Help Desk Associate G-6, Temporary Appointment, Post no. 127751, ICTD Digital Core, Valencia, Spain

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a connected world

The overarching strategic goal of UNICEF’s Information and Communication Technology Division (ICTD) is to transform and build partnerships with our stakeholders to successfully implement UNICEF programmes globally through innovative technology-enabled solutions.

The overall role of the Help Desk associate is to provide frontline support and assistance to end-users, ensuring that they can effectively use technology tools and systems, coordinate shared space utilization, and provide operational support for office ICT infrastructure and telephony and conferencing services.

The Help Desk Associate is expected to support the provisioning of hardware and software, troubleshooting related glitches, and ensuring compliance with all ICTD processes and policies throughout the hardware assets’ lifecycle.

This position reports to the ICT Specialist (Release Management) at the P-3 level.

How can you make a difference?

The role of the Help Desk Associate involves providing frontline ICT support to the growing workforce at the UNICEF headquarters office in Valencia duty station, ensuring effective use of technology tools and systems. This role extends operational support to the office’s ICT infrastructure, covering network and unified communication services.

Additionally, it includes responsibilities for optimizing processes and enhancing office efficiency and user productivity through customized apps and automation using the Power Apps platform, Power Automate, or Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

Key responsibilities: 

While duties may adapt to accommodate the office’s changing requirements, core responsibilities include:

User Support, Incident Logging and Tracking, Technical Troubleshooting:

• Responding to user inquiries, issues, and requests related to hardware, software, and IT services across multiple channels, including service management systems, email, chat, telephone, or in-person.
• Logging and tracking incidents using a help desk ticketing system. Maintaining accurate records of user issues, resolutions, and communication. Following established processes for incident resolution and service requests.
• Diagnosing and resolving hardware and software issues, ensuring prompt and efficient incident resolution. Escalating complex issues to higher-tier support when necessary.
• Identify incident patterns and aid in problem-solving by diagnosing issues through discussions with users and coordinating with Tier-2 support teams and vendors.
• Assisting with user account creation, modification, termination processes, and other identity management activities. Managing access permissions and security settings based on established protocols.

Hardware and Software Provisioning:

• Assisting in the provisioning of hardware and software for new employees during the onboarding process.
• Support timely deployment of new products, hardware, and client software in the office following relevant release and change management procedures and guidance.
• Responsible for reassignment, relocation, and reconfiguration of user computers, as well as replacement and decommission of defective hardware. Backup and transfer end-user data if required.
• Ensure receipt of new hardware, print, and tag ICT assets, and initiate the asset tracking process in the office asset inventory system. Maintain records of provisioned devices.
• Produce hardware inventory reports for client computers for the Property Survey Board and assist with the decommissioning process.

 Office ICT Infrastructure Operational Support (network and unified communication services)

• Support day-to-day operations and administration of the office’s network and unified communication infrastructure and services.
• Liaise with subject matter experts to plan and deploy technological enhancement, configuration changes, systems updates, and patches.
• Provide delivery support for local, networked, and multi-function printing.
• Assist users with the setup of ICT equipment in conference facilities, scheduling and supporting services during the office’s critical meetings, webinars, and live events as required.
• Support users with the basic configuration or mandatory OS updates of mobile devices.

Other Duties

• Streamlining processes to boost office operational efficiency and user productivity by developing tailored applications or automation using Power Apps, Power Automate, or Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
• Communicating technical information in a user-friendly manner, ensuring end-users understand the solutions provided. Creating and updating documentation to help users with common issues or procedures.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Academic Degrees:

• Completion of secondary degree (High School Diploma or equivalent) is required.

• Completion of courses or certifications, such as CompTIA, ITIL Foundation, and MCSA, MS Power Platform, and RPA Developer will be considered an advantage.

Professional Experience:

• A minimum of 6 years of relevant work experience in the area of information technology is required, including:

• Previous experience in ICT Customer Support, including the use of systematic methods of troubleshooting and analytical problem solving, service desk applications, and diagnostic tools.
• Knowledge or hands-on experience of various computer platforms and applications, such as but not limited to, Windows 11, MS Office product suites, ServiceNow or equivalent applications, Office 365, IP Telephony voice and video conferencing services and collaboration, and mobile devices platforms (iOS and Android).
• Demonstrated expertise in Power Apps development, Power Automate, and User Interface Design is essential
• Experience with JavaScript and TypeScript and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is considered a key advantage.
• Candidates who enjoy working with clients and show a high understanding of customer needs, a service-oriented approach, a flexible mindset, and a willingness for continuous learning will be regarded as highly noteworthy candidates.
• Work experience in development organizations with multicultural and diverse environments is desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.

• Knowledge of another official UN language (Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese or Russian) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

As an advocate for every child, you will receive:

• A competitive salary that is tax-exempted in Spain
• You can access here the UN Salary Scale for Spain and here a salary calculator for simulation. (Medical insurance and pension premiums will be deducted from net salary).
• Holidays and leave, including 1.5 days of annual leave accrual per month
• Paid parental leave
• Dependency allowance
• United Nations-sponsored medical insurance plan, pension plan, and optional life insurance plan
• Access to professional development and learning programs, online learning, and learning path
• Access to staff well-being and career development support

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

Please visit the Compensation and Benefits site on UNICEF Career page for more information.

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

Remarks:

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Candidates must be nationals of EU countries or in possession of a valid work permit.  Please note that General Service (GS) staff are locally recruited staff and candidates are personally responsible for any travel and accommodation arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.