Senior ICT Business Relationship Manager, P5, Fixed-term, #100006 , ICTD Digital Headquarters – New York, USA

We are looking for a Senior BRM to promote client success by participating in client strategic planning activities and aligning divisional strategies with IT solutions. As a strategic partner, the Senior BRM identifies transformational opportunities for digital, facilitates the fulfilment of IT business demands and aligns IT delivery capabilities with client business goals for seamless value realization.

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, a digital future

The overarching strategic goal of UNICEF’s Information and Communication Technology Division (ICTD) is to transform and build partnerships with our stakeholders to successfully implement UNICEF programmes globally through innovative technology-enabled solutions.

The Senior ICT Business Relationship Manager reports to the Deputy Director of Strategy, Resource Management, and Governance and works within the Programme Cone. The incumbent may supervise 1 or more Business Analysts.

How can you make a difference? 

This position promotes client success by participating in client strategic planning activities and aligning divisional strategies with IT solutions. As a strategic partner, the Senior BRM identifies transformational opportunities for digital, facilitates the fulfilment of IT business demands and aligns IT delivery capabilities with client business goals for seamless value realization.

As the relationship manager the Senior BRM cultivates client loyalty and engagement while overseeing and driving the client product portfolio value chain, from definition through to the realization of business value.

The incumbent will be key partner and advisor for digital transformation and in the applicability of technology solutions, service management, and risk management, and an advocate for strong business cases to support organizational goals.

Key responsibilities include:

Identification, Management, Facilitation and Prioritization of ICT Business Demands and Objectives   

The BRM works with divisional contacts to identify, develop, manage, and prioritize ICT business demands and investments, providing leadership on digital transformation. They understand business needs and collaborate within ICTD to align technology strategies with UNICEF’s architecture and IT roadmaps. By participating in divisional planning sessions, the BRM identifies opportunities for technological innovation to support client strategic goals drives value realization from technology investments. As part of ICT governance, the BRM prioritizes demands, oversees project success, manages governance processes, and oversees divisional digital investment project portfolio.   

Strategic Partner and Trusted Advisor   

The Senior BRM uses her/his understanding of digital transformation, technology, and client business aspirations to provide advice and counsel that strengthen the alignment of IT capabilities and services with business priorities, change management activities, and technology-enabled initiatives. The role also focuses on helping divisional clients understand technology solutions, overall delivery, and compliance with governance processes. 

Business Case Design, Service Management and Value Realization   

The Senior BRM drives customer success by leading the development of business cases in support of client business goals. Responsibilities include evaluating demands, guiding the respective divisions in creating fit-for-purpose business cases aligned with ICTD standards, and ensuring project alignment with effective technology. Additionally, the role entails managing internal customer expectations, developing guidelines for evaluating providers, and analyzing requirement gathering processes. Establishing a Service Catalog and monitoring value realization are also part of the responsibilities. 

Product Portfolio Management 

The Senior BRM provides product portfolio oversight in coordination with client product managers to build and manage product lifecycles from project, through production (including product enhancements) to retirement.  

Advocacy 

The Senior BRM represents the ICT function by sharing the ICT vision and promoting IT services and capabilities with client divisions and offices. The incumbent advocates for the Cone to ensure IT services align with business priorities, leads change management activities, and ensures effective communication about technology-enabled initiatives. The role also focuses on helping divisional clients understand technology solutions, overall delivery, and compliance with governance processes and emphasizes developing and communicating IT innovation, awareness programs, and digital initiatives to contribute to UNICEF’s global goals. 

Leadership and People Management    

As a people manager the Senior BRM provides leadership, empowerment and develops staff under her/his supervision, promotes a culture of proactive performance management and career support while monitoring and ensuring accountability for assigned work progress. The incumbent provides the team with the strategic view and direction and creates measurable work plans aligned with organizational priorities while promoting staff well-being.

 

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An Advanced University Degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in management information systems, computer science, business administration, information technology management or other related social science field is required

• Work Experience: At least 10 years of relevant progressively responsible work experience in an international development context is required, including:
• Senior level experience in one of the following areas: Web/Mobile solutions, Data Management and Business Intelligence Solutions; Customer Relationship Management Solutions; Customer Support Technologies, Technical Architecture, IT Applications, IT Operations.
• Experience successfully leading large, complex projects or in IT consulting/management roles.
• Experience managing major custom or packaged implementation projects with delivery to a large or remote user base.
• Experience managing multiple stakeholders in a large context geographically dispersed organization.
• Extensive understanding and experience with integrated ERP and related business applications in global, multi country organizations.
• Understanding of results-based management mechanisms.
• Experience with dashboards and reporting processes.
• Experience interacting with regional and country offices leveraging innovative solutions at scale.
• Experience with emerging innovative technology applications, such as mobile telecommunications, cloud computing, open source, big data, and analytics.
• Skills:
• Knowledge of business process analysis and design and ability to translate business needs into technical requirements.
• Clear understanding of software development lifecycle and application support
• Working knowledge of networking and systems design or familiarity with system development methodologies (preference for Software product engineering)  
• Ability to foster excellent work relationships and build alliances with key stakeholders.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and resources concurrently, developing budgets and managing forecasts for IT investments, including ability to assess benefits, risks, and costs.
• Ability to learn the business unit’s functions and understand the strategic business goals to identify opportunities for technology innovation and to analyze and propose technical strategies for the business units.
• Ability to stay abreast of new technologies and their ability to support UNICEF innovation projects to improve efficiency and effectiveness of business units.
• Ability to seize accountability, utilize skills, experience, and business knowledge to identify business needs and translate them into solutions.
• Understanding of the work of UNICEF, and more specifically of the substantive programmatic areas of the cluster, is an asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.  Working knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable.

 

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…

(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 

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.

Additional benefits for eligible international professional staff members include: 

• Paid holidays and leave, including 2.5 days of annual leave accrual per month and 10 official holidays per year
• Paid parental leave (maternity, paternity and adoption)
• Dependency allowance
• Rental subsidy
• Relocation support
• Home leave travel
• Education grant for children in school
• United Nations-sponsored medical and dental insurance plan, pension plan, and optional life insurance plan
• Access to professional development and learning programs, online learning, and learning path
• Access to staff well-being and career development support

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. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

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.

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

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.