Director, Information Technology Division (CIO) and Chief Information Officer

Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Director-General, the Director of the Information Technology Division and Chief Information Officer is the principal adviser of the Organization in the field of information technology and systems, responsible for corporate strategic, architectural, cybersecurity, governance, policy and operational matters in this domain. He/she is a key contributor to the transformation of FAO into a digital organization. He/she leads the modernization of FAO’s IT infrastructure and systems. He/she contributes to the development of corporate guidance on digital agri-food systems.

Description of duties include the following aspects\:

Strategic

• Lead Strategic and Operational IT planning by fostering modernization, innovation, prioritizing IT initiatives, resources and coordinating the evaluation, deployment and management of current and future IT systems across the Organization.
• Create and maintain partnerships and alliances with business unit leaders to understand business needs and involve them in generating mutually beneficial business solutions.
• Develop implement and oversee appropriate governance frameworks and mechanisms for the effective use of information and technology to create value and manage risk.
• Proactively manage and optimize IT budgets to drive operational efficiency and quality.
• Provide authoritative advice on IT direction, best practices and ongoing recommendations for major investments in advanced information technology to senior management.
• Contribute to the corporate governance of the Organization through participation in relevant executive boards (e.g. Enterprise Resource Planning Board, Shared Service Centre Board)
• Contribute to the development and implementation of FAO digital strategy and corporate digital innovation activities.
• Identify and implement digital solutions to support programme delivery worldwide, including through development of state-of-the-art web platform and action towards turning FAO into a paperless Organization.
• Support the development of programmes to advise governments and other actors to help in harnessing the opportunities from digitalization of agri-food systems.

Leadership

• Provide leadership for the modernization, awareness and adoption of new tools and technology-enable work practices to improve productivity and effectiveness as part of FAO’s Digital Strategy.
• Seek efficiency and effectiveness in all aspects of IT, including through collaboration with other agencies and organizations. Represent FAO in UN-system coordinating bodies.
• Provide advice and assistance to senior managers on IT decisions, acquisition and management.
• Provide leadership and direction, coach and manage the staff of the IT Department, directly and through subordinate managers, ensuring an enabling environment to support and facilitate team members to take responsibility and build a sense of ownership through clearly defined roles and objectives, encouraging a strong accountability framework for actions and responses.
• Maintain a motivated workforce and foster a work environment conducive to efficient and effective results-based teamwork, including by ensuring the recruitment of highly qualified staff, promoting communication within and across teams, and implementing appropriate technical and administrative support measures in line with results-based management principles and effective approaches for performance management; provide budgetary and administrative oversight and supervise staff including staff of the Division outposted to other units within headquarters and to Regional and Subregional Offices.

Operational Management

• Develop and implement strategies, technology roadmaps, policies, processes, and standards on ICT for administrative systems and ICT for agriculture.
• Implement a harmonized approach across FAO that will promote cost effective yet standard services and improve service levels.
• Manage the lifecycle, support and major transformation/evolution of FAO’s global Enterprise Resource Planning and respective reporting systems. Additionally, lead the implementation of global initiatives in the areas of new technologies and relevant disciplines.
• Responsible for the organization, management, operation and performance of IT in areas of relevant services, quality of service delivery, cost-effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
• Exercise overall management responsibility, including planning, supervising, evaluation and ensuring the implementation of the approved Programme of Work and Budget and the attainment of the assigned organizational and unit results.
• Define metrics to control ICT in FAO, and report on progress made in improving ICT capability.

General Requirements

• Advanced university degree in information technology, computer sciences or related fields. In addition, a university degree in business administration and/or related to agri-food systems, will be an asset.
• Extensive senior-level professional experience and proven track record in the field of information technology and the implementation and management of large-scale information systems.
• Outstanding management and technical leadership in delivering information technology and communication services to users within a worldwide Decentralized Office network together with strong leadership capabilities to work in a team of people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Working knowledge of English, and limited knowledge of one of the other FAO official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).