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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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

For every child, innovation.

How can you make a difference? 

Under the guidance of the supervisor and based on established policies, guidelines and procedures, the Technology for Development Officer will oversee and support demand for Technology for Development programmatic needs. UNICEF programmes increasingly leverage digital means for effective programme delivery, systems strengthening and monitoring. The T4D Officer supports programme teams in the identification, assessment and integration of ICT and digital innovation into UNICEF programming; strengthening internal capacity to support T4D related initiatives; identifying and engaging with key partners; building and maintaining business relationships; applying reusable and replicable technical buildings blocks; and maximizing the potential for the scale-up and sustainability of technology and digital innovation for UNICEF programming.

key functions, accountabilities and related duties or tasks:

1. Digital/Data Solution Implementation

Support and Design of T4D Interventions
• Provide technical support to the Country Office in the identification, selection, concept design, deployment and sustainability of T4D interventions to address bottlenecks towards the achievement of programme results.

Solution Procurement and Evaluation
• Provide inputs into the review of technical solutions to ensure UNICEF standards and Technology Playbook are followed; contribute to project management processes, generation and review of terms of reference and vendor selection.

Deployment Advice and Support
• Assist with implementation strategy of digital technology initiatives, including technical oversight, troubleshooting and the documentation of challenges and resolutions.

2. Strategic Oversight and Policy Compliance

Digital Development and Technology Innovation Strategy
• Support implementation of the technology and digital innovation strategy for the Country Office. Bring visibility to T4D gaps, opportunities and scale-up strategy in support of Country Office priorities.

Quality Assurance
• Monitor development and quality assurance during planning and deployment of T4D initiatives; participate in establishing and maintaining standards, documentation and support mechanisms for T4D.

ICT Emergency Preparedness and Response
• Support the ICT emergency preparedness activities within the Country Office as frequently as required by the office. Support creation of the Country Office level disaster recovery plan and utilise ICT emergency preparedness checklist.

Compliance with T4D Best Practices
• Participate in Country Office T4D Governance Committee and support compliance of T4D initiatives with the Principles for Digital Development (http://digitalprinciples.org/) and UNICEF Technology Playbook.

3. Resource Mobilisation

Proposal and Donor Development
• Identify and explore opportunities for resource mobilisation and new partnerships. Assist proposal and donor development efforts.

Provide Advice and Support to Programme Partners
• Provide inputs to technical and operational support to a wide range of stakeholders and partners on UNICEF policies, practices, standards and norms on technology for development.

Document Localized Partners and Profiles
• Maintain catalogue of country specific T4D partners and their profiles/areas of engagement to promote and enhance UNICEF goals for outcomes for children through Technology for Development.

4. Portfolio Coordination and Project Management

Portfolio Coordination
• Work closely with the Regional Office in deploying a portfolio approach and developing a digital roadmap for adapting common solutions prioritised for UNICEF programming (e.g. Digital Public Goods). Use UNICEF’s INVENT global online portfolio for T4D and innovation to record solutions and their status.

Project Management
• Monitor initiatives to ensure timely delivery throughout the lifecycle from assessment through to implementation and ongoing operations, while ensuring consistent stakeholder engagement.

5. Knowledge Management

Share Lessons Learned
• Identify, capture, and share lessons learned from T4D for integration into broader knowledge development planning, advocacy and communication efforts.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
• Work with Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to ensure documentation and clear monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for innovation and T4D projects including baseline data collection, on-going monitoring, as well as first phase data collection and analysis.

Contribute to Peer Support Networks
• Contribute and share to regional and global digital development and technology innovation networks and activities.

6. Digital Capacity Building

Utilise Data for Evidence Generation
• Support the identification of data needs of programmes and partners and propose solutions. Support capacity building of programme staff and partners in analysing the large amounts of data generated through T4D initiatives including the use of data visualization techniques and analytics tools.

Guide Stakeholders and End-users
• Participate as resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies, capacity and knowledge within the programmes on digital development. Guide UNICEF staff, partners, government counterparts and other end users in digital development and technology innovation.

7. Digital Innovation

Identify and Assess New Technology and Digital Innovations
• Support programme sections to identify and assess new T4D initiatives, or new phases of on-going initiatives, with immediate potential to improve UNICEF programming. Assist programme sections to identify significant product, organizational and process opportunities.

Build Awareness around Innovation and Frontier Technology
• Support the development of staff capabilities in using frontier technology and innovations such as UAVs, wearables, IoTs, mobile money, blockchain etc. Maintain updated knowledge of the latest trends and developments.

8. Business Analysis

User Centric Design
• Utilise human/user-centric design methods to support user-acceptance testing, evaluation, documentation and analysis (e.g. design thinking)

Landscape Mapping
• Maintain an inventory of Technology and Innovation interventions, assets, resources and networks.

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

• A university degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent) is required in Digital Transformation, Business Analysis, ICT Management, Computer Science, Innovation, Digital Development, International Development or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in information communication technology for development (ICT4D) in a large international organization or corporation is required, including:
  • Experience identifying, designing and implementing solutions for large-scale projects with technical components.
  • Experience coordinating the work of external vendors and software developers and experience supporting business analysis, budgets, contracts, project management and procurement.
  • Experience with ICT, mobile and web-based technologies, particularly designing or deploying tools appropriate to the region.
  • Exposure to UNICEF, UN or other INGO programmatic areas, including in health, nutrition, child protection and education.
  • Experience applying technical solutions to address programmatic issues.

     

• Experience in the following areas is desirable:
  • Experience in Open Source, mobile and emerging technology applied to UNICEF programme areas.
  • Experience with RapidPro, Primero, DHIS2, ODK and other digital public good technologies, and deploying, maintaining and scaling these technologies.
• Fluency in French is required.
• Knowledge of another English, official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

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…

• Builds and maintains partnerships (1)
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (1)
• Drive to achieve results for impact (1)
• Innovates and embraces change (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
• Thinks and acts strategically (1)
• Works collaboratively with others (1)

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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 is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

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.