UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, answers.

UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight is the dedicated office for research and foresight at UNICEF.

UNICEF Innocenti undertakes and commissions research on emerging or current issues of relevance for children and child rights. The office links research and global trends analyses to influence policies, programming, and advocacy, as well as innovations, and to drive future strategies and vision of the organization and the child rights agenda more broadly amongst governments, private sector, and other institutions.

UNICEF Innocenti uses foresight to set the agenda for children uncovering emerging trends and deepening understanding of key issues facing girls and boys and serving as a go-to office for advising UNICEF and a diversity of actors, including governments, the United Nations, private sector, civil society and children and young people themselves in the face of the continually changing global economy, political and security environment.

UNICEF Innocenti also strives to lead global discourse by creating an enabling environment and platform for children and young people along with global influencers and decision-makers to transform their contributions into future strategies, policies and actions of UNICEF and the world. Thereby positioning children and UNICEF at the centre of the global conversation through prominent external engagement, communication, and influence.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Innocenti has a dedicated unit focused on Digital Engagement and Protection, generating new evidence and insights about children’s lives in a digital age by applying a combination of research and foresight methods. The research focus is on primary data collection with children and families around the world to understand the risks and opportunities children face online. The current portfolio of work involves past and future research in more than 40 countries, primarily in the global South, through our Global Kids Online and Disrupting Harm research projects.

The foresight work analyses the potential impacts of emerging technologies through trends analysis and other foresight methods, uncovering the opportunities and challenges they bring for children, and developing policy guidance for governments and industry. Past flagship projects have covered AI policy guidance and digital inclusion for children.

The Research Specialist (Digital) position will work across research, policy and foresight activities within the team, acting as a bridge between research and foresight methods by applying traditional qualitative and participatory techniques for data collection and new techniques for foresight analysis.

The post holder will primarily be responsible for designing and implementing participatory research with children and managing expert consultations and youth foresight work, as part of the Best Interest of the Child project, which aims to help governments, the tech industry and other stakeholders better understand and implement the best interests of the child principle in the digital environment. The post holder would also work with colleagues in the Digital Engagement and Protection team to consolidate primary data and evidence generated by the team and turn it into impactful policy-oriented outputs.

Additionally, the role will provide project management support to the development of policy recommendations on neurotechnology and children, and the development of a research agenda for use of AI in education.

The position will report to Policy Specialist, Digital Engagement and Protection #103007

Across the various projects, as needed, the Research Specialist (Digital) will be responsible for research design, implementation and analysis, planning and co-ordination, resource planning and forecasting, donor reporting, monitoring and evaluation, liaising with project stakeholders to ensure smooth delivery of key milestones and deliverables, and contributing to the implementation of research, analysis and foresight projects across the team leading to thorough, well-reasoned written outputs that directly support policy-making, advocacy and programming.

Duties and Tasks:
Within the delegated authority and the given organizational set-up, the incumbent will be accountable for all or assigned areas of the following major duties and end results.

Research design, implementation and analysis

• Support the team with design and implementation of research studies and adjust implementation to each context, working in collaboration with Country Offices and field work agencies.
• Prepare research materials as needed, including documentation for submissions to ethical review boards and toolkits for training.
• Support recruitment of local qualitative researchers to conduct the data collection in each country, together with the project manager and UNICEF country offices.
• Develop coding frames and analysis protocols for national and global analysis and conduct analysis and interpretation of data in-house, or train local qualitative researchers on how to apply it. Write up reports from child consultations, data analysis and other project activities, in collaboration with the team.
• Keep abreast of related digital trends to actively provide input into the thought leadership of the unit. Conduct new analysis on related digital trends and usage, produce original outputs by drawing on or synthesizing existing research, and use existing evidence to develop policy recommendations in support of the overall aims of the unit. These outputs could include papers/briefs/reports, or a range of other useful communications materials or public/policy messaging.

