This position is located in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Unit within the Mission Support pillar of UNRCCA in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The incumbent is responsible for assisting the Head of ICT Unit in the provision of a wide range of telecommunications and IT support services in support of the UNRCCA activities and personnel stationed at the Mission’s Headquarters in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and also across the Central Asian region. The overall purpose of the post is to assist in providing problem assessment, resolution and advice for a wide spectrum of telecommunication issues. The incumbent at this level carries out functions related to the provision of effective telecommunication support for the regional operations, with regard to Satellite Earth-station Operations, Wide Area Network Operations (WAN), Local Area Network Operations (LAN), Voice and Messaging Operations, Audio/Visual Conference Services, Asset Management support, and Telephone Billing Services. The incumbent should have a wide range of technical skills and experience in Telecommunications and IT. The Telecommunication Assistant reports to the Telecommunications Officer, the Head of the ICT Unit.

Responsibilities

Satellite Earth-station Operations:

• Assists in the operation and maintenance of Intelsat Standard satellite earth-station equipment and maintaining standard Microwave equipment, inclusive of the antenna system, RF equipment, IF equipment, base-band equipment, and the control, supervisory, and test facilities;
• Monitors satellite link performance;
• Performs fault diagnosis and repair;
• Maintains earth-station records and documentation;
• Undertakes spare parts tracking;
• Performs other related duties as required.

Wide Area Network Operations (WAN):

• Monitors transmission performance of all local and remote network nodes at the link and at the I/O levels;
• Coordinates with leased line carrier and/or remote site technical support staff, service restoration during facility failures;
• Maintains Network Control Center/Network Operations Center records and Wide Area Network documentation;
• Maintains WAN equipment inventory and tracks repair history of WAN nodal equipment and modules;
• Prepares monthly reports on node and transmission facility performance including detailed reports of leased facility outages for outage rebate purposes;
• Performs other related duties as required.

Local Area Network Operations (LAN):

• Monitors the performance of the LAN, Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and high speed Internet access facilities;
• Assists in the implementation of ad-hoc LAN support requirements with departmental focal points;
• Provides remote operations and maintenance service and advanced technical support for access routers on the Wide Area Network;
• Maintains LAN and MAN equipment inventory and assists with the write-off process of FTS equipment;
• Prepares and revises network diagrams and network documentation;
• Performs other related duties as required.

Voice and Messaging Operation:

• Analyzes and reviews requests for telephone services; advises UN officials and or facilities staff, e.g., architects, electricians, movers) in preparing requests for services to ensure they are cost-effective and physically feasible;
• Formulates technical service orders and follows up on pending work orders, requisitions, trouble reports, etc., to ensure work is completed in a timely fashion;
• Decides on type of equipment/services needed;
• Maintains liaison with outside contractor telecommunications representatives with regard to any change, correction or discrepancy on the above and other technical information on procedures; oversees installations, monitors quality and quantity of work performed by contractors and compiles and prepares statistics on same;
• Drafts and prepares blueprints showing equipment locations for telephone technicians and facilities management staff;
• Assists in the design and development of work order databases and maintains the databases using advanced computer technology;
• Performs other related duties as required.

Audio/Visual Conference Services:

• Installs, configures and tests audio, video conference and desktop video conference hardware/software using available communication and network connectivity;
• Assists in meetings’ preparation by preparing and configuring conference hardware and operates equipment during conferences;
• Provides support and training for new users of conference systems;
• Researches and evaluates new conference products ensuring compatibility with current operational standards and growth for future needs.

Assets Management Support:

• Coordinate with Procurement Section to ensure timely acquisition of equipment and services required and provide technical specifications;
• Oversees issues/return/handover of equipment and tools and ensures that inventory records are accurately maintained;
• Monitors the physical inventory of stocked items on a regular basis to ensure accuracy of records and location of property;
• Manages and maintains a comprehensive electronic database of expendable and non-expendable items using UN enterprise system;
• Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making;
• Performs other related duties as required.

Telephone Billing Services:

• Ensures that clear and accurate records of all telephone accounts, documentation and invoices are maintained;
• Follows up on outstanding payments and recovery of charges;
• Maintains electronic records of all expenditures for commercial communications of the Mission, and provides CITS budget officer with this information on a regular basis;
• Maintains comprehensive filing system of invoices, statements and correspondence for all telephone systems, including issue and return vouchers for mobile and satellite SIM cards;
• Ensures that all telephone billing documents are scanned and electronically stored before being archived;
• Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

1. Professionalism: 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. Shows 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;
2. 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.
3. Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office; Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; Shows willingness to learn new technology.

Education

• High school diploma or recognized equivalent is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

• Technical or vocational training in information and telecommunications systems or other related field is desirable.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in Telecommunications, information systems Network equipment installation and management, systems administration and maintenance, software applications, hardware installation, telephone billing, or related area is required;
• Experience within the United Nations common system or similar international organization or non-governmental organization is desirable;
• Experience with property management systems such as the United Nations Field support Suite (FSS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as UMOJA or similar system is desirable;
• Experience in Digital Radio System (MOTOROLA) is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English and Russian (both oral and written) are required. Knowledge of Turkmen is desirable.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• This post is funded for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension.
• 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. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station.
• Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test in English at the United Nations Headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; or the United Nations Accounting or Statistical Assistant Examination at the United Nations Headquarters may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.

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 Offline Application template can be downloaded, completed offline, saved as a PDF, and uploaded back into Inspira to assist candidates in the event they are unable to complete their application online due to, for example, unstable internet connectivity. Candidates can then finalize their application and focus on answering relevant job requirement questions. The Offline Application template also ensures a consistent and transparent review of applications against job openings with the UN Secretariat-administered field missions, such as UNRCCA, which is transitioning from paper to online applications. In this context, and in order to ensure a fair and consistent review process for all applications for the same job opening, the P.11 (Personal History) form will no longer be accepted as a valid application form.  The Offline Application template can be downloaded from the Application Guidelines tile in the Inspira Applicant/Staff Member Activity Center, or from the Welcome page of an application process – see attached references. Candidates should always obtain the Offline Application directly from Inspira to ensure they have the most recent version.

All job openings in the UN Secretariat are published on the United Nations Careers Portal. When interested candidates wish to apply for these job openings, they have to submit an application in the UN online recruitment system called Inspira. For information on how to apply for a job using the online recruitment system, go to Application Process.