Database and Middleware Administrator

Grade: P3 

Vacancy no.: RAPS/2/2024/INFOTEC/01
Publication date: 6th May 2024
Application deadline (midnight Geneva time):  6th June 2024

Job ID: 11938 
Department:INFOTEC 
Organization Unit: TMS 
Location:Geneva   
Contract type: Fixed Term 

The following are eligible to apply:

• ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 31 and 32 of Annex I of the ILO Staff Regulations.
• External candidates.

Staff members with at least five years of continuous service with the Office are encouraged to apply.

Applications from candidates who have already separated from ILO service upon retirement or early retirement, will not be considered.

The ILO values diversity among its staff and welcomes applications from qualified female candidates. We also encourage applicants with disabilities. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to ilojobs@ilo.org.

The ILO welcomes applicants with experience in working within ILO constituents (governments, employers’ and business membership organizations, and workers’ organizations).

Applicants from non- or under-represented member States, or from those member States which staffing forecasts indicate will become non- or under-represented in the near future would be particularly welcome. A list of these countries can be found here: ILO Jobs: Non- and under-represented Member States

In addition to the interviews and tests that any candidate may be required to take, successful completion of the ILO Assessment Centre is required for all external candidates and any internal candidate applying to a higher category.

Notwithstanding the general considerations set out in the ILO Staff Regulations, this vacancy announcement is the only authoritative document pertaining to the qualifications required for this position. The minimum required qualifications were determined in view of the specific duties and responsibilities of this position.

The specific language requirements for this position are detailed hereunder. However, candidates applying for the professional category vacancies who have not already successfully completed their probationary period within the ILO and whose mother tongue is not one of the working languages of the Office (English, French and Spanish), shall be required to possess a fully satisfactory working knowledge of at least one of the ILO working languages. If appointed they may be required to acquire a knowledge of a second working language of the Office during their initial years of service.

The position is located in the Technology Management Services (TMS) Branch within the Information and Technology Management Department (INFOTEC). INFOTEC provides modern, secure, and reliable IT infrastructure, technologies, applications and services to enable the ILO to effectively use technology to perform its mission. 

The position will be responsible for designing, implementing and supporting a range of databases and middleware platforms. This will encompass technical and functional aspects, high availability, performance and manageability. 

The position will report to the Head of Infrastructure Services within TMS.
 

1.    Monitor, maintain, tune, and ensure highest possible uptime for development and production database and middleware services. 

2.    Assist functional analysts and developers with the design and implementation of Oracle E-Business Suite components, customizations, and interfaces. 

3.    Coordinate activities with the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) managed service provider, including incident resolutions, patches analysis and deployment, code migrations and system upgrades. 

4.    Ensure data interfaces are functional and operating as per specifications. Develop and update interface scripts as required by external systems. 

5.    Manage the lifecycle of non-production environments to support development and testing activities. 

6.    Ensure database and middleware platforms are operated in a secure way, that most recent security patches are deployed, and that identified vulnerabilities are addressed promptly.

7.    Configure and monitor backups of databases and middleware platforms, ensure backups are operational, perform restore and failover tests on a regular basis. 

8.    Troubleshoot, diagnose, and fix incidents related to database, middleware, ERP and data interfaces. 

9.    Produce and maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date documentation that includes system design, configuration and operational procedures.

10.    Keep abreast of good practices, new trends and latest technology evolutions. Evaluate relevance for the ILO and propose adoption plans.  

11.    Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

These specific duties are aligned with the relevant ILO generic job description, which includes the following generic duties:

1. Create, maintain, update, correct and improve complex solutions. Make recommendations on the acquisition of hardware and software required by the organization. Analyse and provide advice on the information needs of the organization.
2. Recommend standards and their adaptation in order to accommodate the evolution of technologies and the needs of users.
3. Plan, install, administer, maintain and provide user support for LAN and Internet connectivity for smooth operations and effective use of network and communications systems.
4. Resolve functional problems of networks within the organization and in the field. Diagnose user problems and take appropriate corrective action.
5. May lead small project teams consisting of support staff for the implementation of networking, desktop and server activities.
6. Provide assistance to field offices in network-related matters.
7. Evaluate computer hardware and software products; establish their detailed usability and contribute to the preparation of requests for proposals.

