Project Officer (Innovation), P2, Fixed-Term, Copenhagen, Denmark

Contract

This is a P-2 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 2 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 103,732 USD and 140,894 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.

Project Officer (Innovation), P2, FT, Post #102952 Product Innovation Centre (PIC) UNICEF Supply Division - Copenhagen, Denmark

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,

The mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children's rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society's most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Strategic context

The Product Innovation Center (PIC) within Supply Division (SD) works closely with internal and external partners to drive R&D and scale of new innovative products to improve the lives of children. This is done by identifying needs not appropriately met by products currently available and then scanning the market to see if there are products that can meet this need. If yes, we procure and scale the products, if no, we drive R&D utilizing develops product profiles to specify the performance a product has to deliver and incentivize R&D, using our procurement and implementation power. In addition, PIC is mandated to push the envelope of the organization in terms of coming up with new innovative concepts to influence R&D of products beyond UNICEF’s procurement, evolve the global thinking around product innovation for development/humanitarian contexts as well as to develop new ways of driving scale of products. Key to these ambitions is an aim to ensure most impact for disadvantages children for the resources available, always pushing for value for money of products.

The Product Innovation Center operates within public procurement practices to drive research and development (R&D), validation and implementation of new products to address programmatic and/or emergency needs. In instances where there are no products in a procurable form on the market, a Product Innovation Project (PIP) is initiated with the ultimate goal of enabling procurement of fit-for-purpose and value-for-money supplies across all UNICEF program areas.

Purpose for the job

The Project Officer (Innovation) supports the Chief, in scoping, developing, and managing strategic initiatives which help increase access to products for disadvantaged communities. For these selected work areas and initiatives, the Project Officer (Innovation) will support in the development of a strategy as well as implement this through the creation of workstreams, workgroups and governance structure. In addition, the officer will run a series of Product Innovation projects within the relevant strategic initiatives. On top of that, the Project Officer (Innovation) will work in a dynamic environment that will allow to get hands-on experience with strategic governance of projects that can lead to change the lives of children and address efforts in emergency set-ups.

The Project Officer (Innovation) works closely with Chief, Innovation, collaborates with all UNICEF SD centres, Office of Innovation, Programme Group and where appropriate, country offices, regional offices and other UN agencies.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Together with Chief of Product Innovation Centre, identifies and scopes strategic initiatives for product innovation which can benefit from structured implementation initiatives.
2. For identified strategic initiatives, works with relevant centers and divisions to ensure the necessary efforts and projects are initiated for implementation of the strategy.
3. Manages ongoing workgroups and governance for these key strategic work areas ensuring smooth cross-divisional collaboration.
4. Scopes and transitions any resulting Product Innovation Projects from inception to the relevant product innovation portfolios.
5. Supports in developing the Product Innovation Centre to be a thought leader in leveraging product innovation to improve the lives of the most disadvantaged children.
6. Manages procurement for the Product Innovation Centre to support the development and scale up of product innovation projects.
7. Any other duties or assignments as requested by the supervisor.

Impact of Results: This role has the potential to improve the lives of children by accelerating excellence and efficiency in strategic projects related to Product Innovation. In particular the role will help drive strategic clarity of projects, structure collaboration and optimize efforts towards improved utilization of resources towards maximum impact for children.

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

Education:

A completed 1st university degree (Bachelor’s) in one of the following areas: Policy, Business Administration, Business Studies, Communication, Social Sciences, or a field relevant to the management of processes and/or product innovation or related fields is required.

Experience:

Minimum two (2) years of progressive relevant professional experience in project management of different areas of operations is required.

Experience in product innovation is an asset.

Other technical skills:

- A proven ability to run complex strategy projects, with the ability to create clarity within complex and opposing perspectives

- A highly reflective capability, being able to entertain opposing perspectives, and conclude on the best route ahead, knowing there is no perfect route.

- Strong work ethics with ability to get things done.

- Ability to engage different stakeholders, with very different perspectives and opinions.

- Ability to get a deep understanding within a field without prior knowledge.

- Understanding of procurement, in particular as it relates to large scale public procurement.

Language:

Proficiency in English is required.

Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

Core competencies

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

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.

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 may 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.

Priority will be given to all the eligible candidates participating in UNICEF’s 2022 Mobility Exercise and Staff on Abolished post.