ICT Advisor - Business and Solutions Architect, Multiple positions

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.

The New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their Peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP). It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

Our partner in Europe is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of a major enterprise system, focusing on its ownership, funding model, staffing, and overall budget. The review will also examine key functions, workflows, integrations, and the system’s client base. 

The goal is to ensure the system aligns with the department’s strategic objectives and those of other key stakeholders, supports the efficient management of core functions across the organization, and avoids redundancy with other systems maintained by the department.

This is a position in UNOPS for supporting projects carried out for the United Nations Secretariat. The incumbent of this position will be personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility

Under the overall administrative supervision of UNOPS Programme Manager, the ICT Advisor – Business and Solutions Architect under the general support of UNOPS manager and in close collaboration with the partner, will do a comprehensive review of a major system of our partners and deliver:

• Review Report: A comprehensive report detailing the findings of the review, including assessments of ownership, project scope, client satisfaction, financing model, staffing resources, and budget.
• Recommendations: A set of actionable recommendations for improving the ownership, financing model, staffing resources, and budget of the system  
• Implementation Plan: A proposed implementation plan for the recommended changes, including timelines and resource requirements.

He / She must be able to undertake independently the following tasks:

1. Ownership and Governance Assessment
2. Scope and Integration Analysis 
3. Financing Model Analysis 
4. Staffing Requirements 
5. Budget Analysis

• Current Ownership: Identify the current ownership structure of the system, including the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders including its relationship with other key systems and their stakeholders.
• Governance Framework: Evaluate the governance framework in place for decision-making, oversight, and accountability.
• Recommendations: Suggest necessary changes to the ownership and governance structure to better align with department’s strategic goals and the broader objectives of the organization. 

• Core business: Identify the key workflows and features of the system, including integrations with other products as well as other relevant systems in the organization.
• Dependencies: Evaluate dependencies from Core system as open-source solution, as well as other software components. 
• Recommendations: Confirm system’s project scope and mandate.

• Current Financing Model: Analyze the existing financing model, including sources of funding and budget allocation.
• Cost Recovery: Assess the cost recovery mechanisms in place for the system.
• Recommendations: Suggest improvements to the financing model to ensure sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

• Current Staffing: Review the current staffing levels and roles dedicated to the system, including development, maintenance, and support teams.
• Skills and Competencies: Evaluate the skills and competencies of the staff involved in system and interactions with core application focal points. Assess performance based on past achievements and client satisfaction.
• Recommendations: Provide recommendations for optimizing staffing resources, including software development needs.

• Current Budget: Examine the current budget allocated to the system, including operational and capital expenditures.
• Budget Utilization: Assess the efficiency and effectiveness of historical budget utilization and if budget is fit for purpose in the context of department mandates.
• Recommendations: Propose adjustments to the budget to ensure appropriate funding for future development and maintenance needs.

The ICT Advisor -  Business and Solutions Architect 's performance will be evaluated based on:

• Timely completion of milestones within budget.
• Quality and accuracy of TORs, SOWs, and project deliverables.
• Effectiveness of governance and stakeholder engagement strategies.

Required: 

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) preferably in Engineering, Computer Science, Management, Project Management or related areas with seven (7) years of relevant experience OR.
• A first level University degree (Bachelor's degree or equivalent) preferably in Engineering, Computer Science, Management, Project Management with nine (9) years of experience will be accepted in lieu of the advance university degree.
• PMP or PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent certification is required.

***Please upload your academic diplomas or academic certifications to your application***

Required: 

• Relevant Experience is defined as experience in digital transformation initiatives with at least: 
• Six (6) years of experience in business and systems analysis 
• Five (5) years of experience in managing complex business process reengineering initiatives/projects  
• Three (3) years of experience in writing assessment reports 
• Two (2) years of experience in developing and assessing costing model for a large system 

Desirable: (The following experience is optional. Candidates who do not have it are welcome to apply)

• Management consulting experience 
• Working experience in implementing and delivering projects for international organizations like the UN
• Strong MS vision experience

• Fluency in English (read, speak, write) is required. Knowledge of French is desirable.
• Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an asset.

1. Contract type: ICA 
2. Contract level: IICA 3
3. Contract duration:  Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.