Company Description
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization comprised of 38 member countries, that works to build better policies for better lives. Our mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, we work on establishing evidence-based international standards, and finding solutions to a range of social, economic and environmental challenges. From improving economic performance and creating jobs to fostering strong education and fighting international tax evasion, we provide a unique forum and knowledge hub for data and analysis, exchange of experiences, best-practice sharing, and advice on public policies and international standard-setting.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an intergovernmental organisation committed to advancing security of energy supply, economic growth and environmental sustainability through energy policy co-operation. The IEA operates as an autonomous body within the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Both the OECD and the IEA seek opportunities to work with an increasing number of non-members of growing importance to the world economy. The Agency aims to foster the contribution of the energy sector to economic development and environmental sustainability.
Job Description
The IEA seeks to recruit a Head of IT Systems Unit. The Head of the IT Systems Unit is responsible for providing and managing the full range of information, telecommunications, and computing services in support of the organization’s mission. The IT unit operates a hybrid IT environment that integrates hardware, software, and applications — including in-house developed solutions — to deliver a wide range of IT services essential to the Agency's substantial work.
The Head of Unit will lead a team of ten IT professionals, including solutions architects, systems engineers, software developers, data scientists, user support staff, and administrative personnel. The role reports directly to the Chief Management Officer (CMO), serves as the CMO’s deputy on information systems matters, and acts as the chief liaison with OECD’s Digital Knowledge and Information service (DKI) on issues of mutual concern, particularly in IT security.
Main Responsibilities
IT Strategic Planning
- Drive digital transformation initiatives, developing and implementing IT strategies that align with the organization’s overall goals and priorities.
- Advise senior management on all aspects of IT strategy. Organize consultations with internal and external stakeholders to ensure IT strategies and solutions reflect the needs of staff at all levels, from senior management to project teams and support staff.
- Identify new areas of emphasis based on evolving user needs and emerging technologies, fostering innovation in line with evolving organisational and technological trends
Technical leadership
- Oversee all IT infrastructure and operations, ensuring systems are implemented, maintained, and fully supported so that services remain secure, reliable, and up to date.
- Design and implement robust information and communication technology solutions that are fit for purpose, secure, and high performing, aligned with both current and future user needs.
- Maintain infrastructure quality by staying current with market standards and best practices, evaluating and selecting technical solutions and within available budgetary resources.
Team Leadership
- Lead and mentor the IT team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement while staying ahead of technological developments.
- Provide intellectual and technical leadership by coaching and developing staff, ensuring they are supported with the right skills, training, and resources to succeed.
- Proactively identify and address competency gaps, encouraging professional growth and continuous learning.
- Oversee key projects while delegating effectively, empowering staff through responsibility and accountability.
- Build team capacity through recruitment, succession planning, and when appropriate, engaging external experts or consultants.
Cybersecurity
- Ensure the Agency network and data are safeguarded against cyber threats. Oversee network integrity and information security, as well as disaster recovery, and business continuity.
- Develop, implement, and maintain security policies, procedures, and standards to protect systems and data from internal and external threats.
- Monitor and assess risks, conduct regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing to ensure robust defenses.
- Lead disaster recovery and business continuity planning, ensuring critical services can be restored quickly and effectively in case of disruption.
- Oversee compliance with relevant cybersecurity regulations, standards, and best practices.
- Promote a culture of security awareness, providing staff with training and guidance on data protection and safe technology use.
Budget management
- Develop, manage, and oversee the IT budget, ensuring the cost-effective use of resources and alignment with organizational financial goals.
- Implement a multi-year investment plan supported by IT procurement, purchases, and hardware allocation, in compliance with financial rules and regulations and within budget constraints.
- Contribute to the preparation of the annual program of work and budget, establishing priorities for IT development in line with the overall IT strategy.
- Maintain oversight of the ICT asset inventory, ensuring it is regularly updated and accurately monitored
Qualifications
Ideal Candidate Profile
Academic Background
- Preferably an advanced university degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field
- Qualified certifications in IT management and/or relevant technical areas are an asset
Professional Background
- At least eight years ‘of experience in IT, including leadership capacity, preferably in a multicultural or international environment.
- Proven experience in operating and managing on-premises datacentres, ensuring the high availability, reliability, and security of IT infrastructure (networks, storage, servers, operating systems, and applications).
- Strong knowledge of current and emerging technologies, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, with the ability to adapt to evolving business and technology landscapes.
- Strong operational knowledge for management oversight and implementation of Microsoft 365, Azure, network security and enterprise applications.
- Demonstrated leadership, decision-making, and team management abilities, with a track record of aligning IT initiatives to organizational strategies and objectives.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively interact with stakeholders at all levels.
- Strong problem-solving, adaptability, and project management skills.
Core Competencies
- OECD staff are expected to demonstrate behaviours aligned to six core competencies which will be assessed as part of this hiring processes: Vision and Strategy (Level 2); Enable People (Level 2); Ethics and Integrity (Level 2); Collaboration and Horizontality (Level 3); Achieve Results (Level 3); Innovate and Embrace Change (Level 3).
- There are three possible levels for each competency. The level for each competency is determined according to the specific needs of each job role and its associated grade.
- To learn more about the definitions for each competency for levels 1-3, please refer to OECD Core Competencies
Languages
- Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English; working knowledge of French would be an advantage.
Additional Information
Closing Date
- This vacancy should be filled as soon as possible, and applications should reach us no later than midnight 26 October 2025 (Paris time).
Contract Duration
What the OECD offers
- Monthly salary starts at 10,511.13 EUR, plus allowances based on eligibility, exempt of French income tax.
- Click here to consult the Staff Regulations applicable to officials of the OECD. Please note that from 1 July 2025, all Official appointments will be made under the OECD’s new contractual modalities.
- Click here to learn more about what we offer and why the OECD is a great place to work.
- Click here to browse our People Management Guidebook and learn more about all aspects relating to people at the OECD, our workplace environment and many other policies supporting staff in their daily life.
- Please note that the appointment may be made at one grade lower in the specified job family, based on the qualifications and professional experience of the selected applicant.
- This vacancy may be used to create a pool of candidates for comparable positions, both for open-ended and fixed-term functions.
Selection Process
For retained candidates, the selection process may include a video-recorded interview, job-based assessment and panel interviews.
The OECD is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes the applications of all qualified candidates [who are nationals of OECD member countries]*, irrespective of their racial or ethnic origin, opinions or beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, health or disabilities.
The OECD promotes an optimal use of resources in order to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Staff members are encouraged to actively contribute to this goal.
