Senior Network Engineer

The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.

The East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), headquartered in Bangkok, supports UNOPS operations across 24 countries in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and the Pacific. Established in January 2023, EAPMCO provides strategic direction, operational support, and quality assurance to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of projects across its portfolio. EAPMCO implements initiatives in priority areas such as energy transition, climate change, and sustainable development, drawing on UNOPS' core expertise in human resources, procurement, infrastructure, fund management, and programme management.

This position is a Partner Personnel role. The selected candidate will be contracted by UNOPS under its rules and regulations and will be engaged as UN Partner Personnel for WHO and will operate under the effective management and supervision of WHO.

UNOPS is supporting WHO as a UN Partner and acting on its behalf to provide recruitment and administrative support for this position.

The Information and Digital Technology (IDT) department manages and advances WHO’s digital ecosystem, delivering services and solutions that ensure secure, effective operations and drive alignment with the Organization’s strategic objectives. IDT envisions a WHO that is digitally agile — harnessing technology to drive operational efficiency, enable collaboration, and to deliver and accelerate progress toward its global health mandate. Its core functions span infrastructure and cloud services, ensuring reliable and scalable systems; cybersecurity, safeguarding WHO’s information assets; the advancement of data and AI, enabling smarter insights and decision‑making; a digital workplace that supports collaboration and productivity through modern tools; and applications and enterprise systems to streamline business processes. The department also provides user support, drives digital enablement to foster adoption of novel technologies, and ensures through its project management office and business relations that IT initiatives are harmonized with organizational needs.

The Senior Network Engineer will originate and develop new network policies, techniques, or standards for WHO’s global network infrastructure. They will innovate and create novel approaches to solve complex or systemic network problems, providing expert advice on the development and implementation of new network programs or initiatives. The role involves leading and directing substantive teams, advocating for new ideas, and driving improvements and transformative change within the network engineering field.

1. Network Strategy, Innovation and Architecture

• Originating and developing new network policies, techniques, and standards for WHO’s global network infrastructure, including LAN, WAN, and cloud environments.
• Innovating and creating novel approaches to solve complex or systemic network problems, such as network congestion, security vulnerabilities, and scalability issues.
• Designing the overall network architecture to meet organizational needs; consulting with Regional IT leaders to translate business requirements into technical strategies.
• Providing expert advice on the development and implementation of new network programs or initiatives, ensuring alignment with WHO’s strategic objectives.
• Leading research and development efforts to evaluate and recommend emerging network technologies and solutions.
  
  

2. Network Design and Implementation

• Designing and implementing complex network solutions, including network segmentation, routing protocols, and quality of service (QoS) configurations.
• Developing and maintaining network documentation, including network diagrams, configuration standards, and troubleshooting procedures.
• Managing RFPs for acquisition of network services and overseeing delivery by external providers.
• Leading the deployment and configuration of network devices, such as routers, switches, firewalls, and load balancers.
• Ensuring network security by implementing and maintaining security policies, intrusion detection systems, and vulnerability management programs.
  
  

3. Network Operations and Support

• Leading and directing substantive teams and junior managers (e.g., ICS-10 level) in network operations and support activities.
• Monitoring and managing network capacity, performance, and bandwidth usage; analyzing traffic patterns and volumes, and proactively identifying and resolving network issues.
• Developing and implementing network monitoring tools and dashboards to provide real-time visibility into network health and performance.
• Providing expert-level troubleshooting and support for complex network problems.
• Managing network vendors and service providers to ensure service level agreements (SLAs) are met.
  
  

4. Governance, Compliance and Stakeholder Engagement

• Defining operational policies, procedures, priorities, roles, and responsibilities for the global network in collaboration with Regional Offices.
• Advocating for new network ideas and persuading diverse stakeholders to adopt new perspectives.
• Creating and reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to IDT management.
• Driving improvements and transformative change within the network engineering field.
• Planning, integrating, and coordinating the work of multiple substantive experts.
• Presenting network strategies and solutions to senior management and other stakeholders.
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of networking and telecommunications trends through professional groups and training.
• Collaborating with other IT teams to ensure seamless integration of network services with other IT systems.

Required

• Masters degree or equivalent, in computer science, engineering, telecommunications or related field with 7 years of experience, OR

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in above- mentioned areas or related fields with 9 years of experience

  
  

Desired

• Certifications/ Advanced training in networking and/or telecommunications such as Cisco certification; ITIL practitioner certification; Cloud related training and certification or equivalent

Required

• Relevant experience is work in Network Architecture, Engineering & Security or related fields.

• At least 3 years experience working for international organizations in network operations, including network security and configuration.

• Experience with network monitoring tools.

• Experience in Network and Telecommunications Systems Advanced, Technology Documentation and Communication.

• Proven experience in day-to-day management of networks systems and elements.

• Experience in network troubleshooting and in providing up to level 3 support.

• Experience in IT Project Management and Delivery.

  
  

Desired

• Experience working in a global organization with a diverse network infrastructure.

• Experience with cloud networking technologies, such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• 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.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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.