Senior Programme Manager [Counter-Terrorism Digital Forensics Expert]

Background Information - Job-specific

UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement, and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors, and United Nations organizations.

New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, and bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), and Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York.  The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) to implement the activities of the  EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility project. 

UNOCT was established by the General Assembly in June 2017. The Office has five main functions: (a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandate across the United Nations System; (b) enhance coordination and coherence across the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the Strategy; (c) strengthen the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States; (d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts; and ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the United Nations System and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the Strategy. 

In April 2022, UNOCT and the European Union launched the EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility (the Facility), with the overall objective to provide rapid and flexible support to Member States in building their capacities to detect, prevent, counter, investigate and respond to evolving terrorist threat, while ensuring respect for international law, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law and refugee law as well as the rule of law. The Facility delivers three types of activities: (a) advisory and mentoring support through the deployment of experts in a number of thematic areas determined by Member States’ requests; (b) training activities or workshops; and (c) limited provision of light, non-lethal equipment. It operates according to the following principles: 1) it is demand-driven, based on official requests from a Member State; and 2) it is complementary to other UN and EU support. Support delivered by the Facility takes in consideration the recommendations from the assessment visits conducted by the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee, through its Executive Directorate (CTED). 

To support the Facility, UNOPS is developing a roster of specialists (the Roster), members of which will deliver assistance across the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, depending on the specific need and context of the requesting Member States or regional organizations. The duration of the assignment depends on the tasks and deliverables assigned. 

These are positions in UNOPS for supporting activities of the Facility. The incumbents of these positions will be personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility. The incumbents will become members of the Roster for the duration of the Facility, under a retainer contract. He or she will be offered short-term assignments, with possible field deployments, depending on the needs of the Facility or of the requesting Member States.

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

Functional Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Cluster Head and in coordination with the Head of the EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility, the Programme Manager [Counter-Terrorism Digital Forensics Expert] will be expected to deliver high-level technical expertise to support Member States in conducting digital forensics activities related to counter-terrorism, including: 

• Undertake missions and conduct in-depth consultations with Member States requesting assistance to support the assessment of the capacity-building needs of concerned national entities with respect to the application of digital forensics techniques and methodologies to gather, analyze, and store digital evidence related to counter-terrorism;
• Develop recommendations to improve evidence collection, case management procedures, inter-agency coordination, and legal or legislative texts drafting related to digital forensics to ensure effective, rule of law-based and human rights-compliant conduct of counter-terrorism activities;
• Design, deliver, and participate in the evaluation of relevant technical assistance activities, including on digital evidence collection and preservation, digital investigation techniques, cyber threats assessment, data recovery and analysis, malware analysis, and network forensics, to conduct rule of law-based and human rights-compliant investigations of terrorism-related cases;   
• Provide high-level advisory and/or mentorship services to national entities in charge of digital forensics in counter-terrorism with a view to strengthening their management, operational capabilities, and inter-agency coordination;
• Advise on the establishment and operationalization of digital forensics laboratories, providing guidance on required infrastructure, staffing, and procurement of specialized equipment and technologies;
• Facilitate information-sharing and cooperation between national, regional, and international organizations on digital forensics and counter-terrorism efforts, promoting harmonization of practices and cross-border investigations;
• Advise on the development and implementation of Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) for digital evidence handling, chain of custody, and forensic investigations to ensure compliance with international legal standards and human rights principles;
• Prepare a variety of high-quality, written substantive outputs, including analyses, presentations, training materials, and summary reports, related to their assignments;
• Ensure human rights issues and gender perspectives are integrated in their work. 

Education/Experience/Language requirements

*FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY"

*CANDIDATES WITH NO UNITED NATIONS OR UNOPS EXPERIENCE ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent), preferably in Digital Forensics, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or any related field with ten (10) years of relevant experience is required; or
• First-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent), preferably in Digital Forensics, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or any related field with twelve (12) years of relevant experience is required.

Work Experience - Required: 

• Relevant experience is defined as experience in digital forensics related to counter-terrorism, transnational organized crime, or other complex investigations, in accordance with international human rights law and other legal frameworks governing digital forensics;
• Experience in conducting digital investigations, data recovery, and evidence collection from various digital devices and platforms is required;
• Experience in the delivery of capacity-building activities or training courses in digital forensics related to counter-terrorism or other complex, transnational crimes is required.

Work Experience - Desirable: 

• Knowledge of legal requirements related to digital evidence handling, preservation, and chain of custody in accordance with international law, including international human rights law, as well as international standards and good practices, is desirable;
• Experience in supporting the investigation of transnational crimes is desirable;
• Experience working internationally with other law enforcement/security organizations is desirable; 
• Experience in designing and providing technical assistance to a range of audiences, including senior government officials, would be an asset; 
• Experience working in diverse country contexts would be an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English (both oral and written), is a requirement;
• Fluency in Arabic, French, Russian, or Spanish is an asset.

Additional Information

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• 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. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority 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.

Terms and Conditions 

• 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. For more information on a retainer contract 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.