Statistics & Monitoring Specialist (Data Analytics & Database Management), (P-3), Temporary Appointment (364 days), Data & Analytics (Education Unit), DAPM, Florence, Italy

Under the supervision of the DAPM Deputy Director of Data and Analytics and Chief Statistician, the Statistics & Monitoring Specialist (Data analysis & Database management) is responsible for the work related to analyzing data from administrative sources, household surveys, phone-based surveys, and sector-specific surveys into one data flow to inform child focus policies.

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, Data

The Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM) was established in 2019 to drive decision making and organizational learning, improve effectiveness and achievement of results of UNICEF and its partners to realize the rights and improve the life of every child. DAPM promotes the use of data and monitoring to achieve transformative impact on lives of children.

The Division is responsible for driving, shaping and guiding UNICEF’s evidence-informed analysis, strategic planning, programme monitoring and organizational performance management. As such, DAPM enables the organization to deliver on results in a more coherent manner, based on agile and contextualized programming process, and on data, evidence, and analysis, as well as the application of human-rights based and results-based management approaches.

Within DAPM, the Data & Analytics Team (DAT) is the global go-to for data on children. It leads the collection, validation, analysis, use and communication of the most statistically sound, internationally comparable data on the situation of children and women around the world. For this purpose, both traditional and innovative data and analysis – including administrative and household survey data as well as geospatial analysis, big data and machine learning – are used. DAT upholds the quality, integrity and organization of these data and makes them accessible as a global public good on the data.unicef.org website.

DAT provides leadership, strategic and normative guidance and technical support to generate data and evidence on children. The team works together with other teams within UNICEF as well as partner organizations, to support statistical systems strengthening at the country level. DAT is also fostering a data-driven transformation in how UNICEF works internally and together with partners that includes positioning UNICEF as a leader on data for children, protecting children through governance of data and building an organization-wide culture of data.

Purpose for the job:

This post is located in the Education Unit of the Data & Analytics Team and therefore will have a stronger focus on the Education data portfolio.

Under the supervision of the DAPM Deputy Director of Data and Analytics and Chief Statistician, the Statistics & Monitoring Specialist (Data analysis & Database management) is responsible for the work related to analyzing data from administrative sources, household surveys, phone-based surveys, and sector-specific surveys into one data flow to inform child focus policies.

The incumbent works closely with other database managers and data analysts in DAT to develop, support and enforce common data-analytical protocols that ensure the reproducibility, reliability, and scalability of all indicators the office produces.

Work responsibilities will be performed in close collaboration with all Unit team members as well as other staff in the section and the division, UNICEF’s Programme Division, other UN agencies, organizations and inter-agency groups.

How can you make a difference? 

Summary of results-based key functions/accountabilities:

1. Data collection, analysis, use and quality assurance.

1. Support and guide UNICEF’s database managers across all topics covered by the section to compile data, update and maintain global databases on the section.
2. Develop methods to help validate child focus indicators from various sources, to ensure they are of high quality and meet the key standards before inclusion into UNICEF’s databases
3. Provide technical advice to data analysts and workflow topics at regional and country levels, including responding to ad-hoc requests to senior management, PG, Regional offices (ROs), country officers (COs), and other partner organizations.
4. Provide technical assistance and advice on automating the processing of child-focus analytics in humanitarian situations and work closely with Headquarters divisions and regional offices in providing technical advice and assistance to countries facing humanitarian situations.
5. Guide teams on the ex-post harmonization of household surveys.
6. Assist in data analytics tasks as needed.

1. Methodological development

1. Support the methodological development of database management and workflows used for the measurement and monitoring of child related issues.
2. Support the work related to analyzing administrative, household, and phone survey data across all teams in the section
3. Contribute to the on-going improvement of data quality at collection stage, including through household surveys and routine programme reporting systems.

1. Capacity development and country support

1. Contribute to the capacity development of countries to use data efficiently. The incumbent will develop training materials (and presentations), facilitate/coordinate regional workshops, give presentations at these workshops and provide technical support as applicable
2. Contribute to developing the capacity within the organization for evidence-based policy, planning, programming and advocacy by developing/presenting materials on nutrition data systems used by the Unit team.

1. Data dissemination and advocacy

1. Develop and update visualizations of child related indicators to increase the visibility and understanding of the data and analysis internally and externally.
2. Support the updating of technical content through relevant websites and data portals.
3. Support innovative, effective and efficient ways to prepare and disseminate products, to make data, codes, analyses findings, publications, and other relevant products accessible and available through a variety of channels that target different audiences.

1. Expected Specializations (successful candidates are expected to be able to demonstrate experience and/or understanding in at least two of these fields) – THIS SPECIFIC POST IS LOCATED IN THE EDUCATION UNIT
   1. 1. Household Survey Analysis
      2. Advanced database management and data harmonization
      3. Geospatial analytics
      4. Child Protection
      5. Early Childhood Development
      6. Adolescent Development
      7. Inequality and Child Poverty (including subjective, welfare and multidimensional poverty)
      8. Disability
      9. Education
      10. Demographics
      11. Nutrition
      12. Maternal Mortality
      13. Immunization
      14. HIV
      15. WASH
      16. Climate

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

The following minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in economics, public policy, statistics, public health, or in one of the social sciences with strong quantitative training and experience.

• Work Experience:
  • At least 5 years of relevant work experience at the national or international levels in data analytics.
  • Proven experience in analyzing household surveys such as MICS and DHS, and its use in policy and programming
  • Proven experience analyzing, compiling and presenting data, using combination of different data sources (e.g. household surveys and administrative data).
• Skills:
  • Proficiency in R or Stata is required. Knowledge of SPSS, Python or other statistical programing languages is an advantage.
  • Knowledge of data collection tools such as CSPro, Survey Solutions, Kobo Toolbox, SurveyCTO, and Open Data Kit (ODK).
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Fluency in another UN language is an asset.

The following desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.
• Proven experience in report writing to disseminate key data and findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven experience in developing data collection tools.
• Proven experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Shiny (preferred), Tableau, PowerBI).
• Proven experience working with GitHub and designing data pipelines and workflows .

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 benefits to our staff, including 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.

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.

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

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.