INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICE
SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR
1. INTRODUCTION
The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an independent intergovernmental body, established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC), whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs services across the globe. The WCO represents 187 Customs administrations that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade. As the global centre of Customs expertise, the WCO is the only international organization with competence in Customs matters.
As a forum for dialogue and exchange of experiences between national Customs delegates, the WCO offers its Members a wide range of conventions and other international instruments, as well as technical assistance and training services provided either directly by the Secretariat, or with its participation. The Secretariat also actively supports its Members in their endeavours to modernize and build capacity within their national Customs administrations, as well as fostering international cooperation among them.
- SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE VACANT POSITION
The organization is looking to recruit a Systems Administrator, who is responsible for administering and maintaining the WCO's IT infrastructure. This role involves supporting IT systems, troubleshooting and maintenance, access control, software updates and security patches, and documentation and reporting. The Systems Administrator will play a key role in contributing to the ongoing modernization of IT in the WCO and the provision of high-quality IT services for over 200 staff and also guarantee that WCO Cyber Security best practices are respected.
- MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES
Under the supervision of the Head of IT, the Systems Administrator will focus on the following key activities:
1. Administration, Maintenance and Monitoring of existing IT infrastructure (Network, Servers, Storage, UPS, laptops, etc.);
2. Daily management of Microsoft and Linux OS, application/web server and databases;
3. Troubleshoot network, software, and printing issues;
4. Implement networks and servers (physical and virtual);
5. Create/update/follow-up documentation and procedures, including business continuity & disaster recovery;
6. Implement and maintain a backup and restore strategy;
7. Manage backups of all systems, ensuring that they run successfully, and manage off-site backups for safe storage;
8. Analyze and provide recommendations for improvements on current infrastructure, network and security setup;
9. Support Microsoft 365, Hybrid Active Directory, Exchange Online, SharePoint, MS Teams and other systems;
10. Manage submitted tickets and work queue, respond to work queues, resolving issues in accordance with agreed timelines
11. Clearly and effectively communicate service status with users and business owners as required;
12. Work with vendor support to resolve technical problems with desktop computing equipment and software;
13. Maintain and track hardware inventory and standards, working closely with the IT Service Officer;
14. Work collaboratively as a 2nd/3rd level support team with other IT colleagues to ensure that customers receive timely service;
15. Establish and maintain good working relationships with colleagues, end users and other professionals (e.g. suppliers and software developers);
16. Act as a backup for the Help Desk when required; and
17. Perform required budget-related administrative tasks on the topics related to Systems Administration.
The person appointed will also be required to perform such other duties as may be assigned and may be subject to reassignment within the WCO Secretariat.
4. EDUCATION
· Bachelor degree in Information Technology, or an equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience.
· ITIL Certification V3 or higher.
5. ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCIES
- At least 5 years of relevant experience as Systems Administrator.
· Motivated by the opportunity to contribute to the modernization of IT Services.
· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
· Excellent inter-personal skills, intercultural awareness and the ability to work effectively with colleagues and stakeholders.
· Strong communication skills and the ability to present information and draft materials in a clear and concise manner.
· Excellent knowledge of current developments in computer applications and information systems.
- Good understanding of and adherence to the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework.
- Knowledge of Cyber Security fundamentals and best practices.
6. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCIES
The following would be advantageous, but are not essential:
- Practical experience in an international, multicultural, and multilingual environment.
- Professional experience in a similar position in an international or intergovernmental organization.
- Good knowledge of VMware.
- Hands-on experience with Microsoft Server 2008 and above, Windows 11, and Linux servers.
- Comprehensive knowledge of managing and implementing Azure stacks.
- Experience of Cisco Meraki technologies.
- A good working knowledge of Microsoft Active Directory in a hybrid environment.
- A thorough understanding of Microsoft Intune.
- Fundamental knowledge and experience in networking (VLAN, LAN, WLAN, WAN).
7. LANGUAGES
· Fluency in English and/or French, the official working languages of the WCO.
· Knowledge of the other official WCO language would be considered an asset.
8. CONTRACT AND CONDITIONS
· Staff member under WCO contract of three (3) years, with the possibility of renewal.
· Probationary period: six (6) months.
· Full-time employment (thirty-seven (37) hours and forty (40) minutes weekly) at WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
· Thirty (30) days of paid annual leave.
· Salary based on the Co-ordinated Organisations' salary scale, grade B4, step 1; amount of 4,641.01 EUR/month (remuneration exempted from income tax in Belgium).
· The basic salary can be augmented by allowances based on the staff member's eligibility, and it is subject to the mandatory withholding of terminal allowance (for retirement planning) and medical and life & disability insurance contributions.
This position is subject to the WCO Staff Manual (for permanent staff). If a candidate is related to current WCO staff members (spouse, father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister), they are required to specifically indicate this in the application.
9. APPLICATION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Interested candidates should submit their application for review no later than 30th of June 2026 at midnight Central European Time, including a CV and motivation letter in English or French. This application should be sent by email to: SysAdmin.vacancy@wcoomd.org .
The subject line of the email sent by each candidate should clearly indicate the job vacancy for which they are applying.
The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate how they meet each of the essential qualifications and requirements. Applicants are encouraged to describe tangible achievements in their CV and motivation letter, as well as to include contact details for referees.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an assessment, which may include a written test and/or an interview. All short-listed candidates may be requested to provide copies of their original diploma, certificates and proof of relevant experience. Pre-selected candidates may also be subject to reference checks to confirm the information provided in their application.
Interested candidates may submit a request for additional information via email, providing their full name and contact details.
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application, according to the criteria for the position and the applicable WCO rules.
10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The WCO is committed to the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability, as well as to promoting diversity among its staff members. Accordingly, applications from qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, will receive equal treatment and due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting nationals from WCO Members on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The age limit for employment at the WCO is 65. Please note that the WCO Headquarters building is a non-smoking environment.
Any personal data collected and processed as part of the recruitment procedure will be in accordance with the WCO's Personal Data Protection Policy (available on the WCO website: https://www.wcoomd.org/en/about-us/legal-instruments/policies.aspx). Any questions or complaints in this regard may be addressed to the WCO's Data Protection Officer (dpo@wcoomd.org).
