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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, innovate...

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

The UNICEF Venture Fund has been specifically designed to finance early-stage, open-source technology that can benefit children. The core motivation of the Venture Fund is to identify "clusters" or portfolios of initiatives around emerging technology - so that UNICEF can both shape markets and also learn about and guide these technologies to benefit children. We invest in solutions that can impact the lives of the most vulnerable children. We find solutions clustered around $100 billion industries in frontier technology spaces, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, nanosatellites, UAVs, and virtual and augmented reality.

How can you make a difference?? 

Under the leadership of the Venture Fund Innovation Manager, the Programme Specialist will coordinate the Ventures’ team engagements with UNICEF Country Offices. This role entails establishing and coordinating systems to support country offices for use of frontier technology solutions, acting as a focal point for country level activities and maintaining a tracking system to monitor and coordinate the Ventures team and broader Office of Innovation (OOI). Focusing on cultivating strategic partnerships and enhancing country engagement, they play a pivotal role in driving the adoption of frontier technology solutions within UNICEF. Engagements can comprise any of the following:

• Investments provided by the Venture Fund to Country Offices for pilots of early-stage technology solutions
• Facilitating access for Country Offices to promising frontier technology solutions from the Venture Fund’s portfolio
• Pathfinding activities supported by the Digital Public Goods Alliance and executed by Country Offices, including engagement with accelerators and ecosystems, sourcing of new DPGs, advocacy with national government partners
• Acting as focal point for other country-level activities supported in close collaboration with other Divisions

Overall, this position is responsible for:

• Supporting implementation of pathfinding activities in close collaboration with country offices, including documenting and sharing lessons learned, facilitating access to technical resources etc.
• Supporting engagements at country level to strengthen local ecosystems and improve pipelines for new DPGs
• Coordinating the process for country offices to access funding from the Venture Fund, including support to approved projects
• Establishing and coordinating systems and support to country offices for use of promising frontier technology solutions, including by managing relevant LTAs, coordinating country pilots and links to the Venture Fund’s growth funding
• Acting as focal point for any other relevant country level activities and maintaining a system to track and coordinate across the Ventures team and broader OOI

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  JD_Programme Specialist (Country Office Engagement) P3 - FT.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced University Degree in technology, social sciences, development sciences, public relations, business administration and management or related field.
• Work Experience:
  • A minimum of five years progressively responsible professional work experience in technology project management, some of which should be in an international setting. Seven years of experience in lieu of an advanced degree.
  • Experience in facilitating engagements with UNICEF Country Offices and UNICEF Divisions, including experience working with UNICEF at country level required.
  • Engagement with stakeholders from national entrepreneurial ecosystem is required. 
  • Knowledge of open licensing and digital public goods required. 
  • Proven experience in translating and clearly presenting complex ideas from various fields into unified, clear messages, including for successful partnership development is required.
  •  
    Strong writing and communication skills and the aptitude to handle competing messages and priorities with multiple audiences is required.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency. 
• Experience in managing projects and partnerships focused on open-source frontier technology is desired.
• Experience in supporting and engaging with national digitalization strategies and efforts with government, as an advocate or with other relevant stakeholders in the national level ecosystem is desired. 
• Experience in coordinating activities within and across teams, including project teams for specific initiatives and use of current project management and tracking platforms and tools is desired. 
• Demonstrated experience in developing and negotiating partnership and entrepreneurial strategies is desired. 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2)

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (2)

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact (3)

(4) Innovates and embraces change (2)

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

(6) Thinks and acts strategically (2)

(7) Works collaboratively with others (2)

Functional competencies:

• Relating and Networking
• Planning and organizing
• Deciding and initiating action

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

In case of any questions, contact us at swe-ooi-recruitments@unicef.org