Innovation Manager (Digital Innovation ECD Scale-Up), P4, Fixed Term, Istanbul, Turkey

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 131,997 USD and 170,183 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, a champion

UNICEF ECAR is a home of numerous digital innovations and solutions aimed at supporting the wellbeing and development of young children. The regional office serves as a hub for developing, deploying and supporting the scale up of multi country digital solutions, among which a mobile parenting application (Bebbo), a digital communicator in support of children with communication difficulties (Cboard), as well as the deployment and scale up of the Learning Passport platform across the region. The goal of the regional office and its focus on digital innovations is to harness the high connectivity in the region and access to technologies, and accelerate results for children and their families by testing and scaling frontier technologies & innovations hand in hand with UNICEF Country Offices.

The Digital Innovations Manager serves as the regional manager for key Early Childhood Development (ECD) digital innovations, especially in the context of the Ukraine emergency response. The Digital Innovations Manager leads on all aspects of the regional ECD innovations agenda, including their further strategic development, scale up and promotion, and ensuring longer term sustainability and management of key digital innovations. The Digital Innovations Manger ensures technical support to all ECA countries with a priority to response countries, to deploy digital innovations through cross border initiatives as well as ongoing engagement with program teams. This position also has key accountabilities towards building strategic partnerships with actors engaged in the field of digital innovations and donors and developing long term growth and sustainability strategies for ECA solutions. The position is under the supervision of the Early Childhood Development Advisor with a strong accountability also to the Regional T4D Business Analyst on all ECD digital innovations, including those that are part of the emergency response. The Innovations Manager will also be in close communication and exchange with the UNICEF Office of Innovation, coordinate with other RO program sections and network with key partners and subject matter experts externally (e.g., technical vendors, universities, technology partners).

How can you make a difference?

1. Technical leadership in digital innovations programming

2. Strategic management, monitoring and deployment and scale up of key digital innovations in support of young child development and well being

3. Advisory services, quality oversight and technical support across key digital innovations

4. Advocacy, networking and partnership building to strengthen scale up and sustainability

Technical leadership in digital innovations and programming - Establish specific goals, objectives, strategies and implementation plans for the key regional digital innovation programmes/projects using a results-based planning terminology and methodology (RBM). Prepare required documentations on ECD related issues for programme review and approval. - Keep abreast of national, regional and international development priorities to identify opportunities where ECD digital innovations can be enhanced by inter-sector partnership, integration and linkages. - Participate in RO programme planning to determine strategic areas for ECD integration/intervention with a focus on digital innovations. Contribute to the formulation, design and preparation of the Regional Plan as well as supporting Country Programmes to ensure integration of ECD digital innovations in a holistic manner across programme areas and to ensure alignment of ECD programmes with the MTSP, UNICEF’s Strategic Plans and coherence/integration with UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), regional strategies and national priorities, plans and competencies. - Promote and provide technical expertise to monitoring and evaluation exercises, with government, partners and other counterparts to assess progress against targets and desired outcomes of ECD digital innovations and engage stakeholders to take required action/interventions to achieve results - Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies and to determine national priorities/competencies to promote inter-sector partnerships and holistic approach to ECD digital innovations. - Provide authoritative technical and operational support throughout all stages of the development and scale up of key digital solutions, their coherence and harmonization with other UNICEF sectors and achievement of results as planned and allocated.

Strategic management, monitoring, , deployment and scale up of key ECD digital innovations

- Lead on key regional ECD digital innovations particularly those contributing to the refugee crisis response, develop regional scale up and business plans, facilitate discussion and exchanges between UNICEF HQ digital innovation partners, other regions and ECA, supporting coordination across offices as well as ensuring coordinated support to COs implementing and adapting innovations - Promote critical thinking, innovative approaches and good practices for ECD digital innovations through advocacy and technical advisory services. - Keep abreast, research, benchmark, introduce and implement best and cutting-edge practices in support of key digital innovations. Institutionalize and disseminate best practices and knowledge learned to support development planning and implementation. - Plan and/or collaborate with monitoring and evaluation initiatives to establish benchmarks, performance indicators and other UNICEF/UN system indicators, to assess/strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results on ECD digital innovations. - Monitor ECD digital innovations to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution. - Prepare/assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths/weaknesses in development, management and delivery of digital innovations, identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.

Advisory services, quality oversight and technical support

- Prepare ECD digital innovations policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials for management use, information and consideration in programme development discussion and planning - Organize/plan/implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of a wide range of internal and external partners/stakeholders to promote sustainable results on ECD digital innovations. - Provide technical advice and/or written guidance on the deployment and onboarding of partners and additional country teams with key digital innovations. - Participate in strategic discussions, meetings and other regional, international/national meetings and workshops to provide ECD evidence-based papers and inputs to influence policy and agenda setting on ECD to position and maximize benefit from ECD digital innovations.

Advocacy, networking and partnership building

- Develop fundraising proposals for the scale up of key digital innovation in the region and beyond - Engage with key donors and partners to secure sustainable governance and support for ECAR’s signature digital innovations focused on young children - Build and strengthen strategic partnerships through networking and advocacy with local/national governments, UN system agency partners, donors, internationally recognized institutions, NGOs, funding organizations, research institutes, universities, T4D partners and stakeholders, private sector and communities to reinforce cooperation and/or pursue opportunities to promote goals and achieve sustainable and broad results of ECD digital innovations. - Prepare communication strategies and implementation plans and activities for ECD digital innovations for maximum communication impact and outreach to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and promote increased investments in ECD digital innovations.

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

- An advanced university degree (Master’s) in Education, Education Technology, Human Development, Psychology, Sociology, and/or other relevant technical field.*A first level university degree (Bachelor's) in a relevant technical field (as identified above), in conjunction with ten (10) years of relevant work experience, in lieu of an advanced university (Master’s) degree.

- A minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience is required in designing, developing, implementing and supporting digital innovations or initiatives

- Prior experience with programs supporting early childhood care and education as well as programs that support parents, children or front-line professionals is required

- Very good understanding, expertise and experience in digital technologies is required. Ability to lead innovative approaches in digital solutions in a variety of contexts with a strong understanding of tech principles and delivering innovation to the most disadvantaged.

- Experience in building collaboration and partnership across the UN system and excellent understanding of the global education system, main stakeholders and initiatives.

- Experience working within a startup environment and using design thinking and agile methodologies would be an asset.

- Experience in building communities of practice or capacity building would be an asset.

- Successful experiences at the mid-career level or higher with project management, monitoring and reporting is required

- Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.

- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

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 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.

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 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:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

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.

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 be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). 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.