Innovation Manager (Data Science Lead), P4, TA, Office of Innovation, Stockholm, Sweden (554383)

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 90,970 USD and 117,287 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

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, deliver…

UNICEF has a history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships, and technologies are critical for achieve improved outcomes for children. The Office of Innovation is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF that sits at the unique intersection of working on material global issues, startup thinking, technology and partnerships that can scale solutions. We look to form partnerships around frontier technologies (including AI, drones, and UAVs, blockchain, new banking tools, wearables and sensors, and 3D-printing) that exist at the intersection of $100 billion markets and 1 billion person needs.

The Office of Innovation currently co-hosts the Secretariat for the Digital Public Goods Alliance, established in follow-up to the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation. In its report, the Panel recommends as 1B “that a broad, multi-stakeholder alliance, involving the UN, create a platform for sharing digital public goods, engaging talent and pooling data sets, in a manner that respects privacy, in areas related to attaining the SDGs”. Norway, Sierra Leone, UNICEF and iSPIRT, the four initial champions are working to implement this recommendation.

The Office of Innovation’s Venture Fund is a pooled funding vehicle specially designed to finance early stage, open-source technology that can benefit children. The core motivation of the Innovation Fund is to identify clusters or portfolios of initiatives around emerging technology – so that UNICEF can both shape markets and learn about and guide these technologies to benefit children. We invest in solutions that can impact the lives of the most vulnerable children.

How can you make a difference?

The Innovation Manager Data Science (or “Data Science Lead”) is a member of the Ventures team leading piloting and expanding research and the development of new models for priority areas. These may include real-time insights for decision making across priorities such as pandemic preparedness and response, socio economic mapping, as well as personalized learning.

The Data Science Lead also supervises the team of consultants contracted to support various short-term needs of scientific/research work, works in close collaboration with other sections and teams within the Office of Innovation and acts as a primary technical focal point for data science with partners and other internal units and divisions.

The Innovation Manager Data Science will lead the data science and AI research agenda and operations, the exploration of new insights, computational methods and types of data for the Ventures team. They will:

Lead the Ventures data science agenda, strategically and operationally.

• Set and implement priority research areas and grow new areas as determined by programme needs
• Assess and select appropriate research methodologies and models to meet needs and available data
• Develop strategy to establish and maintain research lines, including data, capacity, partnerships etc needs
• Establish and maintain engagements across relevant UNICEF divisions and country offices to identify key areas of data science and AI research and exploration

Establish and engage with a network of relevant academic and other stakeholders to support the development and implantation of a research strategy.

• Structure and manage research partnerships (academia, research institutions and private sector) to leverage external expertise
• Input into development and management of data and corporate partners supporting the network for the exploration of future services and insights that can be offered by the platform.
• Coordinate a group of key experts of academia and private sector in relevant fields to advise on technical opportunities to improve and expand UNICEF's Data Science and AI driven products.

Inform the Venture Fund investment strategy in line with recent trends and organizational needs and provide technical guidance to CO projects and start-up investments portfolio.

• Inform priority areas for investment
• Collaborate with Fund team on sourcing and selection of startups during funding periods
• Provide technical advice to startups funded by the Venture Fund
• Provide oversight to any consultants or other experts in relevant areas
• Oversee research and data science/AI components for country level pilots and deployments and integration between research and software development
• Plan and manage the strategy on Data Science and AI research, prioritizing research lines and country pilots, and involving internal and external (outsourcing) resources.
• Provide inputs to the SW product development team on the integration of new algorithms and lines of work into the platform portfolio.
• Provide inputs to the SW product development team on research needs and strategic roadmap
• Oversee research projects including planning, monitoring and closing.

Engage external in relevant fora, including the Digital Public Goods Alliance, to establish standards and advocate for relevant standards and practices among stakeholders, including for sharing of data as a digital public good.

• Represent UNICEF Ventures and related knowledge production internally and externally in expert and technical fora
• Engage in relevant technical fora and provide technical leadership on relevant technical standards to inform advocacy including for data as a digital public good

Oversee knowledge production and dissemination as well as linking with relevant advisory groups.

• Establish and manage publishing strategy of knowledge products and publication of findings, methods and results in the form of reports and peer reviewed publications and its dissemination in relevant conferences, workshops and fora.
• Provide content for external communication to build up financial and other support from external partners for research
• Communication in relevant media and events

Coordinate and align with UNICEF Divisions and teams to contribute to a cohesive engagement and practice on data science across the organization.

• Ensure regular internal communication and updates
• Establish and participate in cross-divisional and -office working groups
• Track alignment of data science efforts with OOI OMP and organizational strategies

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

Education: Advanced university degree, preferably a PhD in computer science, engineering, statistics, applied mathematics, physics, or other related technical fields.

Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of research or practical experience in relevant field (Computer Science, Data Science, Big Data, Complex Systems)
• Experience in managing international, technical or research teams and complex projects including diverse stakeholders and interests.
• Experience working with adoption and development of new open source products/pilots, especially on data science for humanitarian and development: innovation, research, prototype development, partnership development.
• Proven scientific experience and scientific publications in relevant field (Data Science, Computer Science, Big Data for epidemics, estimation of socioeconomic levels, education, advocacy) desired.
• Experience working with development & humanitarian programmes, on data science, AI and research projects within the UN, ideally UNICEF.
• Experience synthesizing and translating technical scientific concepts into practical and accessible lines of work for developing products and systems for UNICEF programs and Governments.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary (scientists, designers, developers, humanitarian specialist and development specialists) and multicultural teams and with levels of uncertainty.
• Experience participating in Expert Advisory groups and workshops for UNICEF and UN involving multiple programs, and inputting to core publications of UNICEF on research/innovation for general dissemination.
• Experience in public facing events and media (keynotes or plenaries in mayor scientific or data conferences, interviews and coverage in mass, non- specialized, media channels) desired.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Formulating Strategies and Concepts
• Creating and Innovating
• Persuading and Influencing
• Applying Technical Expertise
• Leading and Supervising

Functional competencies:

• Relating and Networking
• Planning and organizing
• Deciding and initiating action

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks:

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

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