Junior Innovation, Data and Communication Contractor

Support innovative work culture and enhance ESCAP's regional impact.

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UNESCAP - Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Open positions at UNESCAP / Open positions at UN
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Application deadline 6 months ago: Wednesday 26 Nov 2025 at 04:59 UTC

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Overview

Support innovative work culture and enhance ESCAP's regional impact.

You have:

  • University degree in Innovation, Economics, Information Technology, Communications, or other related field OR be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent) is required.
  • At least one professional experience supporting corporate innovation activities (internship experience is acceptable, minimum 2 months).
  • Proven experience in organizing innovation events and/or training programmes (hackathons-like events, open innovation challenges or similar) is required.
  • Professional experience in the field of data analysis and strategies is desirable (internship experience is acceptable, minimum 2 months).
  • Excellent communication skills (written and oral) in English are required.

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

The Junior Innovation, Data and Communication Contractor's support services will help ESCAP innovate its work culture, boost the Innovation Team's work, and enhance the impact of ESCAP's work in the region.

Work Location

Bangkok

Expected duration

9 months (4+5)

Duties and Responsibilities

Background The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The ESCAP secretariat supports inclusive, resilient and sustainable development in the region by generating action-oriented knowledge, and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building services in support of national development objectives, regional agreements and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. ESCAP also provides support to partners at the national level. To deliver on its mandate, easily adapt to change, and increase the impact of its work, ESCAP seeks to continuously innovate its knowledge products, culture, and internal processes. ESCAP's corporate innovation efforts are led by an inter-divisional team that promotes internal innovation activities to shape the organization's culture, help reshape ESCAP's products and services, promote greater cross-collaboration among Divisions, and expose personnel to digital tools, Human Centered Design (HCD) and Design Thinking methodologies. This position is located in the Division of Administration and operates at the organization-wide level under the supervision of the Office of the Executive Secretary. The incumbent reports directly to the Innovation Team members. Responsibilities In close collaboration with and under the supervision of the Innovation Team, the Junior Corporate Innovation, Data and Communication Contractor supports: 1. The design and implementation of innovation activities, coaching, and training programmes that target ESCAP personnel and foster a culture of innovation, build capacities in Design Thinking and Human Centered Design methodologies, and support the organization in delivering new and better products and services to its stakeholders. 2. ESCAP teams in innovating their knowledge products using digital tools to increase use, user- centricity, and user satisfaction. 3. The Innovation Team in enhancing engagement and outreach through varied communications materials, channels, and strategies. 4. The development of visibility and communication material (flyers, branding, videos) in support of the team's outreach strategy. 5. The refining and maintenance of a Sharepoint page to support the team's knowledge management and outreach efforts as well as the creation of automated systems to support the smart operation of the team (Using PowerAutomate, etc.) 6. Prepare, launch, implement and review the seed funding exercise that provides funding to innovative projects at ESCAP. 7. The preparation works for the annual ESCAP innovation mapping exercise/next Inno awards. 8. The organization of innovation events, labs, calls and competitions within the organization. 9. The setting up and maintenance of ESCAP Communities of practice in priority innovation topics. 10. Innovation monitoring & evaluation activities to measure progress and performance against annual KPIs, including the creation and maintenance of an automated and smart data collection system. 11. Any other strategic initiatives and activities as identified by the Innovation team. Terms of payment for satisfactory completion of contract: The IC will receive a total fee of USD 22,000. The IC will receive a fee of USD 2,000 every month upon successful completion of the assignments for the month delivering its services on a full-time basis (Monday-Friday). (9 months from 1 September 2025 to 31 May 2026). The IC will also receive a lump sum of USD 2,000 for the deliverable of output 5 and a lump sum of USD 2,000 for the deliverable of output 8 below. The initial contract will be issued for 4 months (September - December 2025). Then the extension of 5 months (Jan - May 2026) will be processed. Travel Details: The Contractor can either work from remote or be based in Bangkok, depending on the Contractor's personal preference. If working from remote, Bangkok time zone's working hours need to be respected to allow for team collaboration. If relocation to Bangkok is the desired option by the Contractor, the ESCAP team will facilitate visa procedures for the duration of the contract. No travel provisions are included as part of this contract. The Contractor may relocate to Bangkok at their own expense.

Qualifications/special skills

University degree in Innovation, Economics, Information Technology, Communications, or other related field OR be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent) is required. At least one professional experience supporting corporate innovation activities (internship experience is acceptable, minimum 2 months). Proven experience in organizing innovation events and/or training programmes (hackathons-like events, open innovation challenges or similar) is required. Professional experience in the field of data analysis and strategies is desirable (internship experience is acceptable, minimum 2 months).

Languages

Excellent communication skills (written and oral) in English are required.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe a time when you helped foster innovation within a team? The interviewer wants to see your practical experience in promoting innovation. Discuss specific actions you took and their impact on the team.
What techniques do you consider effective for engaging users in product development? Understanding user engagement strategies is crucial for this role. Pro members can see the explanation.
Give an example of how you've successfully organized an innovation event. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you approach creating training programs for design thinking? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe your experience with data analysis in corporate settings. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What communication strategies would you use to improve outreach for a new initiative? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you ensure that innovation aligns with organizational goals? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What tools or methods do you use to assess the success of innovation activities? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 6 months ago - Updated 6 months ago - Source: careers.un.org