Chief, Digital Centre of Excellence at UNICEF

How can you make a difference?

The Chief, Digital Centre of Excellence provides leadership in ICTD’s digital transformation agenda with field facing Technology for Development (T4D) solutions at global level. In addition to leading and managing the Centre of Excellence team, the Chief works closely with regions, headquarter divisions, UN agencies and external partners, facilitating demand prioritization, overseeing T4D product families, identifying partnerships, and fostering and inspiring innovation.

As part of the ICTD Division, the role works closely with ICTD management in Valencia and New York and plays a key role in the implementation of the digital strategy, reinforcement of technology evolution and strengthening relations with programmes, regional cohesion and alignment.

This position reports to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) - Director of ICTD. This role directly supervises one international staff member at the P-4 level and is second reporting officer to 2 international staff members as the P-3 level. It is expected that at least 5 additional international positions will be added as the COE grows in coming years.

Key responsibilities:

1. Provide leadership and manage the Digital COE teams that are onsite and remote
2. Manage the Digital Centre of Excellence by overseeing and supervising the key pillars of the global T4D function.
3. Through the authority of the CIO’s office, ensure that the global Digital COE plays a central role in the development and implementation of T4D and digital innovation strategies that are supporting the programmes.
4. Ensure the COE workplans, activities, key assignments, projects and tasks are aligned with global ICTD portfolio.
5. Support capacity building of COE teams with trainings, workshops and stretch assignments.
6. Lead the resource mobilization to support the COE and associated programmes through fundraising, partnerships and advocacy
7. Manage the budget and resource plan of the Digital COE.
8. Seek and promote new partnerships and resource mobilization for T4D and digital innovation, working within UNICEF teams and divisions to identify gaps and broker resource mobilization agreements to meet those needs.
9. Expand UNICEF’s network of key interlocutors.
10. Contribute to communications and advocacy for the digital strategy.
11. Work closely with UNICEF’s colleagues to ensure advocacy and outreach.
12. Facilitate the implementation of the UNICEF’s digital (T4D) programme strategy through business relationship management, good governance, partnerships, and compliance
13. Build and manage a relationship for convergence and partnering across the organization, including strategic planning with business owners vis a vis digital programmes.
14. Under the direction of the ICTD director, play a central role in the Field Results and Innovation cone on digital investments for programmes together with Supply Division, Office of Innovation and other divisions including Programmed Division and Private Fundraising and Partnerships.
    1. Provide leadership, coordination and engagement with stakeholders for investment in digital public goods supporting UNICEF programmes.
    2. Support - as interface - regional offices and country offices to scale digital T4D programmes including prioritization, testing and implementation of global solutions
    3. Oversee and facilitate support to the global T4D products and solutions through their lifecycle on behalf of stakeholders using established governance mechanisms and engagement with partners.
    4. Foster digital innovation through emerging technologies in country programmes together with Innovation Hubs of UNICEF, UN agencies and Partners
    5. Lead efforts on identifying emerging technologies that would solve the identified problems or accelerate programmatic results.
    6. Support regional offices in guiding country offices to implement and operationalize digital innovation at scale by sharing knowledge and best practices.
    7. Network with technology partners, private sectors, UN Innovation Labs and Academia.
    8. Leadership and People Management
       1. Strategically lead, supervise, develop, and empower staff under supervision.
       2. Promote culture of performance management, providing timely guidance, feedback and support to team. Monitor work progress and ensure results are achieved according to schedule and performance standards.
       3. Develop work plans and targets based on strategic division and organizational priorities.
       4. Promote a team environment of staff well-being, accessibility and inclusion.

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Academic Degrees Required:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or higher) in International Development, International Relations, Business Administration, Engineering, Information Technology management, or a relevant technical field. A first University Degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent) in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Professional Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years professional experience in information technology management, business operations, or field support in leveraging technology to improve programme results in a large international organization is required, including:
• 7 years of work experience at field level (regional or country) providing support to the design and implementation of programme facing technologies (T4D)
• 5 years of work experience directly engaging national and sub-national government partners, including associated ministries of ICT, Health, Education etc.
• Proven experience creating partnerships and mobilizing resources

Desirable:

1. Experience in a UN organization is an asset.
2. Leadership in the development of ICT and T4D strategic plans, governance, policies and system architecture is desirable.
3. Proven project and programme management skills with excellent knowledge of change management are desirable.
4. Broad understanding of business principles and processes, and the ability to quickly assimilate UN/UNICEF specific processes and systems are desirable.
5. Knowledge and understanding of humanitarian and development practices with an area of technical expertise is an asset.

Language requirements:

Fluency in English is required with advanced written and oral proficiency. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and the core competencies as follows:

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