Innovation Manager (Artificial Intelligence), P-4, Office of Innovation, Stockholm, Sweden (Temporary Appointment, 364 days) #129734

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

UNICEF has a history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships, and technologies are critical for achieve improved outcomes for children. The Office of Innovation is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF that sits at the unique intersection of working on material global issues, startup thinking, technology and partnerships that can scale solutions. We look to form partnerships around frontier technologies (including AI, drones, and UAVs, blockchain, new banking tools, wearables and sensors, and 3D-printing) that exist at the intersection of $100 billion markets and 1 billion person needs.

The Office of Innovation’s Venture Fund is a pooled funding vehicle specially designed to finance early stage, open-source technology that can benefit children. The core motivation of the Innovation Fund is to identify clusters or portfolios of initiatives around emerging technology – so that UNICEF can both shape markets and learn about and guide these technologies to benefit children. We invest in solutions that can impact the lives of the most vulnerable children. The Venture Team’s AI portfolio is composed of a set of companies that develop solutions in some of the following areas:

• Image classification modelling for environmental risk.
• Personalized, adaptive learning.
• AI for identifying gaps in vaccination rates.
• Using climate and digital data to predict dengue fever hotspots.
• Modelling air quality using climate data and satellite imagery.
• ML models for impact-based forecasts of flooding.

The Office of Innovation’s Venture Fund will continue to invest and grow the AI portfolio in response to the opportunities to use AI for transformative change for children.

How can you make a difference? 

The UNICEF Office of Innovation (OOI) is looking for an experienced AI Lead to provide technical leadership to the AI-related work of the Ventures Team. Thematic areas of focus include AI for Accessibility, Education, Health, WASH and Environment.

The successful candidate will have proven technical expertise of AI, understanding of ethical implications, along with strong organization and communication skills to collaborate with stakeholders across the organization.

Overall, this position is responsible for:

• Leading ideation, planning, prototyping and execution of high priority use cases, including coordination of related technical resources.
• Providing ongoing expert advice to startups and Country Offices funded by UNICEF’s Venture Fund, as needed.
• Collaborating with relevant UNICEF divisions, and Country Offices as they explore AI projects.
• Capturing lessons and insights from the AI portfolio and making these accessible.
• Establishing and maintaining partnerships with external stakeholders (including foundations, private organizations, academic institutions, etc.) and external representation for advocacy purposes.
• Coordinate and contribute to OOI’s involvement in the development and roll out of UNICEF’s AI strategy.
• Providing technical, strategic and knowledge advisory on AI to different internal stakeholders, as requested.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1. In line with the Ventures team’s objectives, lead the ideation, planning, prototyping and execution of high priority use cases, including coordination of related technical resources.

• Identifying, monitoring and explore new trends and opportunities in AI that can contribute to the Ventures team’s objectives.
• Oversee and support the technical development of in-house product prototyping to validate concepts, demonstrate potential and deepen the understanding of how AI can contribute to UNICEF use cases.
• In line with UNICEF global guidance, continue to develop and incorporate risk management strategies for AI in UNICEF use cases.
• Support the identification and coordination of financial and technical resources required for the Ventures team’s work.

2. Providing ongoing expert advice to startups and Country Offices funded by UNICEF’s Venture Fund, as needed.

• Support Venture Fund sourcing and selection processes for AI with expert advice on strategies, technologies, and best practices.
• Guide technical mentorship assistance to AI solutions receiving support from the Venture Fund.
• Identify, develop and manage networks, technical expertise and other resources for Fund supported solutions.

3. Establishing and maintaining partnerships with external stakeholders (including foundations, private organizations, academic institutions, etc.) and external representation for advocacy purposes.

• In close collaboration with OOI’s partnership and communications team, identify potential partnership opportunities with relevant entities, based on overall alignment with OOI’s objectives and values.
• Lead any external representation with technical partners and platforms relevant to this role, including for advocacy purposes.
• Identify relevant academic and other stakeholders to support the development and implantation of any appropriate research opportunities for OOI’s AI focused work.

4. Providing technical, strategic and knowledge advisory on AI to different internal stakeholders, as requested.

• Collaborate with designated stakeholders for the development and roll out of UNICEF’s AI strategy, in alignment with OOI’s goals and mandate.
• Coordinate and lead workshops and knowledges sessions to support upskilling around AI concepts, applications, and ethical considerations, relevant to UNICEF’s work.
• Lead the guidance in the selection, development, and rollout of AI algorithms and models, in line with UNICEF’s objectives and values.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: JD_Innovation Manager_AI_P4.docx

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Applied Mathematics or another relevant field.
  *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience (e.g. AI, Data Science, Machine Learning, Analytics, Innovation Management, Technical Project Management, etc.).
• Knowledge and understanding of AI, Machine Learning as well as the associated ecosystem.
• Strong understanding of trends in AI, particularly in emerging and developing markets.
• Track record of project delivery for large, cross-functional projects on technology platforms
• Demonstrated understanding of open source and open data principles and practices.
• Demonstrated experience working with technical teams of product managers, software developers and designers.
• Demonstrated experience working with stakeholders at different levels to achieve ambitious goals.
• Strong writing and communication skills, including for advocacy purposes, and the aptitude to handle competing messages and priorities with multiple audiences and at various levels of seniority.
• Experience working in the UN system is considered an asset.

Core skills:

• Applying technical expertise
• Creating and innovating
• Formulating strategies and concepts
• Drive for Results
• Working with People
• Communication

Functional competencies:

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

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.

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

Core Values

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
• Sustainability

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Core competencies skills

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

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will 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.

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.

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.

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