Consultant Information Technology

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP? 

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE: Network Specialist

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Consultant (Level 1)

UNIT/DIVISION: Foundational Technology Services (TECM)

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Remote Work(Kenya) (Rome-based hours)

DURATION: NTE 26.09.2027

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Under the direct supervision of the Network and Telecommunications Team Leader and the general supervision of

the Head of Unit, the Consultant will support the reliable, secure and efficient operation of WFP’s headquarters

and global network services. The role covers LAN, WAN and managed connectivity services, including core

infrastructure administration, implementation of approved architectures, network security, performance

optimization, capacity planning, monitoring and technical reporting. The Consultant will also contribute to the

evaluation and implementation of emerging network technologies and coordinate operational changes with relevant

teams and service providers.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES.

The Consultant is expected to manage assigned activities in accordance with agreed service levels,

security requirements, change-management procedures and operational priorities. Work should be documented in

the relevant corporate systems, with risks, incidents, dependencies and required decisions escalated promptly to the

supervisor.

1. Administer, implement and maintain assigned WFP LAN and WAN infrastructure, including routers, switches,

wireless infrastructure, firewalls, VPN gateways, flow collectors, and network and security management

platforms.

2. Work together with teams in TECM to seek better ways to optimize network infrastructure and performance

over the WAN/LAN. Participate proactively in proof of concepts and roll-out activities of approved projects.

3. As required collaborate closely with the IT security teams to provide high-level network guidance and support

for prevention and mitigation of threats and abuses on the WFP core network.

4. Perform approved network maintenance and system upgrades, including patches, hot fixes, firmware updates

and security configuration changes, in accordance with change-management procedures. Monitor resource

utilization, performance trends and capacity indicators, and recommend corrective or preventive actions.

5. Analyze traffic and performance data across LAN/WAN, satellite, MPLS, internet and other managed

connectivity services to identify abnormal patterns, congestion or degradation. Provide Level 2 and Level 3

troubleshooting and coordinate resolution or escalation in line with agreed support procedures.

6. Contribute to the design of new services and technologies related to the WAN and LAN infrastructure and

provide 2nd /3rd level high-level network infrastructure configuration and support to the HQ and field offices.

7. Maintain and contribute to corporate technical guidance, standard operating procedures, standards and

roadmaps for LAN, WAN, satellite, wireless, SD-WAN and related connectivity optimization technologies.

8. Provide high-level expertise on routing, VPN, QoS, Traffic Shaping, integration of WFP WAN with external

providers and other network-related policies.

9. Work together with the network team to implement centralized network device authentication and network

access control infrastructure globally.

10. Collaborate closely with other teams in TECM to provide high-level technical advice on development, and

implementation of new technologies on the WFP network.

11. When required act as a focal point to work or oversee, at the technical level third-party network and

telecommunications vendors and service providers related to ongoing activities.

12. Periodically review; QoS/Traffic Shaping design and implementation to prioritize and improve the performance

of WFP critical business applications.

13. Consolidate, fine-tune and integrate traffic statistics of the WFP Corporate Network by using in-house

monitoring systems to better assess field capacity requirements, utilization and metrics to aid decision-making

on network requirements and policies.

14. Produce documentation for installation, network topology and troubleshooting of systems and infrastructure.

15. When required provide technical support for Secure SIP PBX integration into existing WFP voice infrastructure

for field Offices.

16. Provide technical support to HQ and field audio/video and webcast services.

17. Support the remote offices through field missions.

18. Occasionally available and/or on call outside of regular working hours.

19. Be physically present at HQ when required for on-site support.

20. Perform other duties as required.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

By the end of the contract, the Consultant will have completed and documented the following deliverables, subject

to agreed priorities, approved change windows and dependencies on other teams or service providers:

Complete documented reviews of assigned headquarters and global WAN infrastructure components in

coordination with relevant TECM branches, and provide evidence-based recommendations for approved core

and edge improvements, including identified risks, dependencies and implementation considerations.

Review assigned network security policies and rules, document findings and proposed

changes, and implement approved updates through the applicable change-management

process.

Maintain assigned headquarters and WAN infrastructure in a stable, secure and supportable

condition; monitor availability, utilization and redundancy; document material risks; and

coordinate approved corrective actions.

Contribute to approved headquarters and field voice-services implementation or modernization activities, including

technical validation, integration support, testing, documentation and operational handover.

Actively participate in the rollout of new SD-WAN technology to the field.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: University degree in computer science or related field, Cisco CCNP Certified, Fortinet NSE 4.

Experience: 3-5 years of relevant work experience in LAN/WAN field. With a strong understanding of the

technologies below.

Knowledge & Skills:

Strong interpersonal skills.

Network planning, implementation and debugging (LAN, WAN and Datacenters). Advanced

switching and routing based on various Cisco platforms (29xx, 39xx, Nexus, 9xxx, Meraki and

others).

Strong knowledge of Information Systems Security (Cisco ASA, Firepower, SonicWall, Fortigate)

and Network Access Control (Cisco ISE).

Demonstrated knowledge of wireless LAN, WAN and network-security technologies, including

relevant Cisco and Fortinet platforms; network monitoring and observability tools; and VPN and

routing technologies such as IPsec, DMVPN and MPLS.

Knowledge of enterprise voice and unified communications technologies, including SIP, secure

voice integration, call-control platforms, conferencing endpoints and associated troubleshooting.

Languages: Fluency in oral and written English

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact:  global.inclusion@wfp.org

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.