Information Systems Officer

Org. Setting and Reporting The position is located in the Information Management and Technology Section (IMTS), Programme Support and Management Service (PSMS) of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The incumbent reports to the Head of Global IT Services Unit, IMTS, under the overall supervision of the Chief of IMTS. The incumbent is part of the global IT service model, with a focus on supporting the OHCHR Regional Office in Panama and its client offices. In this capacity, the incumbent works in close day-to-day operational coordination with the Head of the Regional Office and designated regional counterparts, while remaining under the reporting line and technical direction of IMTS. Responsibilities Within limits of delegated authority and depending on location, the Information Systems Officer may be responsible for the following duties: • Manages projects involving feasibility studies, requirements analysis, implementation, roll-out and support of new, moderately complex systems, IT services, infrastructure upgrades and digital platforms; and/or participates as a member of an IT service team with responsibility for major components of more complex systems. • Develops detailed system and other functional specifications, process documentation, standard operating procedures, implementation plans and user documentation for major systems and assigned ICT services. • Provides specialized advice to users, regional offices and business owners, analyzing users’ requirements and translating these into new IT services, workflows, service improvements or integration requirements; determines systems integration and linkage issues. • Maintains, upgrades or enhances existing user systems, digital platforms and service catalogues; troubleshoots and provides continuing user support, including resolution of difficult problems, advice on the use of new techniques, and monitoring of transactions, service performance and continued effectiveness of assigned systems. • Administers, configures and maintains applications, workflows, service catalogue items, scripts and related system components across interrelated systems and applications; ensures appropriate data security, access controls and compliance with relevant ICT standards. • Organizes and performs unit, integration, regression and user acceptance testing; designs and utilizes test plans; prepares test cases and test data; assists users in acceptance testing, deployment and post-implementation support. • Develops training materials, operating procedures, user manuals, technical SOPs and guidance notes; trains staff and supports adoption of assigned systems, cybersecurity practices and digital tools. • Contributes to disaster recovery, business continuity and operational resilience plans and ensures appropriate documentation, planning and training of those responsible. • Researches, analyzes and evaluates new technologies, cloud platforms, infrastructure solutions and ICT tools and makes recommendations for their deployment where appropriate. • Participates in the preparation of reports, papers and business cases on systems and service-related topics, system requirements, information management, service performance, ticket volumes, asset status and workload distribution. • Facilitates communications between ICT service providers, regional and country presences, UN Secretariat ICT offices and clients to ensure effective client relations, demand management, escalation and service delivery. Serves as coordinator in the development and monitoring of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between service providers and clients, for either specific IT services or general technology support, including any chargeback mechanisms. • Handles aspects of contract, procurement, vendor and asset administration, including service level agreements with vendors, performance monitoring, statement of work inputs, procurement of ICT equipment and services, inventory records, lifecycle management and chargeback policy for users. • Provides guidance to, and may supervise or coordinate, new/junior staff, National IT Officers, GS ICT staff, consultants, contractors and ICT focal points; contributes to capacity building, mentoring and skill transfer. • Manages daily IT operations for the assigned regional office and supported country presences, including remote support, incident follow-up, escalation to HQ or service providers, and coordination with local OHCHR IT staff. • Maintains and improves local ICT infrastructure and cloud-based services, including network components, Wi-Fi, secure connectivity, VPN access, Microsoft 365, Intune, OneDrive, SharePoint Online and related platforms. • Supports mission travel, field deployments, office relocations and onboarding of new staff by ensuring appropriate ICT equipment, connectivity, access rights and user support arrangements. Competencies • PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of information technology/information management, particularly in IT service management, systems administration, user support and cybersecurity implementation. Knowledge of several enterprise IT platforms, cloud based platforms and enterprise tools and significant exposure to and demonstrated proficiency in IT operations and systems analysis, including cloud-based services, collaboration platforms, service management systems, scripting and query languages, document design and management, hardware and software requirements, systems facilities and execution protocols. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, to include proficiency in support, configuration and implementation of systems of moderate size/complexity. Knowledge of interactive systems; good knowledge of organization’s information infrastructure, ICT policies, standards and IT strategy as it relates to user area(s); independently maintains assigned systems and develops innovative approaches to resolve a wide range of issues/problems. Able to interpret and present service, system and asset data to support operational decisions and improvements. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. • CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. Education Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in computer science, information systems, mathematics, statistics or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Successful completion of relevant certifications or formal training in areas such as IT service management, project management, cloud administration, cybersecurity, network administration, Microsoft 365 administration or data analytics could be an advantage. Job - Specific Qualification Not available. Work Experience A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in planning, IT operations, systems administration, network support, user support, service management or related technical functions is required. Experience providing ICT support to geographically distributed offices or field presences is required. Experience with Microsoft 365, cloud administration, cybersecurity implementation, endpoint/device management, ICT asset management, vendor coordination or service reporting is desirable. Prior experience within the United Nations system or another international organization is desirable. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English and Spanish are required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details). .headtable { font-family: arial, sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border: 1px solid gray; border-radius: 10px; overflow: hidden; } .headTitle { font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; /*color: rgb(65, 98, 145);*/ color:black; } .headtable tr td, .headtable tr th { text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; padding: 6px; } .headtable th{ background-color: #F4F4F4; color: #002d62; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; padding: 12px; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; } .headtable td { text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; background-color: white; border-top: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; } .headtable th:last-child, .headtable td:last-child { border-right: none; } .headtable tr:last-child td { border-bottom: none; } .rounded-table-wrapper { border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid #ccc; overflow: hidden; } Required LanguagesLanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIISpanishUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level III Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by competency-based interview. Special Notice For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 April 2026, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China (People's Republic of), Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position. Please note that pursuant to the Staff selection system policy (ST/AI/2025/2): (1) Applicants for positions in the Field Service category cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located, and (2) Applicants for positions in the Professional and higher categories in a mission, field operation, or resident coordinator’s office cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. For currently serving staff of a United Nations Common System organization, only the UN-recognized nationality will be considered for the purposes of these restrictions. United Nations Considerations 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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. No Fee