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Senior Systems and Support Engineer (Design and Planning)

Senior Systems and Support Engineer (Design and Planning)

SPC invites applications for the position of Senior Systems and Support Engineer (Design and Planning) in the Information and Communication Technology Section of its Operations and Management Directorate, located at its headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia.

SPC is the Pacific Island region’s principal technical and scientific organisation. It delivers technical, scientific, research, policy and training support to Pacific Island countries and territories in fisheries, agriculture, forestry, water resources, geoscience, transport, energy, disaster risk management, public health, statistics, education, human rights, gender, youth and culture. For more information, visit www.spc.int.

In applying, candidates should be guided by SPC’s vision, mission and corporate values, the role and profile of the position and the key result areas and selection criteria.

SPC’s vision for the region is a secure and prosperous Pacific Community, whose people are educated and healthy and manage their resources in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable way.

Our mission is to help Pacific Island people position themselves to respond effectively to the challenges they face and make informed decisions about their future and the future they leave for the generations that follow.

Our corporate values are underpinned by the principle of ‘making a positive difference in the lives of Pacific Island people – putting people first’. They include accountability, integrity, respect, transparency, sustainability, people-centredness, gender equality and cultural sensitivity.

The Operations and Management Directorate employs approximately 140 staff based in Noumea, New Caledonia; Suva, Fiji; Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia; and Honiara, Solomon Islands. The directorate comprises administration, finance, human resources, information technology, library, publications, and translation and interpretation.

The Information and Communication Technology Section is led by the Manager ICT and managed from SPC headquarters in Noumea. The section comprises 15 staff, located across offices in Noumea, Suva, Fiji and Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.

The role – The Senior Systems and Support Engineer (Design and Planning) is accountable to the ICT Manager and is responsible for: (i) researching appropriate technical solutions and developing, overseeing and reviewing ICT solution designs and project managing solution delivery; (ii) developing on-going ICT technical strategy; (iii) ensuring projects conform to ICT and corporate strategies and comply with ICT security best practice and governance standards; (iv) providing expert advice to SPC programmes in regard to ICT infrastructure and governance; and (v) managing vendor and supplier relationships. The appointment is for three years, renewable subject to performance and funding availability.
The profile – SPC seeks an IT professional with the ability to supervise staff and consultants and manage IT Projects and vendor and supplier relationships. He/she will have relevant industry qualifications/certifications and experience and demonstrated expertise in the installation, configuration, support and maintenance of ICT equipment. Attributes will include a strong customer, solutions and team focus and the ability to communicate effectively in a bilingual and culturally diverse environment.

Key result areas – The successful applicant must be able to demonstrate expertise and experience in the following four key result areas:

  1. System design and deployment – Provide advice on the review, design, implementation and support of corporate local and wide area networks, data communication solutions, telecommunication installations and the configuration/installation of network devices(routers, switches and servers). Manage service-level agreements for corporate network systems, firewall applications, external performance measurement services and system security arrangements. Manage the implementation and maintenance of existing corporate systems and continuous improvements through the use of new technologies to enhance the productivity and efficiency of SPC’s technical programmes and staff.

  1. Review, planning and evaluation – Undertake technical reviews and evaluation of corporate systems and applications and make recommendations on viable options and solutions. Provide high-level management and advice regarding SPC’s ICT helpdesk service and its overall objective to improve customer care and support to staff.

  1. Training and Support – Manage the security, integrity and performance of the SPC corporate network and data communication systems, including existing satellite telecommunication links between headquarters and regional offices, external Internet gateways, and connectivity to development partners and sister organisations. Provide advice on best practice approaches to support the development and maintenance of SPC’s publications and distribution services, through technologies such as websites and portals, publishing platforms.

  1. Capacity building – Provide technical training for SPC administrators and users and to staff in member countries and territories. Provide training and support to ICT staff.

