information technology assistant

Organization Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the UN headquarters in Africa and the Director-General of UNON is the representative of the Secretary-General in Kenya.

UNON supports programme implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the Resident Coordination Systems (RCS) globally, as well as other UN offices in Kenya, by providing administrative, security, conference, and information services.

This role is situated in the Nairobi duty station, within the Information and Communications Technology Services (ICTS) of the Division of Administrative Services (DAS) in UNON. The selected candidate will report to the Data Services Team Lead.

Within delegated authority, the chosen candidate will handle the following duties:

Responsibilities

• Participates in data set preparation, overseeing data acquisition and cleaning from primary and secondary sources, and documenting utilized data sets.
• Engages in the development, coding, testing, debugging, and rollout of new application systems, releases, modules, and features.
• Collaborates in the design and construction of predictive data science systems and products, encompassing visualizations and AI/ML models.
• Contributes to the development, testing, and upkeep of applications and visualizations adhering to established UN IT technology standards, programming languages, and tools.
• Aids in establishing and maintaining databases, and supports data collection initiatives, tools, and processes to enhance client office capabilities.
• Contributes to identifying and analyzing data patterns through various methods.
• Prepares technical and user documentation for deployed computer application systems and visualizations, along with training materials, and conducts technical presentations.
• Assists in data collection, analysis, and visualization preparation for information sharing, query response, knowledge management, planning, and decision-making.
• Advocates for the adoption of data science solutions by demonstrating their utility to raise awareness of available data products.
• Undertakes additional assigned responsibilities as necessary.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Utilizes analytical skills and experience to assist in organizing, managing, and disseminating information with attention to detail and accuracy; assists with analysis, modeling, and interpretation of data in support of decision-making; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.
• PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; uses time efficiently.
• 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; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects.

Education

Completion of a high school diploma or equivalent is required. Supplementary training in data analytics is desirable.

Job-Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in data science, application development, applied mathematics, information management, or a related area is necessary. Experience in developing data processing workflows, data pipelines, and visualizations using data science tools and processes is necessary. Knowledge of Microsoft's Power Platform technologies (power apps, power automate, and power BI) is required. Experience with cloud computing platforms and services such as Azure or AWS is desirable. Development experience in modern web-based technologies is desirable. Development experience in Microsoft SQL Server is desirable.

Languages

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

NOTE

'Fluency' equals a rating of 'fluent' in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand), and 'Knowledge of' equals a rating of 'confident' in two of the four areas.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

Appointment against this position is for an initial period of one year, and any extension will be subject to the availability of funds. This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

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.

Internal Applicants

When completing the form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.

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 provide support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgment within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira 'Need Help?' link.

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.

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. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

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.