IT Associate

May 31, 2026

Grade

GS6

General Service

Reason

Temporary > Temporary Assignment/ Appointment

A (least hardship)

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2026-07-01

2026-12-31

Standard Job Description

IT Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
Under the overall supervision of a (Senior) IT Officer, the IT Associate provides reliable and timely IT services on the application and infrastructure of UNHCR standard IT services in the Area of Responsibility (AoR). S/he normally receives technical guidance from a (Senior) IT Officer for the Telecom/IT infrastructure in the region in which the field or emergency operation exists. In offices where there is no IT Officer, direct supervision may be exercised by the (Snr) Admin Officer as applicable in the duty station.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Assist in on-site needs assessment and installation and maintenance of UNHCR Telecommunications and IT equipment.
- In consultation with the supervisor, establish the IT requirements in field operations, considering the overall IT and Telecom strategy of the region, the operational needs and the security constraints.
- Install and configure the most appropriate type of UNHCR IT and Telecommunications systems (HF, VHF, UHF, Microwave Links, Telephony, and satellite systems) to meet the field and emergency operations immediate IT needs.
- Ensure that the equipment under his/her responsibility is in good working condition, by inspecting regularly the hardware and installations. If required, arrange promptly repairs or replacement as necessary according to established procedures.
- Maintain records of the installations and repairs/replacements done and keep the supervisor fully informed on the status of the equipment.
- Provide each office, where equipment is installed, with full information for their asset management records.
- If applicable, keep a proper inventory level of all sites spares and return spare parts for repair/replacement.
- Monitor and maintain the LAN, Network Servers, Printers, LAN points, Hubs, Patch pane, etc. to prevent faults occurring.
- Add or remove users from the Network.
- Assist in the maintenance of accurate records of users and usage of the Network.
- Carry out minor hardware maintenance.
- Provide Technical Briefing/Training on the equipment to local IT resources and users, including IPs, ensuring that they are able to maintain/use the equipment.
- Assist in the development and configuration of IT and Telecom Equipment/Kits used in field operations and emergencies.
- Decide on appropriate resolution to incidents / problems.
- Escalate issues to supervisor if incident / problem cannot be resolved with scope of responsibility.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Information Technology;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Experience relevant to the function or particularly on HF/VHF radio or IT systems, PAMA satellite systems, PABX, Cisco routers and satellite modems.

Desirable
Hands-on experience with wireless and VoIP systems, electricity, generators, lightning protection an asset. Previous experience in Emergencies is an advantage.

Functional Skills
TR-Training - Virtual and face to face
IT-Computer Literacy
IT-Microsoft Office Productivity Software
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Operational Context:

Global Shared Services (GSS) provides location-independent transactional services in Finance, Payroll, Human Resources, Supply, and IT, to enable operations to focus on strategic and context-specific priorities globally. The GSS located in Budapest serves as the backbone of the service, which is supported by satellite teams in Panama, Amman, Kuala Lumpur, Dakar, and Nairobi. The GSS also works very closely with all enabling functions, DPM, DRM, DEPS, and ITS, to ensure policies and controls are implemented and delivered in an efficient manner. The strategic direction and operating modalities of the service are governed by the GSS Advisory Board.

This position is part of the of the GSS Regional Hub and will report to the Assistant IT Officer in the respective Hub location. The incumbent will support operational teams in achieving high-quality outcomes and enhancing customer satisfaction. The incumbent will play a cross-functional role supporting areas of End-User-Device and Identity and Access Management, IT inventory management, shipping and clearance, software license management, device tracking and obsolescence management, etc. This role requires a detail-oriented and proactive individual who can ensure process compliance, maintain high-quality standards, manage databases, perform financial transactions, plan, and deliver insightful reports to support decision-making. The incumbent is also expected to drive continuous improvement, risk mitigation, and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities:

· Serve as the first point of contact for end-users seeking IT assistance via phone, chat, email, or ticketing system.

· Diagnose and resolve basic hardware, software, and network issues.

· Guide users through troubleshooting steps and technical solutions.

· Support common business applications (Microsoft Office, Teams, Outlook, browsers, VPN tools, etc.).

· Assist with software installations, updates, and configuration changes.

· Coordinate with the UNHCR IT managed service providers to ensure the support requests are addressed on time and with accuracy.

· Maintain processes mapped for the subject matter areas, conduct quality checks to adhere to standards, ensure compliance with policies, procedures and guidelines.

· Maintain databases, logs, analyse and visualize data, identify trends and flag exceptions, produce reports and documentation for decision making, audits and service reviews.

· Liaise and effectively communicate with customers to timely source the planning and budgetary data.

· Perform system transactions using specialized tools, pay attention to details, exercise accuracy, and prioritization. While performing transactional activities, to identify process gaps, errors, suggest areas for improvement and corrective actions to the supervisor.

· Regularly provide the supervisor with managerial and statistical reports tailored for effective service management and communication with internal and external stakeholders.

· Assist the supervisor by tracking and reporting on key performance indicators, service levels, and productivity metrics. Identify trends, anomalies, and insights from data to support operational and strategic decisions. Propose automation of reporting processes where possible to improve efficiency and accuracy.

· In consultation with the supervisor, implement best practices and track remediation progress as agreed with the process owners. Collaborate with GSS teams to streamline provision of IT services to customers.

· Contribute to development, structuring, and maintenance of the process documentation, SOPs. Ensure that repositories of knowledge articles are accurate, accessible, and easy to navigate.

· Support training and onboarding by providing updated reference materials.

· Any additional work that may be included in-scope for the GSS IT function.


Desired Candidate Profile:

· The incumbent is required to have excellent analytical skills, allowing him/her to make judgement calls and be able to escalate sensitive issues as appropriate. The impact of the work has a high reputational risk to the organization. The incumbent must have:

· Strong analytical skills, attention to detail and accuracy.

· Proficiency in MS Excel, Power BI/Tableau (or other reporting tools), and MS Office Suite.

· Proficiency with Windows and macOS environments (basic troubleshooting, installation, user profile issues).

· Understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VPN, LAN/WAN concepts.

· Ability to troubleshoot basic network connectivity issues.

· Knowledge and experience of end user devices, configuration, troubleshooting.

· Diagnosing and resolving desktop, laptop, and peripheral (printers, monitors, headsets) issues.

· Knowledge of device imaging, drivers, and firmware updates.

· Troubleshooting common applications (Microsoft Office, browsers, email clients, etc.).

· Installing, configuring, and updating software via company-approved tools.

· Recognizing phishing attempts, following data protection policies, and security best practices.

· Familiarity with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) tools.

· Experience of service management tools, like ServiceNow.

· Understanding of SLAs.

· Ability to work collaboratively across teams and functions.

· Strong organizational and documentation skills.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

· Fluency in English and Spanish required.


Additional information:

Candidates must be nationals or legal residents of Panama. The candidates who are not nationals of Panama but are legally residing in the country must demonstrate a proof of residency and work permit at the time of application

For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher.

Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a test. No late applications will be accepted. UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

English

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Skills

IT-Computer Literacy, IT-Microsoft Office Productivity Software, TR-Training - Virtual and face to face

Education

Certifications

Information Technology - Other

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