Consultancy - Infrastructure Operator, ICTD New York

UNICEF's ICT Division seeks a qualified infrastructure operator to provide infrastructure support in any of the eight hour shifts.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Purpose of the Assignment

The infrastructure operator will provide infrastructure support in any of the eight hour shifts.

UNICEF New York Headquarters Data Centers are 24x7x365 operation and are the backbone of UNICEF operations around the globe. Infrastructure Operators work on semi-fixed shifts, nonetheless these are subject to change with minimal notice. The major responsibilities and duties are to maintain daily operations, carry out proactive/reactive monitoring to ensure the integrity of platforms, systems and applications by taking the appropriate preventive and/or corrective actions and/or escalation as needed.

This consultancy is for a period up to 31 December 2017 with the possibility of extension. 

Assignment Tasks

Duties and responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision of the Data Centre Specialist, the Infrastructure Operator is expected to:

1. Manage the Command Center: Be in charge of and manage the central monitoring command center
2. Ensure DC Physical Security:
   • Grant access to authorized users/vendors only
   • Log all users and vendors access in the “Access Log” database
3. Perform monitoring and inspection:
   • Monitor and react to alerts and notifications from EMS, platforms, systems and applications portals, e.g., SAM, VeeamOne, VMWare, Veeam Backup+Replication, VISION….
   • Perform regular walk-throughs and visual inspections at the secondary data center
   • Review and act on Primary data center walk-throughs and visual inspection reports
   • Initiate support tickets with vendors based on monitoring alerts and notifications
   • Log major monitoring and inspection incidents in the Shift Log
4. Maintain production activities –scheduled tasks, backups and restores:
   • Execute schedule activities, such as snapclones, reboots, patching applications and/or operating systems and/or carry out subject matter experts or systems and applications owners (SME/SAO) instructions
   • Assist and/or carry out preventive and corrective maintenance
   • Escort, log and monitor vendors’ activities
   • Assist in data protection activities: monitor backups and replication; execute special jobs; run restores; prepare tapes and handle tape rotation internally and externally
   • Run housekeeping and system maintenance programs/scripts and procedures as needed
   • Interact closely with units or sections within Operations and ICTD to resolve or escalate issues
5. Maintain the Data Center physical environment

• Carry out data centers maintenance and upgrade activities –remove tiles, plug and unplug power, install racks and cabinets…
• Rack and unrack equipment –servers, appliances, enclosures, network gear…
• Replace or upgrade parts –hdds, power supplies, boards, network gear or wiring…

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

Education

Completion of secondary education supplemented with study in computer science or related field.

Years of relevant experience

Four years of practical hands on experience in a multi-platform/multi-location data centers.

In addition, please note the following requirements:

• Strong knowledge of major operating systems and platforms –Windows, Unix, Linux, VMware, HyperV
• Practical experience on EMS –SAM, VeeamOne, native OS/platforms…
• Practical experience on data protection –HP Data Protector, Veeam Backup + Replication…
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills with the ability to prioritize actions
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated interest and ability to keep up to date with technological development
• Working knowledge of UNICEF environment is desirable.

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable).  Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.