Chief Technical Advisor - Single Window Platform (UNIDO Project 230121, Tajikistan)

ABOUT THE ROLE

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is seeking a Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) for Project 230121, establishing a Single Window Platform for the free economic zones (FEZs) of Tajikistan. The platform will integrate Tajikistan's ministries and public bodies to streamline FEZ investment processes, in alignment with the Mid-Term Program for the Development of the Digital Economy and the 2030 National Development Strategy.

Under the supervision of the UNIDO Project Manager (TCS/DAI), and working alongside the International Expert and National Expert, the CTA provides independent technical assurance, strategic technical guidance and quality oversight across all phases of platform delivery. The CTA is the project's senior-most technical authority on platform architecture, integration, cybersecurity and delivery quality.

MAIN DUTIES

1. Concept, requirements and finalization of the Platform ToR. Prepare the inception note and workplan. Develop the Platform concept with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT) and agencies: vision, functional ambition, scope logic, MVP/Standard/Advanced structure. Confirm and reconcile requirements through workshops, structured elicitation and sign-off. Review the existing ToR, TRD and SRD for gaps, inconsistencies and feasibility risks. Finalize the ToR to be exhaustive, consistent and priceable, with a numbered testable requirements annex and compliance-matrix template. Finalize the MVP-as-base structure and the priced-option schedule.
2. Budget validation, acceptance architecture and evaluation framework. Validate the budget against scope using function point analysis or equivalent. Define the acceptance and staged-payment architecture: tranches tied to accepted deliverables, acceptance criteria and test evidence, warranty, defect SLAs, intellectual property and source-code handover, performance security. Develop the evaluation framework with UNIDO Procurement: weighting, minimum qualifying score, qualification and exclusion criteria, key-personnel thresholds and scoring grid.
3. Tender conduct and technical evaluation of bids. Support tender launch and conduct with Procurement. Respond to bidder clarifications. Provide an independent, non-scoring technical opinion on bids covering architecture feasibility, technology-stack appropriateness, team-composition adequacy and cost realism.
4. Contractor mobilization, architecture and security endorsement. Review the Contractor's inception report and conduct design and architecture gate reviews. Endorse the solution architecture and integration approach, including ASYCUDA World (customs), tax and legacy agency systems, and alignment with UN/CEFACT Recommendations 33, 34 and 35, the WCO Data Model and Tajikistan's e-government interoperability framework. Validate the cybersecurity architecture, role-based access control model, audit trail and secure communication layers; advise on public key infrastructure and digital-signature integration; ensure data-sovereignty and data-protection compliance. Validate the payment workflow architecture for FEZ-related services.
5. Supervision of business process analysis. Set technical direction for the National Associate Expert and quality-control the as-is and to-be business process analysis across the five FEZs and agencies to professional BPMN standards. Validate process maps, the Business Requirements Specification, business rules, SLA targets and the integration and data catalogues.
6. Governance, deployment assurance, risk and reporting. Chair the monthly Technical Working Group between UNIDO, MEDT, Customs, Tax, FEZ administrations, AIDT and the Contractor; present technical trade-offs to the Project Steering Committee. Conduct gate-based spot audits of code quality, test coverage and non-functional compliance. Oversee System Integration Testing and User Acceptance Testing before go-live sign-off. Validate hardware specifications, network architecture and hosting design. Ensure technical knowledge transfer to the platform operator is substantive and advise MEDT on the post-project sustainability roadmap. Maintain a technical risk register and advise on change orders and technical disputes.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems or a closely related technical field is required. Alternatively, a first-level university degree or an advanced technical college diploma may be acceptable provided it is combined with an additional 10 years of professional hands-on experience directly relevant to the assignment.

Experience: At least ten (10) years of progressive professional experience in ICT for development, digital government or trade facilitation systems at international level, including a minimum of five (5) years at a senior level, is required. Specifically:

• Minimum one (1) national-level Single Window or customs modernization project delivered to operational go-live, with at least one in a developing or transition economy, is required.
• Proven experience as a Technical Lead, Solution Architect or Chief Technical Advisor on complex, multi-stakeholder government ICT programmes is required.
• Demonstrated ability to review and validate system architecture, integration specifications, security design and technical deliverables produced by third-party contractors is required.
• Working knowledge of UN/CEFACT Recommendations 33, 34 and 35, the WCO Data Model and international trade data exchange standards is required.
• Experience drafting technical evaluation criteria for complex ICT procurements and participating in bid evaluation panels is desirable.
• Familiarity with the ASYCUDA ecosystem and post-Soviet government ICT environments is a strong asset.
• Strong analytical and diplomatic communication skills, and demonstrated ability to chair technical working groups and mediate between government officials, vendor architects and international development partners, are desirable.
• Prior experience in Central Asia, the Caucasus or Eastern Europe is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Proficiency in Russian, the working language of the counterparts and the contractor's on-site team, is a strong asset.
• Working knowledge of Tajik or another United Nations language is desirable.

TERMS

• Requisition ID: 7799
• Grade: ISA-P5, International Consultant
• Employment type: Non-staff, When Actually Employed
• Contract duration: 50 working days over a period of 12 months (1 August 2026 to 1 August 2027)
• Duty station: Home-based, with missions to Tajikistan as required
• Application deadline: 7 August 2026, 23:59 (Vienna, Austria time)

Female candidates are encouraged to apply. UNIDO welcomes applications from qualified persons with disabilities, and reasonable accommodation will be provided to support full participation in the recruitment process.

All applications must be submitted online through the UNIDO Online Recruitment System. This appointment is limited to the specified project and does not carry any expectation of renewal. UNIDO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the recruitment process.