Categories: Vacancies, May 2026

ICT Specialist (Retainer)

Location: Addis Ababa

Organization: UNOPS

Deadline: 30-Jan-2025

Job Description

Background Information – Job-specific

UNOPS Horn of Africa Multi-Country Office is recruiting for this position: ICT Specialist (Retainer) based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Qualified females and candidates from underrepresented groups in UNOPS are highly encouraged to apply.

Organizational Context

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Horn of Africa Multi Country Office

Established in 2009, Ethiopia Multi-country office, now referred to as the Horn of Africa Multi-Country Office (HAMCO) manages a growing portfolio of engagements, including associated strategic and operational risks within the region. The HAMCO sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Addis Ababa which manages a portfolio of engagements in four (4) Horn of Africa countries (Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan and South Sudan). HAMCO focuses on Infrastructure, Procurement, Project Management, HR and Transactional Services, and Fund Management services across a wide range of sectors including Health, Education, Agriculture, Resilient infrastructure, among others.

Our goal is to support countries, help people in need and enable our partners through delivering on our mandate of infrastructure, procurement and project management in the countries in the Horn of Africa.

The purpose of the role is to provide technical advice and assistance on IT-related procurement projects to UNOPS. This assignment includes analyzing and understanding technology trends, developing appropriate technological proposals/specifications that are aligned with UNOPS business needs, and providing support and advice on IT systems, hardware, infrastructure, network administration, installation and configuration, as well as technology evaluation and research.

Functional Responsibilities

The ICT Specialist will report to the Procurement Manager and will be responsible for the following tasks and responsibilities:

Provide advice on ICT-related matters, including hardware and software, with a particular focus on the relevance of ICT interventions as outlined by a set of specifications, their costing, and implementation timelines.
Provide technical advice in one or more of the following areas: Modular Data Centers, Network Infrastructure, IP Telephony, CCTV, IT security, ICT services and solutions, online conferencing solutions, etc.
In close cooperation with the Project, Business Development, IT teams, and any other teams within UNOPS, provide technical advice on the implementation of the IT procurement strategy, including the development of specifications, the inclusion of sustainability, and the evaluation process.
Assess the technological requirements of UNOPS partners, propose appropriate solutions and services, including related products.
Support IT-related procurement in HAMCO, and provide guidance and advice. Provide subject matter expertise in the procurement of goods and services for projects undertaken by HAMCO.
Keep abreast of technological and market developments; research and analyze statistical data and market reports on the global commodity situation, production patterns, and the availability of goods and services.
Assist with cost estimations and assess the reasonableness of costs for required IT-related goods and services.
Identify new technologies and innovations in IT-related areas, evaluate and recommend potential supply sources, and update the procurement program as necessary.
Contribute to the design and/or delivery of ICT training.
Monitor and inspect the delivery of products and services to confirm compliance with the requested/contracted specifications and conditions.
Advise on or participate in the development and maintenance of network infrastructures.
Perform other duties and responsibilities relevant to the functions of an IT Specialist.

Impact of Results:

The key results will impact the overall efficiency of the procurement team and contribute to the successful implementation of IT-related projects.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

Master’s degree or equivalent, preferably in Information Technology or Computer Science or related fields in required.
A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and/or Information Technology or related fields with an additional 2 years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Experience:

A minimum of five (5) years of work experience in IT systems, hardware, IT infrastructure, network installation and administration, installation and configuration of unified communication systems, video conferencing, and servers, and technology evaluation and research is required.
Experience working with NGOs, the UN system, and large global donors is an advantage.

Language