Project planning, co-ordination, monitoring and reporting

• Together with the Programme Specialist (Digital Research), establish and monitor workplans for all the projects within the Digital Engagement and Protection unit and enable team collaboration.
• Continually monitor progress and prepare regular project progress reports for assigned projects, including donor/annual reporting, project documentation (e.g. Gantt charts), flag issues and risks, propose mitigation measures and compile key lessons learned.
• Prepare, oversee, and regularly update project budgets and risk mitigation strategies. Support in managing the allocation and disbursement of project funds, ensuring that funds are properly planned, coordinated, monitored, and liquidated.
• Coordinate with team members and the Operations unit and support with contracting throughout the project, including recruitment of consultants and contracting of other vendors to implement consultations/research. Supporting the briefing and project management of consultants and vendors.
• Liaise with consultants and implementing organizations to monitor progress and keep activities on time.

Stakeholder engagement, visibility, advocacy and dissemination

• Organize and lead/support online and in-person meetings, workshops, or key informant interviews for projects within the designated workstreams. This includes preparing event materials, conducting background research, participant selection, managing invitations, agenda planning, presenting or moderating, and other logistical support tasks, and write up meeting and workshop notes.
• Support the establishment and ongoing co-ordination of expert advisory groups for projects, as needed.
• Produce and effectively communicate research findings to internal and external audiences including preparation of high-quality reports; working papers; policy reports and briefs; web stories, blogs and other media. Communicate research findings to a wide range of audiences, within UNICEF and externally including academics, policy makers, practitioners, media and others.
• Coordinate with communications focal points at UNICEF Innocenti and project partners to support the development and implementation of a communications and advocacy strategy, to ensure that messaging around the projects are effective, streamlined, and adapted to the relevant audiences at country, regional, and global levels.
• Through online searches and working closely with the Digital Foresight and Policy Specialist, project stakeholders and UNICEF country offices where consultations will take place, identify key stakeholders and moments (events, conferences, etc.) to target for maximum project visibility and buy in.
• Act as focal point for report production and report launches and coordinate with vendors as needed.

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

Education:

Advanced university degree in international studies and development, information and communication technology (ICT), public administration/policy, social sciences or other relevant field

Essential Experience:

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional work experience at national or international levels as a project or research manager and qualitative researcher is required, with developing country experience desirable.

• Experience with design of qualitative research and use of qualitative methods and analysis essential; experience with quantitative research is considered an asset.

• Experience coordinating complex, multi-partner, multi-country projects is required.

• Experience managing sector-wide consultations or participatory consultations with children is a strong asset.
• Experience working on projects at the intersection of children and digital technologies is an asset.
• Extensive experience working with a range of project management tools.
• Experience working in low- and middle-income countries is a strong asset.
• Demonstrated ability to undertake analysis and produce reports and public-facing media (e.g. blog posts) around research and trends.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment; experience working in the United Nations or other international organization an asset.

Technical Knowledge:

a) Specific Technical Knowledge Required:
– Rights-based and Results-based approach and programming in UNICEF
– UNICEF programme policy, procedures and guidelines in the Manual.

b) Common Technical Knowledge Required:
– Methodology of programme/project management
– UNICEF programmatic goals, visions, positions, policies and strategies.
– Knowledge of global human rights issues, specifically relating to children and women, and the current UNCEF position and approaches.
– UNICEF policies and strategy to address on national and international issues, particularly relating to conflicts, natural disasters, and recovery.

– UNICEF emergency programme policies, goals, strategies and approaches.
– Gender equality and diversity awareness

c) Technical Knowledge to be Acquired/Enhanced:
– UN policies and strategy to address international humanitarian issues and the responses.
– UN common approaches to programmatic issues and UNICEF positions
– UN security operations and guidelines.
– UNSECORD training for members of Security Management Team.

Competencies:

– Knowledge of project management best practices.
– Extensive experience of budget monitoring, including through Excel or SAP software (e.g., VISION)
– Strong organizational and time management skills.
– Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
– Commitment to achieving high standards for quality of work.
– Good leadership and management skills.
– Innovative thinker and problem solver.
– Ability to work well as part of a team and in a multi-cultural environment.
– Commitment to UNICEF’s core values of care, respect, integrity, transparency, accountability and sustainability.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required.

Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) and/or Italian 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

UNICEF competencies required for this post are:

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

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

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 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 promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also 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 cancelled.

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.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.