Damas, Syrie (with possible coordination visits as required)
Position Purpose: The Data Center / IT Infrastructure Expert will serve as the Technical Advisor to the project team and Creative’s implementing partners on all ICT, data center, and systems architecture components.
Position Type: Consultant / Technical Advisor
Durée: Five Months
Reporting Lines: The Data Center / IT Infrastructure Expert will report to the Program Lead and work in close coordination with:
- Project Technical Team
- Implementing Partners
- ICT vendors and contractors
Principales responsabilités / Scope of Work
- Act as the main technical liaison between the project team and implementing partners on all ICT and data center matters;
- Facilitate technical coordination meetings and workshops with implementing partners;
- Support the implementing partner in defining technical and functional requirements for; Centralized Data Center; Digital Data Transformation Centers (DDTCs); and Network and connectivity architecture;
- Provide technical advisory support for the design and architecture of the Centralized Data Center;
- Review and validate technical designs and specifications developed by vendors and contractors;
- Serve as the internal ICT subject matter expert for the program team;
- Review technical outputs from ICT vendors and service providers;
- Ensure alignment of vendor outputs with project technical requirements;
- Review proposed security frameworks including: Access control systems; Data encryption protocols; and Secure data transmission between centers;
- Advise on system resilience against cyber threats;
- Lead the finalization of the Bill of Quantities (BoQ) for the Centralized Data Center, Digital Data Transformation Centers (DDTCs), and all associated ICT infrastructure and equipment;
- Develop and finalize the technical specifications for all ICT hardware, software, networking, storage, backup, sécurité, pouvoir, and data center infrastructure to support procurement activities;
- Develop the technical evaluation and selection criteria for ICT and data center procurements, ensuring compliance with project objectives and procurement standards;
- Prepare technical evaluation tools, including scoring matrices and evaluation sheets, for the assessment of bids and proposals;
- Serve as a technical member of procurement evaluation committees, participating in the technical review, évaluation, clarification, and recommendation of ICT and data center vendors and contractors;
- Provide technical support during bid clarification meetings, contract negotiations, and vendor selection processes, as required; et
- Review and approve technical deliverables, factory acceptance tests (FAT), site acceptance tests (SAT), and commissioning reports prior to final acceptance of ICT systems and infrastructure.
Qualifications requises
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Systèmes d'information, Network Engineering, Computer Engineering, ou un domaine connexe.
- Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in ICT infrastructure, enterprise IT systems, data center design and implementation, or digital transformation projects.
- Demonstrated experience in the design, planification, and implementation of enterprise ICT infrastructure, including data centers, networking, storage, virtualization, and cybersecurity solutions.
- Proven experience serving as a technical advisor on digital transformation, e-government, or large-scale ICT modernization initiatives.
- Demonstrated experience in developing technical specifications, Bills of Quantities (BoQs), and technical requirements for ICT infrastructure and data center procurements.
- Proven experience participating in technical evaluations of ICT procurements, including developing evaluation criteria, scoring methodologies, and serving on technical evaluation committees.
- Strong technical knowledge of:
- Data center architecture, virtualization, and cloud/on-premises infrastructure;
- Enterprise networking (LAN, WAN, VPN, wireless, routing, and switching);
- Cybersecurity frameworks, identity and access management, encryption, and disaster recovery;
- Enterprise storage, backup, database systems, and business continuity planning.
- Experience reviewing ICT vendor proposals, validating technical designs, and overseeing system testing, commissioning, and acceptance is highly desirable.
- Experience working with government institutions, public sector digital transformation programs, or donor-funded projects is highly desirable.
- Excellent analytical, technical writing, communication, coordination, et compétences en matière d’engagement des parties prenantes.
- Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams and provide technical leadership within complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
- Professional certifications such as PMP, ITIL, Cisco (CCNA/CCNP), Microsoft Azure, VMware, AWS, or Certified Data Centre Professional (CDCP) are considered an asset.