ICT Specialist - Business Analysis

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

Not Required - part of GPO/NYPO

UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations to implement defined activities in support of The Development Coordination Office (DCO).

In its Resolution A/RES/72/279, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the transformation of the UN Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) as a stand-alone coordination office within the United Nations Secretariat. DCO assumed managerial and oversight functions of the resident coordinator system under the collective ownership of the members of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). Under the UN development system reform, a reinvigorated RC system has been rolled out since 2019 and has created new frameworks, instruments, tools and platforms to support the RC system, and enhance accountability and transparency. 

To improve development coordination, facilitate data harmonization and demonstrate the UNSDG’s contribution to Agenda 2030, DCO established the online UN INFO system. UN INFO enables users to manage the data for a standard results framework based upon the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework guidance, which is under review to respond to the system-wide evaluation  on progress towards a "new generation of United Nations country teams". Accurate data management and analysis of information within UN INFO is critical for accountability and transparency on the work and results of the UN development system and of the RC system.  UN INFO is also the main system for the UNCTs in their active engagement on the Efficiencies agenda, which enables cost effective sharing and use of resources within each country's context.

The Development Coordination Office (DCO) manages UN INFO, the online platform through which UN Country Teams report on Cooperation Frameworks, Joint Work Plans, and the UN's collective contribution to the 2030 Agenda. The platform serves multiple user communities with distinct needs: Resident Coordinator Offices managing country-level data on behalf of UNCTs; UNSDG entities tracking agency contributions; DCO colleagues providing guidance and oversight; and Member States and senior leadership requiring transparency on UN development system results.

Important considerations:

• The position is based in New York, USA. The incumbent is expected to work from the office at least 4 times a week.
• The Resident Coordinator System consists of 132 country offices across 23 unique time zones. The incumbent should be prepared to adjust their work hours to attend meetings at odd hours from time to time.

The role requires navigating competing stakeholder priorities and understanding the policy context in which UN INFO operates, including ongoing reforms to the UN development system and the Cooperation Framework guidance. The incumbent will need to balance responsiveness to user needs with coherence of the platform's design and data standards. 

The incumbent of this position will be a personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility.

The ICT Specialist - Business Analysis will report to the ICT Senior Manager- Technology Innovation. The incumbent will work within DCO's governance structure on data and digital to ensure UN INFO development aligns with policy direction and user needs. 

The incumbent will be responsible for the following functions:

Requirements and prioritisation

• Elicit and document functional and non-functional requirements from DCO policy colleagues, Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) users, and UNSDG entity focal points (via relevant DCO Officers).

• Work with the Data and Digital team to prioritise competing requests, escalating to governance mechanisms where needed.

• Ensure requirements reflect ongoing review of Cooperation Framework guidance and UNDS reform directions.

Technical translation

• Convert policy and operational requirements into user stories, process maps, and technical specifications for the development team.

• Validate that delivered solutions meet documented requirements through test case development and functional testing.

Emerging technology

• Identify opportunities for AI-assisted functionality to improve data quality, user experience, or reporting efficiency.

• Support requirements definition for AI-assisted functionality, including understanding appropriate use cases, data privacy considerations, and limitations within the UN context.

• Work within the DCO Digital Solution Lab framework to assess feasibility and appropriate governance for AI features.

User support and change management

• Triage user issues and feedback, coordinating with the development team on bug fixes and enhancements.

• Support rollout of new functionality, including user guidance and capacity building for RCO and HQ users.

• Maintain technical and functional documentation for administrators and end-users.

Data quality and standards

• Support the coherence of UN INFO's data model and reporting standards across modules.

• Flag data quality issues and work with relevant colleagues on resolution.

Team participation

• Participate in relevant policy and programming fora (between DCO New York and DCO Regional Office) to understand the business context.

• Participate in sprint planning, backlog refinement, and knowledge-sharing within the development team.

• An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent), preferably in Business Administration, Information Systems, Information Management, or a related field with 5 years of relevant experience is required; Or,

• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in combination with 7 years of relevant experience is required.

Required:

 Relevant experience is defined as cumulative experience across the following fields:

• Experience in business analysis or systems analysis for database-driven web applications.

• Experience working with cross-functional teams to bridge business and technology, preferably in a multi-stakeholder environment

• Experience in requirement gathering, documenting user stories, and managing product backlogs, including standard industry tooling. 

• Experience working on projects using an agile framework.

• Experience working in or with the UN system, international organizations, or the public/development sector, with understanding of results-based management concepts.

Desired: (The following experiences are optional; candidates who do not have it are welcome to apply.) 

• Experience in software testing and quality assurance.

• Familiarity with Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning (AI/ML) concepts and their application in data management or user-facing tools.

• Understanding of data governance, data quality, or data standards in complex organizational contexts.

• Experience working with AI platforms (e.g., Azure AI Foundry) .

• Familiarity with project management and ticketing applications.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.