Special Notice

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test in English at the United Nations Headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; or the United Nations Accounting or Statistical Assistant Examination at the United Nations Headquarters may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located in the Arabic Language Unit in the Web Services Section, News and Media Division of the Department of Public Information. The incumbent reports directly to the Chief of the Arabic Language Unit.

The Web Services Section (WSS) oversees the design, development and presentation of the top layers of the UN website in all six official languages, including the homepage, the five thematic portals (Peace and Security, Development, Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs, and International Law), as well as comprehensive background information about the UN such as global issues, and events, including international observances. The Section also provides guidance and assistance to Secretariat offices in creating and enhancing their websites in all official languages. WSS promotes best practices for web development and other Internet-related activities, including multilingualism, usability and accessibility for the disabled. WSS also maintains social media accounts for the United Nations in five official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish).

This temporary position is available effective as soon as possible for an initial period of six months, with the possibility of extension.

ResponsibilitiesUnder the overall guidance of the Chief of the Web Services Section, News and Media Division, and the supervision of the Chief, Website Arabic Language Unit, the incumbent performs the following functions:

1. Prepares new material for inclusion in the appropriate UN web pages by:

a) performing research work for authoritativeness of material;

b) retrieving pertinent documents from the Official Documents System in required languages;

c) converting content into HTML, using HTML conversion and/or authoring software (Dreamweaver);

d) designing new top and/or secondary pages for new sites, incorporating Cascading Style Sheets, Javascript, JSP and/or ASP elements;

e) editing content into format and structure consistent with UN style in the language required, and preparing and incorporating graphics and videos as needed using Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Premier or other graphic design software;

f) preparing and updating site index;

g) posting documents by accessing the UN web and/or development servers and ensuring the documents are posted in appropriate directories, using FTP;

h) checking and testing for multiple browser support, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, etc.;

i) checking and testing for compliance with requirements for access by the disabled.

2. Updates portions of the website with a Content Management System (CMS).

3. Review existing pages at the top levels to ensure that changeable data is kept up-to-date by:

a) checking hyperlinks within HTML on a routine basis;

b) ensuring correctness of entries and making corrections as needed;

c) updating information such as official names of countries, membership of UN bodies, etc.

d) liaising with other Departments/offices to alert them of changes in location of web pages.

4. Analyzes weekly statistics of social media accounts to assess impact on UN website traffic; analyses monthly statistics of webpages to assess usefulness and relevance of material posted. Prepares charts and graphs when required.

5. Perform any other duties assigned by Chief of Web Services Section or Chief of Website Arabic Languages Unit as necessary.

CompetenciesProfessionalism: Knowledge and ability to design and maintain a large website in Arabic; in-depth knowledge of design and encoding of web pages; Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; ability to work accurately and under pressure in a small team. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; Shows willingness to learn new technology.

EducationHigh school diploma or equivalent.

Work ExperienceA minimum of five years of experience in creating and maintaining websites is required. Experience in web authoring tools, such as Dreamweaver, Photoshop and other graphic design applications and JavaScript is required. Experience in HTML and Cascading Style sheets as well as text formatting and encoding is desirable.

LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English and Arabic are required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

United Nations ConsiderationsAccording to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity, including but not limited to, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to, whether they have committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offences or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The screening and evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications, including but not limited to, their education, work experience, and language skills, according to the instructions provided on inspira. Applicants will be disqualified from consideration if they do not demonstrate in their application that they meet the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations. Applicants are solely responsible for providing complete and accurate information at the time of application: no amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.