Organizational Setting
The Digital FAO and Agro-informatics Division (CSI) is responsible for all IT activities within the Organization. CSI performs on behalf of the Organization the following critical roles: defining FAO IT policies and providing strategic advice on IT architecture and standards, governance, policy and operational matters while monitoring organizational compliance; defining the mechanisms for managing FAO's information and data; protecting FAO's information assets and ensuring confidentiality, integrity and availability; ensuring provision of IT services that are core for the Organization's global operations and supporting the information and business processes; coordinating organization-wide IT activities in order to reduce duplication and fragmentation and to increase integration of information data, systems and platforms, mobilizing IT resources from across the Organization.
Reporting Lines
Under the direct supervision of the Information Technology Officer (IT Global Infrastructure), the consultant will act as Network Specialist performing the following functions.
Technical Focus
The Network Specialist will be responsible for the correct operation and management of the global telecommunications infrastructure of the organization.
Tasks and responsibilities
โข ย ย ย ย Perform daily monitoring and maintenance activities, including managing Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), Wi-Fi, and maintaining security firewalls and Virtual Private Network (VPN) devices. Responsibilities also include log reviews, firmware updates, network cabling assessments, device inventory management, and core infrastructure optimization.
โข ย ย ย ย Install, configure, and manage network and communication devices. Ensure that configuration and technical documentation are consistently updated to support the global network and communications infrastructure effectively.
โข ย ย ย ย Propose and implement enhancements, including software and hardware upgrades, aimed at improving network performance, reliability, and scalability.
โข ย ย ย ย Ensure that all network monitoring and management tools are current and perform automatic backups of all network device configurations regularly.
โข ย ย ย ย Design, organize, and lead system integration efforts for audio/visual implementations, including deployment and troubleshooting.
โข ย ย ย ย Provide second and third-level support for the global network infrastructure to users at headquarters and decentralized offices.
โข ย ย ย ย Raise and manage cases with vendor Technical Assistance Center (TAC) support as needed and liaise with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to address contract and performance issues related to WAN links.
โข ย ย ย ย Promote improvements and contribute to the security of the network infrastructure by adopting the best practices, emerging technologies and high security standards
โข ย ย ย ย Contribute to the technical growth of the team by drafting and updating technical and operational documentation to maintain an up-to-date operational framework.
โข ย ย ย ย Operations of the FAO network services require scheduled and emergency interventions and require on-call and remote assistance as needed and agreed with the Information Technology Officer.
โข ย ย ย ย Any other duties as required
All work will be undertaken in compliance with the appropriate organizational standards and procedures and all IS/ICT products will conform to IT divisional technical, security and quality standards.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
โข ย ย ย ย University degree or relevant educational certification in Computer Science, Networking or closely related discipline.
โข ย ย ย ย For COF.REG: At least 7 years, for PSA.SBS at least 5 years of proven experience in deploying and managing large-scale global telecommunication networks, with focus on performance optimization and scalability
โข ย ย ย ย Working knowledge of English
FAO Core Competencies
โข ย ย ย ย Results Focus
โข ย ย ย ย Teamwork
โข ย ย ย ย Communication
โข ย ย ย ย Building Effective Relationships
โข ย ย ย ย Structured analysis and problem-solving skills
โข ย ย ย ย Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
โข ย ย ย ย Experience in managing and configuring multi-vendor network environments, including Cisco, Meraki, F5 devices, routers, switches, SD-WAN, and firewalls
โข ย ย ย ย Excellent knowledge and extensive experience with Layer 2 protocols such as, but not limited to, MAC, VLAN, ARP, STP, VTP, DTP, CDP, LACP, PAGP, PPP, 802.11
โข ย ย ย ย Excellent knowledge and extensive experience with Layer 3 protocols such as but not limited to OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, VPN, IPv4, IPv6, VPN
โข ย ย ย ย Excellent troubleshooting skills at both the network and application layers. Proficient in packet capture and analysis using tools like Wireshark.
โข ย ย ย ย Solid understanding of firewalls and security principles, with the ability to implement best practices in network security.
โข ย ย ย ย Hands-on experience with network management, monitoring solutions, diagnostics, and analytics to optimize performance and reliability.
โข ย ย ย ย Proven experience in supporting IT and communication technologies within extensive LAN and WAN environments, ensuring seamless operations.
โข ย ย ย ย Familiarity with audio/visual protocols, specifically the DANTE protocol, for networked audio solutions, including configuration and troubleshooting of DANTE-enabled devices.
โข ย ย ย ย ITIL certification and at least 2 certifications from a recognized organization (i.e. Cisco CCNP/CCDP, F5 CTS-LTM)
Selection Criteria
โข ย ย ย ย Years of experienceย
โข ย ย ย ย Field of work and area of specializationย
โข ย ย ย ย Educationย
โข ย ย ย ย Language: limited knowledge of one of the following: French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, or Russian would be an asset.
โข ย ย ย ย Assessments through interview