Innovation Specialist (Blockchain), P3, TA, Office of Innovation, Stockholm, Sweden (#119842)

Contract

This is a P-3 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 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 74,649 USD and 97,747 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, innovate

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 also 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 UNICEF Office of Innovation (OOI) is looking for a Blockchain Lead to provide technical and strategic coordination to the Blockchain-related engagements of the Ventures team.

To understand the technical, social, ethical, and legal challenges of utilizing blockchain technologies in our complex and interconnected world — the team is exploring this space with open eyes on practical experimentations of cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, and various types of tokens, as well as by supporting learning and training initiatives to build capacity.

Successful candidates will have both a deep technical expertise of Blockchain, understanding of the most recent developments trends and ecosystem players, as well as hands-on experience in building and scaling open-source products and working across teams and levels of technical understanding to achieve goals.

Overall, this position is responsible for:

In close collaboration with other members of the Ventures team, develop and execute the Ventures’ team’s engagement strategy as a priority frontier technology area.

• Identifying and monitor new trends for exploration, capturing where relevant for internal learning.
• Communicate strategy internally and externally, as well as learning learned from ongoing work.
• Track progress against set targets and adjust as needed in response to organizational needs and external trends.
• Identify and coordinate financial and technical resources and capacity required.

Act as a project manager related to specific blockchain initiatives led by UNICEF, when UNICEF itself is looking to use emerging technology.

• Support Country Office pilots related to digital records, transfer of value or increased organisational efficiency.
• Identify and support opportunities to use blockchain for internal efficiency.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of any blockchain-based products managed by the Venture team, including coordination of any related technical resources and capacity on the team.

Guide the Venture Fund’s investment strategy on blockchain.

• Identify and support promising blockchain based solutions at early stage and support sourcing and selection efforts.
• Provide technical assistance to solutions receiving support from the Venture Fund – at seed and growth stages.
• Facilitate access to networks, technical expertise and other resources for Fund supported solutions.

Act as a technical advisor to UNICEF related initiatives that require blockchain input.

• Support Country Office engagements with government partners on national pilots and roll-outs of blockchain-based solutions and platforms.
• Act as focal point on relevant internal and UN-wide working groups.
• Advise, as requested, any HQ-led initiatives with relevant Divisions.
• Develop and disseminate relevant technical standards, toolkits and other relevant capacity building tools.
• Capture experiences and lessons from across initiatives and early-stage pilots for dissemination internally and externally.

External representation for advocacy and partnership building purposes.

• In close collaboration with OOI’s partnership and communications team, identify partnership opportunities, develop offerings, and manage collaborations.
• Lead any external representation with technical partners and platforms relevant to this role, including for advocacy purposes.
• Develop OOI’s key messages and engagement platform to shape blockchain-related technical standards and practice among private sectors, government partners and other relevant stakeholders.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in engineering, computer science, business administration or other relevant field. *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of five of relevant professional experience in technology product development, project and partnership management.
• Technical understanding of decentralized systems and blockchain networks (e.g DLT, Bitcoin and Ethereum, Layer 2 solutions, DApps, DeFi and DAOs).
• Piloting and scaling of technology solutions in UNICEF programme countries desired
• Experience engaging with stakeholders from different backgrounds and coordinating multi stakeholder activities.
• Demonstrated outstanding analytical and quantitative skills, and the ability to conduct independent research.
• Experience managing a decentralized team.
• Demonstrated ability to translate clearly complex issues for a non-technical audience.
• Familiarity with international development.
• 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 values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Innovates and embraces change
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Works collaboratively with others
• Manages ambiguity and complexity

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.