Programme Specialist

Purpose of the job

UNICEF is seeking a Programme Specialist (Frontier Data) to facilitate and foster our internal/external public/private sector frontier data technology relationships and projects, bridging between technology and social impact so that our network can most efficiently deliver results. 

The successful candidate combines digital product development and partnerships and community of practice experience over UNICEF’s child-centered mission. This role involves coordinating stakeholders across UNICEF business units, country and regional offices, national partners, and regional frontier data nodes, managing discussions with corporate and research partners that turn opportunities into deliverables that advance the Frontier Data Network, with a special focus on Latin America where FDN is currently building its latest Frontier Data Node and West and Central Africa where FDN is supporting a local team that could turn into another node.

How can you make a difference? 

• Under the direction of the Frontier Data Science Specialist and the supervision of the Chief of the Frontier Data and Tech Unit the incumbent will be responsible for:
• PARTNERSHIPS: Maintaining and building new partnerships for the Frontier Data Network. Depending on the stakeholders, partnerships and collaborations will stretch across resource mobilization, frontier data access, technology needs, research talent, and more. The candidate will:
• Internally be a liaison between FDN and UNICEF partnership bodies and divisions, e.g., national committees, Private Fundraising and Partnerships, Public Partnerships, also supporting coordination with other key/partner UNICEF divisions of FDN, in particular Data, Innovation, and Technology functions.
• Externally be a liaison between other international organisations and partnerships, e.g., the Development Data Partnership, research and academic partners from universities and other institutions, with data4good and tech4good communities, and with private sector partners that provide data, talent, or technology.
• FIELD: Coordinating the Frontier Data Network’s work with regional nodes and country offices, ensuring field engagement and empowerment. Within the Frontier Data Network, there are regional Frontier Data Nodes designed to align local demand with local solutions, bolster national capacity, and ensure that data science directly addresses the most critical challenges facing children in each geography. As all regions are not the same and not all nodes are at the same level of maturity, different actions and efforts must be carried out. The candidate will:
• Actively work with regions and nodes, ensuring that the Network is constantly being nourished by local needs and initiatives, reinforcing its community capacity, and guiding the work of researchers and scientists in understanding what and how can we address the most pressing challenges faced by children today and in the future.
• Ensure that FDN can keep a regional and country office centric approach to impact, and a strategic and up-to-date portfolio of use cases.
• PROJECT MANAGMENT: Global project management: Supporting the design and production delivery of the Frontier Data Tech Unit’s strategic frontier data projects/initiatives both for a) emergency and humanitarian response and b) programme planning, c) international development.
• At the intersection of the first two responsibilities, around partnerships and field coordination, the Programme Specialist will have a key role in ensuring that project management can be achieved at a network level, ensuring key projects have the basic components required: access to data, availability of needed talent, technology and funding, and that a global and strategic vision of the network’s impact, progress and bottlenecks can be provided.
• COMMUNITY: Supporting FDN efforts in fostering a Frontier Data Tech community of practice.
• The candidate will support communications and events in internal and external scenarios, ensuring that the community portfolio is up to date and coordinated, suggesting and supporting topics, speakers, collaborators, activities or bilateral for key events, and actively join and support the frontier data tech community’s engagement activities.
• Assisting the Frontier Data Network with partnerships, project management, and general coordination:
• Ensuring close collaboration and delivery of results on focused and shared use cases with other UNICEF teams.
• Working with cross-sectional UNICEF teams to identify, design, and pursue new partnerships with international partners and donors on frontier data technologies initiatives.
• Working with platforms team to ensure FDN integration and value
• Supporting the production delivery of data science initiatives
• Lead the drafting of donor reports.
• Join key international events to promote the Frontier Data Network work.
• Connect regional nodes and UNICEF’s country offices with the Frontier Data Tech Unit when necessary.
• Working on outreach, communications, and fundraising
• Supporting the strategic coordination of joint data management needs and interests of the Frontier Data Network with ICTD and the OoI.
• Supporting the strategic direction and vision of the Frontier Data Network.

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

• Education: An Advanced University Degree (Master’s or higher) in a data related field, International Business, International Development, Public Affairs, International Cooperation or any other related 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 5 years of relevant professional experience in:

• Enabling and supporting applied research partnerships and scientific teams, especially with respect to data science.
• Working across private, public, and academic partnerships to deliver on shared data and technology goals.
• Crafting resource mobilization pitch decks with cross-sectional teams.
• Managing data innovation portfolios, especially with respect to big data or AI initiatives, companies, and teams.
• Organizing outreach and awareness raising for data science initiatives.
• Working with public sector stakeholders.
• Ability to align technical goals with strategic business goals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience delivering in low to middle income country contexts and/or familiarity in emergency and humanitarian situations is considered an asset.
• Experience delivering in projects using frontier data technologies such as telco data, social media, satellite imagery and artificial intelligence applied to social and humanitarian impact.
• Experience leading or developing South-South Cooperation and/or multi-country knowledge sharing initiatives.
• Social entrepreneur experience (self-starter, resilience).
• Experience working in multistakeholder data collaboration environments, particularly with researchers and private and public sectors

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and Spanish is required, French is a strong plus; working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (Arabic, Chinese, or Russian).

Source: https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/574952