political hub of northern Ethiopia. Mekelle has grown rapidly since 1991. In 1984 it had 61,583 inhabitants, in 1994, 96,938 (96.5% being Tigrinya), and in 2006 169,200 (i. e. 4% of the population of Tigray). Mekelle is 2.6 times larger than Adigrat, the second largest regional centre. It is the fifth largest city in Ethiopia, after Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Adama, and Gondar. Most of the population of Mekelle depends on government employment, commerce, and small-scale enterprises.

Mekelle has new engineering, cement, and textile factories, producing for the local and foreign market. There are limited medical facilities in Mekelle that are equipped to deal with moderate medical cases. Evacuation opportunities are also limited. However, air ambulance evacuation can be organized for life-threatening emergencies during daytime. Candidates with conditions requiring regular treatment or medical supervision should be appropriately advised. The climate of Ethiopia and the regions varies greatly. It is temperate on the plateau and hot in the lowlands. Generally, the high elevation of the land affects one’s adjustment to the environment. While the primary hospital in Mekelle is functioning, it is currently running low on medical supplies. Most pharmacies in town are open, but they also struggle to get medical supplies, so staff with prescriptions should come with at least 3 months of prescription medication. UN Clinic medical team supporting staff is available in Mekelle.

The local currency is the Ethiopian Birr. Foreign currency may only be changed at authorized banks and hotels. Exchange of foreign currency outside the regulated banks (Black Market) is a criminal offence, and international UN personnel caught by police sting operations have been known to be arrested and detained for several days. Any entry or exit of cash more than US$3,000 (or the equivalent in other foreign currencies) must be declared to the customs authority upon arrival. ATM cash withdrawals are currently unavailable in Mekelle. As there are no functioning banks in Tigray, there is still a serious shortage of cash, but the office will provide advance cash from entitlements. While humanitarian partners’ access to Tigray is improving, access to large areas continues to be impeded by insecurity, limiting the humanitarian response, particularly in rural hard-to-reach areas. Communications blackout persists in Tigray with no mobile network and Wi-Fi as all local internet companies are closed. In Mekelle, the office relies on VSAT for internet connectivity. Internet access only viable during office hours when the generator is switched on, possibly not available at hotels.  Mekelle is classified as security level – high. The restriction of movement is imposed on the movement of the staff member and the activities in the field, depending on the development of the security situation.

No regular flights between Addis Ababa and Tigray (Mekelle & Shire), thus, Staff members will depend on the UNHAS available flights to Tigray (Mekelle & Shire) and sometimes by road convoy and should be prepared to operate under challenging conditions with extremely limited resources. Staff members will be working within a city that has been isolated for several months due to the crisis which began in November 2020. The office deals primarily with several local camp environments with inherent risks to staff health.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

BA: Computer Science (Required), BA: Information and Communication Technology (Required), BA: Information Systems (Required), BA: Project Management (Required)

Certifications

ITIL V3 Foundation Level – AXELOS Ltd, Project Management – Other

Work Experience

Annual Budget OL in Operation/Office, Number of Persons of Concern Served, Number of Workforce in Operation/Work Setting, Workforce to Supervise, Working with Persons of Concern: Internally Displaced Persons, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

UNHCR Salary Calculator

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

Compendium

Bi-annual Compendium 2022 Part B – November 2022

 

Functional clearance

This position requires Functional Clearance

 

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