Senior Technical Project Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Digitalization and 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

The Senior Technical Project Specialist reports to the Senior Information Technology Officer (Global Infrastructure) and works under the overall guidance of the Deputy Director (CSI).

Technical Focus 

The Senior Technical Project Specialist will be responsible for assisting on the designing and deploying new ICT core infrastructure at the FAO HQ, ensuring resilient, responsive, scalable and secure design is achieved and rolled out. He/she will lead the related technical infrastructure projects at the FAO HQ in Rome, Italy, including the relevant designs that overarch the infrastructure at multi-cloud deployments as well as hybrid cloud/on-prem ICT infrastructure designs. He/she will direct all external implementation and training partners, as well as any services related to the design, implementation and roll-out of the said ICT infrastructure. Furthermore, he/she will be responsible for developing TCO analysis, multi-vendor comparison, risk analysis, best practices, together with the project-related documentation. In addition, the candidate will liaise with all the support service groups in ensuring facility, power and cooling requirements are met and will, at the same time, coordinate designs with all customer groups to ensure their requirements are fully incorporated in the newly designed services. These groups are, but are not limited to, CSI, CSG, OCC, and CSLI.

Tasks and responsibilities

The candidate will be responsible for delivery of the following scope of work:
Under the direct supervision of the Senior Information Technology Officer, and based on identified activities to be performed related to the Network infrastructure, the consultant will provide specialized expertise to FAO HQ under a project framework, not otherwise available in-house, performing the following duties:
•    Coordination on the design of next generation ICT core infrastructure, leading the supply, deployment, implementation, configuration, and rollout into operation of, data centres, structure cabling systems, network devices, hyper converged infrastructure and all related services for audio, video and physical security with the aim to ensure FAO core infrastructure is brough to current industry standard level and is future proof for upcoming ICT services and converged cloud integration. This would include but not be limited to the improvements in the ICT network, security and audio/visual services in the FAO campus for distribution, wireless, core and edge areas.
•    Prepare the initial project documentation with scope, risk, resource requirements, tentative budget, communication plan, stakeholder mapping, project plan, etc.
•    Work with various subject matter experts to finalize the design(s) of ICT core infrastructure services that include but are not limited to a full structured cabling system based on latest SCS standards and best practices that includes design of data centre, distribution and access wiring inside FAO HQ premises as well as design of SCS system for rollout of wired ICT services in FAO campus in the areas outside of the buildings where presentations and meetings take place during larger events.
•    Work with various subject matter experts to finalize the design(s) of switching and routing infrastructure that follows latest standards and industry best practices and provide a combination of fast service delivery, low latency, quality of services for data, audit and video services and separation for physical security while providing highest level of cyber security for all its users.
•    Work with various subject matter experts to finalize the design(s)/redesign(s) of primary and secondary data centres to ensure they follow the latest standards and best-practices, conform to Tier III infrastructure design and offer FAO HQ future-proof operational capacity in the upcoming years. Ensure the data centre designs follow low power and colling consumption while ensuring highest levels of sustainability and low total cost of ownership (TCO) in the long term.
•    Work with various subject matter experts to finalize the design(s) of hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) to replace the outdated three-layer non-converged systems and ensure this is compatible with hybrid on-cloud/on-prem deployment targeting seamless move of the services between the on-cloud/on-prem hosting solutions. Ensure the HCI retains highest levels of availability giving FAO HQ the required service resilience while maintaining the highest level of cyber security.
•    Develop service requirements with full understanding on number of resources, experience, support and maintenance costs required to operate the above-mentioned solutions.
•    Develop budgeting and procurement documentation with technical specifications, related costs for TCO of 10 years, related vendor analysis giving the management and procurement team ample information for prompt decision making.
•    Participate in the technical selection process by drafting all necessary documentation for technical assessment of applicable vendors.
•    Develop an implementation plan for the rollout of the designed and procured infrastructure and services into operations, including project plans, training and handover plans, change management plans, transition plans as well as handover support plans.
•    Rollout training of support personnel, prepare handover documentation and related processes.
•    Transition the designed infrastructure and services into operations while coordinating the hyper support process to ensure that support personnel are learning on-the-job and are capable in dealing with any incoming support and operational requests.
•    Prepare final project documentation, handover the project to FAO HQ ICT Operational teams.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

·    University degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, political science and Certification in Project Management (PMI or PRINCE2)
•    Minimum 10 years of experience in technical design, project management, information security, structured cabling systems, data centres, network, design and deployment out of which minimum 7 years of experience in working with cloud (multi cloud experience is a plus)
•    Working knowledge of English, French or Spanish

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills  

•    Project management
•    Technical design of ICT network and audio/visual background
•    Technical design of information security background
•    Technical design of network operating centre (NOC) background
•    Technical design of hyper-converged and hybrid infrastructure background
•    Project financial management
•    Project stakeholder management (team, supplier, user, and board)

Selection Criteria

·    Knowledge of one of the other FAO official languages is an asset.