Key selection criteria – Candidates will be assessed against the following selection criteria:

  1. Results-oriented problem solving – Able to develop solutions to deliver tangible results for SPC, its members and other stakeholders.
  2. Innovation and analytical skills – Able to generate new ideas/opportunities, develop policy advice based on sound analysis, and support original solutions.
  3. Influencing and relationship building skills – Able to influence and guide others to achieve organisational goals. Demonstrate strong negotiation, communication and advocacy skills and excellent interpersonal skills. Contribute to building productive relationships and partnerships across the organisation and with stakeholders.
  4. Qualifications – Tertiary qualification in electrical engineering, electronics, information technology or a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience. A project management certification. At least one industry relevant security certification i.e. CISSP, GIAC. Design certification from at least two of the following: Microsoft, VMware, Citrix, Cisco, EMC or equivalent vendors. Training or experience with TOGAFF, COBIT or similar frameworks and a recent certification to an advanced engineering or administrative level from two of the following vendors: Cisco, Microsoft, VMware Industry would be advantages.
  5. Technical expertise – Demonstrated experience in the installation, configuration, support and maintenance of electronic equipment such as network servers, routers and switches, PC and MAC workstations, printers and audio equipment. Experience with medium-sized LANs and WANs running, Windows Server 2003, /2008 /2012 Windows XP, Windows 7 and 8, Linux (Centos and Ubuntu) and Macintosh OS/X operating systems. Experience in the management of IT projects, supervision of external consultants and technical staff. Experience with the Internet and associated technologies. Strong customer focus and ability to support remote users. Experience in the administration of Microsoft Windows and Linux servers and programming languages, preferably Visual Basic and/or C#; and in the installation, configuration and deployment of Cisco router devices, HP network switches and hubs would be advantages.
  6. Language skills – Proficiency in English, with a working knowledge of French being an advantage.
  7. Cultural awareness – Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated understanding of developing country environments, with knowledge of Pacific Island countries and territories being an advantage.

Remuneration – The Senior Systems and Support Engineer (Design and Planning) is a Band 12 position in SPC’s 2013 salary scale, with a salary range of 4,185 –6,087 SDR (Special Drawing Rights) per month, which currently converts to approximately XPF 596,775–867,886 (USD 6,700–9,700; € 5,000–7,200). An offer of appointment for an initial contract will normally be made in the lower half of this range, with due consideration being given to experience and qualifications. Progress in the salary scale will be based on annual performance reviews. SPC salaries are not subject to income tax in New Caledonia at the present time.

Benefits – SPC provides subsidised housing in Noumea. An establishment and relocation grant, removal expenses, airfares, home leave, medical insurance and education allowance are available for eligible employees and their recognised dependants. Employees are entitled to: 25 days annual leave and 30 days sick leave per annum, life insurance, and access to SPC’s Provident Fund (contributing 8% of salary to which SPC adds a matching contribution).

Work environment – SPC has a standardised computing environment based on Microsoft Office. Smoking is not permitted in the work place.

Equal opportunity – SPC recruits on merit, but if two interviewed candidates are ranked equal by the selection committee, preference will be given to Pacific Islanders.

Application procedure – The closing date for applications is 25 July 2013. Candidates MUST provide: a detailed curriculum vitae; a written response stating their claims against the key selection criteria; and contact details, including email addresses and telephone numbers, for three referees.

Apply online – Please use SPC’s online recruitment system at http://www.spc.int/job.html. Important note: prepare and save your curriculum vitae, response to key selection criteria and referee information as Microsoft Word documents BEFORE attempting to submit your application online. It is not possible to partially complete your application via the online system, save it and return to complete it later. Can’t access the online recruitment system? Apply via email: recruit@spc.int; fax: + 687 26 38 18; or post to Sally Clark Herrmann, HR Adviser (Recruitment and Training), Secretariat of the Pacific Community, P.O. Box D5, 98848 NOUMEA CEDEX, New Caledonia. Need assistance? Contact SPC at recruit@spc.int or telephone + 687 26 20 00.

Background – SPC was established in 1947 and employs over 570 staff. Its headquarters are in Noumea, New Caledonia, with other offices in Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands. SPC has 26 member countries and territories including its founding members, Australia, France, New Zealand and the United States of America, which contribute a large proportion of its funding. Other major development partners are the European Union; Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; United Nations agencies; Asian Development Bank; World Bank and Global Environment Facility, to name a few.

Languages: SPC’s working languages are English and French.