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in computer science, electronics or other related field. A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in one of the aforementioned fields or other relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience, in addition to the experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.  Professional certifications with the technologies involved would be an asset.

At least five years of professional experience as a system and application DBA, which should include at least three years of experience maintaining and supporting and Enterprise Resource Planning system based on Oracle E-Business Suite; and two years designing, implementing and supporting Oracle Databases in a production environment.  Experience with Oracle Middleware such as Oracle WebLogic will be considered an advantage.

 Excellent command of one working knowledge of the Organization (English, French, Spanish), and a working knowledge of a second working language of the Organization. One of these must be English. 

In addition to the ILO core competencies, this position requires:

Technical competencies     
-    Expert knowledge of setting up, operating and supporting Oracle E-Business Suite in an enterprise grade environment. 
-    Expert knowledge of designing, setting up, operating and supporting Oracle Databases, including Oracle APEX applications. 
-    Excellent ability to investigate issues reported by end users and functional analyst, and to troubleshoot services. 
-    Good knowledge of web content delivery technologies and protocols, including SAML and SSO.
-    Good understanding of security concepts such as encryption, certificate authorities and SSL certificates.
-    Ability to support functional analysts and developers during design and development phases. 

Good knowledge of the following as applicable: 

- overall computer concepts
- hardware and software technologies
- the Internet
- e-mail systems
- servers
- PC/server/network operating systems
- databases & information systems
- application development
- programming languages
- network management
- data communication and multi-protocol environments. 

Up-to-date knowledge of technological advancements, technical specifications and operating procedures in the area of work. Good knowledge of the organization’s computing environment. Ability to analyse user requirements, incorporate them into new and existing systems and to resolve complex technical problems. Ability to plan and organize work. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Ability to provide user support and give presentations and training. Ability to produce documentation and reports. 

Behavioural Competencies
Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team.  Strong communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.  Ability to balance and prioritize work with limited guidance.  Analytical and problem solving skills, ability to work under pressure.  The ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.

Conditions of employment

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to ILO Staff Regulations and other relevant internal rules. Any offer of employment with the ILO is conditional upon certification by the ILO Medical Adviser that the person concerned is medically fit to perform the specific inherent requirements of the position offered. In order to confirm an offer from the ILO the successful candidate will be required to undergo a medical examination.
• The first contract will be issued for a twenty-four month period.
• A successful external candidate will be on probation for the first two years of assignment.
• Any extension of contract beyond the probation period is subject to satisfactory conduct and performance.

For more information on conditions of employment, please visit the ILO Jobs International Recruitment page.

Important Information

Any officials of the General Service category interested in applying to this position are hereby informed that, if selected, they will be offered the salary and allowances applicable to the grade of the position applied for, which may result in substantial changes in their take-home remuneration. In accordance with Article 3.4 of the Staff Regulations, the salary of an official, upon promotion, shall in no case be greater than the maximum salary of the grade to which he or she was promoted. For any questions or clarifications, please contact your HR partner at hrpartner@ilo.org

Recruitment process

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit the ILO Jobs website. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.

Evaluation (which may include one or several written tests and a pre-interview competency-based assessment centre) and the interviews will tentatively take place during the 3 to 4 months following the application deadline. Candidates are requested to ensure their availability should they be short listed for further consideration.

Depending on the location and availability of candidates, assessors and interview panel members, the ILO may use communication technologies such as Skype, Video or teleconference, e-mail, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates at the different stages of the recruitment process, including assessment centres, technical tests or interviews.

The ILO has zero tolerance for acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and is determined to ensure that all staff members and all beneficiaries of ILO assistance do not suffer, directly or indirectly, from sexual exploitation and abuse. 
To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organisation, the ILO may conduct a background verification of candidates under consideration.

Fraud warning

The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account - @ilo.org - should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.