SENIOR IT ASSISTANT

Organizational Context

The UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE) was established in 1997 as an integral part of UNESCO. It is the sole UNESCO Category 1 Institute with a global mandate for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education. This role underscores its importance in advancing educational practices through technology on a worldwide scale.

Job Purpose

The Senior IT Assistant will support the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE) by administering and maintaining its IT systems and website. This role involves ensuring the smooth operation of desktop and server environments, providing day-to-day IT support for users, and managing hardware, software, and network infrastructure. The position requires close collaboration with the UNESCO Bureau for Digital Business Solutions (DBS) to implement standardized IT policies and solutions. The incumbent will also be responsible for investigating and recommending new IT technologies, managing data backups and disaster recovery, and ensuring the security of the IT environment. This function is critical for enabling IITE to effectively deliver its services and pursue its mandate in ICT in education.

Responsibilities

The Senior IT Assistant is responsible for the effective administration and configuration of desktop and server operations, aligning with organizational requirements. This includes providing daily IT support for workstations, servers, the overall computing environment, IP telephony, video conferencing systems, printers, and scanners. The role involves performing software distribution updates, scripting, testing, and support. Close cooperation with DBS is essential for maintaining IT equipment and ensuring staff have operational workstations with necessary applications, including recommending appropriate technologies and configurations. The assistant will implement deployment and upgrade methods for computers and software standardized by DBS, manage service installations, and resolve technical issues related to hardware, software, and services. Coordination with external service providers and tracking service tickets are also key duties. The position requires liaising with DBS and other central UNESCO services regarding IT needs, providing effective user support, and maintaining discretion with confidential data. Investigating, recommending, and implementing new IT technologies and policies, including security measures like anti-virus and access control, is crucial. Daily monitoring and implementation of data backup and restoration, disaster recovery, and offsite data protection policies are required. The role also includes LAN administration, support for Linux-based web servers, DNS, SMB, and firewalls, as well as SSL certificate management and server software updates. Maintenance and administration of WordPress-based websites, including CMS and plugin updates, are also part of the responsibilities. Maintaining accurate IT inventory, documentation, and recommending hardware/software acquisitions, assisting in procurement activities, and developing an IT procurement plan are also expected. Performing other tasks as required by the supervisor is also a responsibility.

Work Experience

A minimum of four years of relevant experience in IT systems administration and maintenance support is required. This includes experience with software solutions, various hardware, software, networking systems, services, applications, and website administration. Experience with Linux and Windows Server administration, including package managers, OpenSSL, SSH, Active Directory, DNS, Apache web server, and MySQL server, is also necessary.

Skills

Strong IT skills, excellent interpersonal skills for multicultural environments, strong organizational skills for task planning, and the ability to manage heavy workloads and multitask effectively are essential.

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