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.

The Division of Private Sector Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP), primarily based in Geneva, aims to achieve results for children by maximizing UNICEF’s private fundraising, partnerships, and engagement activities, including work with National Committees, regional and country offices. Through its work in generating income and leveraging influence, it helps in achieving impact as stated in UNICEF’s Strategic Plan.

Knowledge Management (KM) is one of the key cross-cutting enablers in achieving PFP’s goals. Capitalizing on the availability of collaborative tools and virtual platforms for information-sharing and exchange, and leveraging the achievements made in the field of KM, emphasis will be placed on fostering a more pronounced culture of knowledge-sharing and learning for continuous improvement within the UNICEF private sector network. This requires strong leadership at the global, national, and individual levels and a shift in organizational working practices to promote the effective exchange of relevant information, enabling the knowledge, good practice, and lessons learned in one office to be easily applied to another and to immediately feed into new and more effective approaches to fundraising and partnerships.

Other KM positions and responsibilities have also been created in different sections of PFP to improve the flow and exchange of lessons and experiences across National Committees and country offices with structured fundraising operations; increasing learning and replication of successful activities by capturing, storing, sharing and disseminating examples of cases, good practices and lessons learned; and tracking and measuring the impact of information and knowledge use.

For every child, a Champion

The Planning, Reporting, Information, Monitoring, and Evaluation (PRIME) Section supports all PFP sections and inter-divisional and inter-office work by providing strategic planning, monitoring, and reporting, internal communications, and knowledge management for UNICEF’s private sector work.

The Knowledge Management Manager (KM Manager), based in PRIME, will oversee KM work across the Division, and help strengthen knowledge management by working closely with KM Specialists and focal points in PFP sections. The position is responsible for the development and implementation of a strategic framework for KM in the Division and for the related policies, plans, methodologies, and products to increase learning from successes and failures and replication of successful activities in the UNICEF private sector family. The KM Manager will promote an overall culture of knowledge capture, sharing, and learning through the Division’s organizational processes and systems, and provide thought leadership and hands-on support for KM initiatives in PFP.

In addition, the KM Manager will work closely with the Chief of Planning, PRIME, the Internal Communications Manager, the Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Manager to deliver on the KM goals of the Division, as well as with the Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management Unit at New York Headquarters (NYHQ) to synergize with and contribute to organization-wide KM initiatives. The KM Manager will report directly to the Chief of Planning in PFP PRIME.

How can you make a difference?

Management and coordination of PFP’s KM area of work

• Oversees the work and develops synergies across KM activities implemented by different KM specialists and focal points in PFP.
• Systematically seeks feedback from and provides guidance to the network of KM specialists and focal points on methodologies, tools, products to be used for KM within the Division; establishes a collective understanding and focus for KM.
• Through the network of KM specialists and focal points, and with the help of other technical specialists in the Division, identifies business critical knowledge that needs to be made available to the PFP stakeholders, e.g., National Committees and Country Offices.
• Provides overall management of global knowledge and skill sharing events and assistance to technical and specialist meetings on how such events can be shared and disseminated more systematically to stakeholders.
• Conceives and manages relevant incentives and recognition programs to encourage sharing of experiences, lessons from both successes and failures and good practices.

Development and regular update of an effective KM strategy and framework and implementation plan for the Division as well as related processes, methodologies, products, and tools

• Leads the development and spearheads the implementation of a KM strategy and framework to support the achievement of the goals of PFP.
• Collaborates with the Communications Specialist, Digital Workplace, Divisional IT staff and the network of KM focal points to develop and keep up to date policies, methodologies, products, and tools for KM in the Division.
• Develops compelling cases for KM activities related to private sector activities.
• Assesses learning and knowledge capture and sharing approaches used everywhere in UNICEF and where relevant adapts them in PFP.
• Liaises regularly with the NYHQ Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management Unit to share PFP experience and to ensure that PFP’s approach links with the broader UNICEF KM initiatives.
• Promotes KM and the use of common/standard approaches across units and sections where it makes sense.

Strategic guidance and/or implementation support to KM initiatives

• Provides guidance to help other KM specialists shape their planned KM initiatives.
• Identifies, tests, measures, and mainstreams successful new and/or innovative ways to implement KM, including the use of Artificial Intelligence and other value-adding emerging technologies for continuous improvement.
• Supports knowledge networks and communities of practice on fundraising and partnerships.
• Oversees the capture of cases and good practices that will inspire replication by others.
• Manages and oversees the knowledge conversion and repackaging work of key knowledge outputs of the Division, including the development of more engaging and interactive knowledge products, e-courses and microlearning modules in different areas of PFP work.
• In close coordination with the Internal Communications Manager and the Communications Specialist – Digital Workplace, contributes to the continuous evolution of the PFP Intranet and other elements of the PFP Digital Workplace.

 Knowledge and capacity building on KM throughout the Division

• Participates in the PFP Learning and Training Committee to help identify and fill capacity gaps and training opportunities.
• Provides capacity building on effective and emerging knowledge capture and knowledge sharing approaches.
• Organizes training sessions and webinars to help technical specialists in PFP, National Committees and Country Offices improve their skills and capacity to implement different KM approaches particularly as it relates to private sector work.
• Provides coaching and guidance to teams, including those in Regional Support Centers, who need to roll-out or implement different KM approaches.

Development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy for reflection and learning that supports the division’s goals and objectives.

• Leads the implementation of Lessons Learned Exercises on strategic and innovative projects for more agile decision-making.
• Develops and maintains a repository of lessons learned that can be easily searched for succeeding strategic initiatives.
• Works with senior management to develop a culture of learning and helps generate psychological safety for colleagues to openly share failures and lessons from experience for purposes of improving PFP work.
• Develops and manages a mechanism for PFP, National Committees and Country Offices to celebrate and learn from failures and not just successes.

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

Education:

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: social sciences, international relations, knowledge management or information management, communication, or a relevant technical field.
• Alternatively, a first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A certificate in knowledge management or information management or communication is an asset.

Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional work experience in knowledge management is required, some of which are at the international level in the development field.
• Proven experience in leading the development and implementation of an office-wide knowledge management strategy or framework is required.
• Proven experience in achieving consensus and collaboration across business units and in explaining complex concepts in layperson’s language, generating enthusiasm for knowledge sharing and transfer and communication with all levels of management and staff, is required.
• Proven experience in surfacing and capturing lessons and good practices is required.
• Proven experience in rolling out innovative approaches in knowledge management projects is an asset.
• Good management and coordination skills of multi-team activities is required. Must be creative and self-motivated with strong problem-solving skills (thinks outside of the box), good networking and collaboration skills paired with the ability to inspire others, and a strong drive for results.
• Proven experience in facilitation and driving organizational change, with a strong track record of strategic thinking to influence culture, behavior, and the implementation of business processes and tools, is required.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills to deliver important lessons learned documents and presentations is required.
• Good appreciation of customer needs at both the operational and strategic levels is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in project management oversight and also ‘hands-on’ skills are required.
• Experience of working with UNICEF or other UN entities, familiarity with the work of UNICEF National Committees, and/or private sector fundraising is an asset.

Language requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. excellent oral communication, writing, and editing skills in English.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is 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…

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2) are required.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: our competency framework.

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 benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, 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 delivering the best results for children.

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

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.