IT Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) was founded in 1964 by the late Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam. It is located in Trieste, Italy, and has a mission to provide scientists from developing countries with the continuing education and skills necessary for long and productive careers. Over the past 50 years, ICTP has played a significant role in combating the scientific brain drain from the developing world and has been a driving force behind global efforts to enhance scientific expertise in these regions. The organization operates with a commitment to fostering scientific collaboration and education, and it aims to support the development of scientific communities in developing countries through various programs and initiatives.

Job Overview:
The IT Specialist position at ICTP involves working under the overall authority of the Director and the direct supervision of the IT Engineer. The incumbent will be responsible for projects aimed at developing, redesigning, maintaining, and integrating ICTP systems that are not covered by the UNESCO enterprise resource planning system. This role requires the incumbent to engage in planning, specification, design, and development of computer application systems, ensuring compliance with best practices and institutional standards. The position also involves performing software development, quality assurance, testing, and optimization across multiple modules. The IT Specialist will draft and validate technical documentation, support user training, and maintain document repositories. Additionally, the role includes software deployment, version management, and providing second-level support to resolve issues in a timely manner. The incumbent will also work on system integration activities and coordinate with various stakeholders to maintain application interoperability. Mentoring junior staff on development practices is also a key aspect of this position, along with performing additional duties to contribute to the success of ICT Unit projects.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the IT Specialist include:

• Assisting the IT Engineer and process owners in identifying and documenting business needs and conducting workflow analysis.
• Studying the feasibility of developing customized systems versus purchasing and integrating off-the-shelf tools.
• Engaging in the planning, specification, design, and development of computer application systems.
• Performing software development and implementation of new releases, including conducting quality assurance, testing, and optimization.
• Drafting, reviewing, and validating technical and user documentation, as well as training materials and presentations.
• Supporting the delivery of user training and maintaining document repositories for future reference.
• Carrying out software deployment, version management, data recovery, and providing ongoing second-level support.
• Working on system integration activities and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.
• Mentoring junior staff on development, testing, and documentation practices. 1
• Performing additional duties as required to contribute to the success of ICT Unit projects.

Required Qualifications:
The required qualifications for the IT Specialist position include:

• Completed secondary, technical, or vocational school education.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of practical experience in software development and database management.
• Experience in developing web applications and working with relational databases.
• Exposure to software deployment and integration of data from multiple databases and back-end services.
• Proven experience working on projects with minimal supervision, adhering to best practices and coding standards.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes completion of secondary, technical, or vocational school. This foundational education is essential for understanding the technical aspects of the role and for engaging effectively in software development and database management tasks.

Experience:
The level of experience needed for the IT Specialist position is substantial, with a minimum of eight (8) years of practical experience in software development and database management. This experience should include developing web applications, working with relational databases, and exposure to software deployment and integration of data from multiple sources. Candidates should also have a track record of working on projects with minimal supervision, demonstrating their ability to follow best practices and coding standards.

Languages:
The mandatory language requirement for this position is an excellent working knowledge of English, both spoken and written. Additionally, a good working knowledge of Italian is considered an asset. Knowledge of another UN official language, such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish, is also desirable and can enhance a candidate's profile.

Additional Notes:
The position is a Project Appointment with a duration of 1 year. It is open to both internal and external candidates, but only those entitled to work in the E.U. may apply. The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 50,372 EUR, and UNESCO offers various benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, and a pension plan. The selection and recruitment process will involve an online application, and candidates may be assessed through tests, assessments, and interviews. UNESCO emphasizes the importance of diversity and encourages candidates from under-represented Member States, minority groups, indigenous groups, and persons with disabilities to apply.