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Information Technology Officer (Agro-Informatics)

Rome

  • Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • Location: Rome
  • Grade: Mid level - P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Agriculture and Forestry
    • Information Technology and Computer Science
  • Closing Date: Closed

1A051A05

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
  
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Organizational Setting
The Digitalization and Informatics Division (CSI) is responsible for information technology (IT) activities within the Organization. CSI performs on behalf of the Organization the following critical roles: defining FAO IT policies and providing strategic advice on IT architecture and standards, governance, policy and operational matters while monitoring organizational compliance; defining the mechanisms for managing FAO's information and data; protecting FAO's information assets and ensuring confidentiality, integrity and availability; ensuring provision of IT services that are core for the Organization's global operations and supporting the information and business processes; coordinating organization-wide IT activities in order to reduce duplication and fragmentation and to increase integration of information data, systems and platforms, mobilizing IT resources from across the Organization.
The Information Technology Officer (Agro-Informatics) will work in the Agro-Informatics team which is responsible for leading the development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions and services for food and agriculture that promote digitalization and modernization through digital innovation for the four betters (better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life) and to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The post is located in the Digital for Programmes Unit (CSIDP) in the Digitalization and Informatics Division (CSI) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Information Technology Officer (Agro-Informatics) reports to the Senior Information Technology Officer (Agro-Informatics).

Technical Focus
The Information Technology Officer is responsible for the delivery and management of digital solutions, services and digital public goods that support the Organization in accomplishing the technical programme at the global and country level. The incumbent will act as project manager and technical lead for the initiatives related to, but not limited to, data production and statistical applications, working closely with IT management and FAO business units to ensure consistency of project execution with the Organization's strategic vision and enterprise IT architecture, and ensuring that it meets the Organization's priorities. He/She will:
• Act as a project manager and a technical leader in IT application projects;
• Manage software development teams and contractors working remotely from locations around the world;
• Implement mechanisms to monitor, manage and provide progress on software development activities;
• Lead the development of data production algorithms for essential datasets in food and agriculture;
• Contribute to data governance and data policy;
• Contribute to the Organizational IT Application Development Strategy.

Key Results.
Planning, management and delivery of projects and activities to ensure that the Organization's requirements for Information Systems (IS) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) are effectively met.

Key Functions
• Manages the assigned programme of work, ensuring that it is consistent with the overall strategic vision and enterprise architecture, that it meets the Organization's priorities, and that issues resulting from interdependencies/gaps are addressed and resolved as needed.
• Negotiates Service Level Agreements for provision of IT products and/or services.
• Promotes service improvement programmes and initiatives to ensure that the Division is well placed to address the existing business needs and introduces changes to create improvement opportunities.
• Monitors, audits and reports on service performance to foresee, identify and address areas of risk, and ensures compliance with agreed service level expectations.
• Manages the complete ICT product, technology, system or application life cycle: (a) business needs; (b) requirements definition; (c) ICT solution options (business case and project proposal); (d) IT solution design; (e) implementation and testing; (f) deployment; (g) documentation; (h) support and maintenance, according to CSI's policy, standards and procedures.
• Identifies, assesses and manages ICT operational risks, proposing mitigation activities and submitting ICT risk information.
• Identifies areas for beneficial cross-area sharing and collaboration on information systems, information technology or IT products and services by working with the CSI core teams and other Information Technology Officers;
• Identifies resource requirements, develops budgets and work plans, and advocates for additional human resources.

Specific Functions

• Leads technical teams for IT application development related to, but not limited to, data production and statistical applications.
• Establishes effective coordination, monitoring, information sharing and reporting systems to ensure that regular progress and financial reports are available to management and to the project board.
• Leads the development of data production algorithms for essential datasets in food and agriculture.
• Contributes to data governance and data policy.
• Contributes to the Organization's digitalization and modernization, specifically including artificial intelligence, data science and digital public goods.
• Contributes to the Organization cloud DevSecOps.
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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements.
• Advanced University Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Software Engineering, Electric or Electronic Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics or a related field.
• Seven years of relevant experience in delivering digital and information technology solutions and services.
• Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions.
• Extent and relevance of experience in developing complex business cases, benefit/cost analysis, project briefs and requirements documentation related to ICT solutions.
• Extent and relevance of experience in process mapping and business process reengineering in the area of corporate IT technology and solutions.
• Extent and relevance of experience in Software Engineering.
• Extent and relevance of experience in Statistical and Data IT application.
• Extent and relevance of experience in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Extent and relevance of experience in Data production algorithm development and data governance.
• Extent and relevance of experience in Data discovery and Interoperability standards.
• Extent and relevance of experience in Data engineering, data science and data visualization tools and technologies.
• Extent and relevance of experience in Cloud technologies and DevSecOps.

This vacancy is now closed.
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