Senior IT Assistant
OVERVIEW
Post Number : 1ITSC PA122TP
Grade : G-6
Parent Sector : Natural Sciences Sector (SC)
Duty Station: Trieste
Job Family: Natural Sciences
Type of contract : Project Appointment
Duration of contract : 1 year
Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates
Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 12-JAN-2026
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
Only candidates who are entitled to work in the E.U. may apply to this position.
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
Founded in 1964 by the late Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam and located in Trieste (Italy), the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) seeks to accomplish its mandate by providing scientists from developing countries with the continuing education and skills that they need to enjoy long and productive careers. ICTP has been a major force in stemming the scientific brain drain from the developing world. For more than 50 years, ICTP has been a driving force behind global efforts to advance scientific expertise in the developing world.
Under the overall authority of the Director ICTP, general supervision of the Head, ICT and the direct supervision of the IT Engineer, the incumbent will work on projects aimed at further developing, redesigning, maintaining and integrating ICTP systems not covered by UNESCO enterprise resource planning system. The project will be implemented following the process review exercise with a view of providing modern tools necessary for streamling and efficiently supporting ICTP operational processesIn particular, the incumbent will:
Long Description
• Assist the IT Engineer and process owners to identify and document business needs ,workflow analysis, study the feasibility of development of customized systems versus the purchase and integration with off-the-shelf tools.
• Engage in the planning, specification, design, and development of computer application systems, ensuring compliance with best practices and institutional standards.
• Perform software development and implementation of new releases by conducting quality assurance, testing, and optimization across multiple modules.
• Draft, review, and validate technical and user documentation, training materials, and presentations; support delivery of user training, maintain document repositories for future reference.
• Carry out software deployment, version management, data recovery, and ongoing 2nd level support, helping to resolve issues in a timely manner.
• Work on system integration activities and coordinate internally and externally to maintain interoperability of applications.
• Work alongside junior staff and provide mentoring on development, testing, and documentation practices.
• Perform additional duties to contribute to the success of ICT Unit projects.
COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)
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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION
• Completed secondary, technical or vocational school.
WORK EXPERIENCE
• Minimum eight (8) years of practical experience in software development and database management.
• Experience in developing web applications and working with relational databases.
• Exposure to software deployment and integration of data from multiple databases and back-end services.
• Experience working on projects under minimal supervision, following best practices and coding standards.
SKILLS/COMPETENCIES
• Knowledge Practical knowledge of software development, particularly in Perl and relational databases.
• Familiarity with software testing standards, procedures, and the software development life-cycle.
• Strong attention to quality with a “test-to-break” mindset; good analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to understand assigned tasks within the overall software development process and show initiative in proactively anticipating future needs.
• Ability to draft technical and user documentation.
• Good communication skills for effective collaboration with team members
Languages
• Excellent working knowledge of English (spoken and written).
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
WORK EXPERIENCE
• Experience in an international environment.
SKILLS/COMPETENCIES
• Specialized training/certification in a field relevant to the position
• Good knowledge of web services, Perl (or similar programming languages), HTML/CSS, Javascript and related technologies, standards (e.g. JSON) and Frameworks (e.g. JQuery, Bootstrap,etc.), SQL programming, PostgreSQL, Linux are conideredan asset
• Familiarity with the work and general functioning of international organizations and/or of the UN system
LANGUAGES
• Good working knowledge of Italian is an asset.
• Knowledge of another UN official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish)
BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS
UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc.
The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 50,372 EUR.
For full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits.
SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.
The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as an interview.
UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.
Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.
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UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity. UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts.
UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.
Please note that UNESCO is a non-smoking Organization.