Network Support Specialist

Job Posting: 05/Aug/2025

Closure Date: 02/Sep/2025, 4:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit: CSI - Digital FAO and Agro-Informatics Division

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition: Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)

Grade Level: N/A

Primary Location: Italy-Rome

Duration: Up to 11 months

Post Number: N/A

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
- Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
- FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
- FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations._

**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**
- 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.
- 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.
- Propose and implement enhancements, including software and hardware upgrades, aimed at improving network performance, reliability, and scalability.
- Ensure that all network monitoring and management tools are current and perform automatic backups of all network device configurations regularly.
- Design, organize, and lead system integration efforts for audio/visual implementations, including deployment and troubleshooting.
- Provide second and third-level support for the global network infrastructure to users at headquarters and decentralized offices.
- 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.
- Promote improvements and contribute to the security of the network infrastructure by adopting the best practices, emerging technologies and high security standards
- Contribute to the technical growth of the team by drafting and updating technical and operational documentation to maintain an up-to-date operational framework.
- 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.
- 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**
- University degree or relevant educational certification in Computer Science, Networking or closely related discipline.
- 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 f