Technology for Development Specialist (P-3), PG - Education, ouposted in Geneva (Temporary Appointment 364days)

Overview

Lead technical deployment issues for Learning Passport program.

You have:

• Advanced University degree in IT, Education, Educational technology, Child Development, International Relations, Social sciences, or another relevant field is required.
• A minimum of 5 (five) years of professional work experience in Technology for Development (T4D) and/or information system development, including mobile and web-based applications, is required.
• Specific experience on ICT for learning or digital learning is an advantage.
• Knowledge of technology trends, educational technology, and other related field would be an advantage.
• Experience in enterprise technology deployments an advantage.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, French or Spanish) is an asset.

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 139,444 USD and 182,591 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.

Note: "****Ideally, this position will be based in Geneva****. However, the position has the option for a fully remote work modality. This will be determined based on the preferred candidate's location and availability to relocate. In the event, that a remote work modality is selected, no installation to the duty station will be applicable and relevant entitlements will be adjusted based on lower of the two costs between the remote work location and the duty station."

The Learning Passport (LP) is the flagship Digital Learning Programme of UNICEF, developed as a partnership between UNICEF and Microsoft. The Learning Passport delivers digital learning experiences to children around the world, in both connected and unconnected environments. While working on the offline deployment model for unconnected learners, the program initiated an online, web-based deployment in response to the global COVID-19 emergency, as the closure of schools, institutions, and facilities resulted in the need to reach children outside of school with educational content. As a result there is now a vibrant LP online community of 5m+ learners across 35 countries, each with specific resource needs and support. In addition, the Learning Passport offline program continues, with pilot countries coming on through 2023 as we seek to enter a scale phase in 2024.

For every child, Education for all……

The purpose of this position is to lead on technical deployment issues across other regional offices and the Global Learning Passport Team, as well as support the technical deployment of the Learning Passport (LP) programme across ECARO country offices. As the functional CTO of the global LP team, this position will be directly responsible for providing technical support to country teams, adapting and improving the technology and associated products based on country, RO, and partner feedback. Additionally, the role will assist in managing Learning Passport ECAR rollouts, as well as targeted ECAR LP deployment and support.

How can you make a difference?

Support the HQ team, all regions, and all implementing COs and partners with the deployment of the Learning Passport:

• Supports implementation activities of Learning Passport across regions
• Represents Learning Passport user base to Microsoft counterparts in the prioritization and development of functionalities.
• Supports consultants and other Learning passport deployment team members at RO level
• Provides support to Country Office implementation teams
• Inputs into updating deployment guidance, based on lessons learned.
• Feeds into and represents user groups in UNICEF’s requested feature enhancements, bug fixes, functionality improvements, and maintenance and support of Learning Passport platform.

At HQ Level:

• Provide technical leadership on as-needed basis to all Learning Passport deployments, prioritise and represent global user-base feedback and functionality requests, in close collaborations with other Regional Offices, and Global Learning Passport Team
• Serve as focal point for communicating technical challenges encountered in the field to Microsoft engineering and philanthropy teams
• Participate and contribute to Learning Passport communities among UNICEF staff and national partners engaged in deployments, producing knowledge management resources and organizing activities to ensure collaboration among members of the community and documenting lessons learned, challenges, and good practices.
• Continually update best practice and guidance documentation for users and administrators globally
• Feedback user needs and functionalities that would enhance the experience, adoption, and usability of the Learning Passport Platform by UNICEF users, including the creation and management of shared tooling between national Project Managers, regional Deployment Specialists, global Learning Passport team, and Microsoft counterparts
• Provide inputs and support the drafting of reports to internal and external stakeholders and funders of the Learning Passport (grants’ reports, annual results report, needed updates, etc.).

Support Learning Passport communities

• Guide and maintain Learning Passport user, administrator, and project management communities
• In collaboration with ROs and ICTD teams, scope product requirements and toolset integrations that meet articulated needs of Learning Passport communities.
• Feed in user perspectives and successes to support dialogue with donor agencies and developing funding proposals in support of the Learning Passport work.
• Represent Learning Passport communities in the promotion of the Learning Passport at various fora as required

Provide tailored support to the ECARO office across ECD and Education portfolios

• Directly support implementation activities in ECARO countries adopting Learning Passport across the age continuum.
• Support countries to tailor the platform to relevant age groups, sub-sectors and stakeholders- such as ECE educators /students or parents where relevant.
• Provide guidance on expanded uses of the Learning Passport into other relevant ECD sub-sectors (such as home visitors training and training of healthcare practitioners).
• Provide technical support and input into countries launching, user-testing, dissemination, data collection, M&E, roll-out and scale-up of LP.

At RO Level:

• Assist in technical aspects of all ECAR Learning Passport deployments, in close collaborations with country offices, and the Global Learning Passport Team
• Provide tailored deployment support and ongoing trouble shooting of the LP in ECAR across the ECE, primary and secondary education sub-sectors.
• Ensure the platform and support are appropriate for ECE educators, parents and young children, in line with regional strategy, also creating of linkages between platforms for formal education and ECE.
• Assist in the management of Learning Passport community in ECAR among UNICEF staff, consultants and national partners engaged in deployments, producing knowledge management resources and organizing activities to ensure collaboration among members of the community and documenting lessons learned, challenges, and good practices

• Provide technical support and input into countries launching, user-testing, dissemination, roll-out and scale-up of LP, as well as reports and other communication documents

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

• Advanced University degree in IT, Education, Educational technology, Child Development, International Relations, Social sciences, or another relevant field is required.

• A minimum of 5 (five) years of professional work experience in Technology for Development (T4D) and/or information system development, including mobile and web-based applications, with manifested capacity to manage programmes involving many stakeholders is required.
• Specific experience on ICT for learning or digital learning is an advantage.
• Knowledge of technology trends, educational technology, and other related field would be an advantage.
• Experience in enterprise technology deployments an advantage.
• Technology deployment experience in emergency contexts a plus.
• Experience working within the UN system, and with large scale software developers considered an asset.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, French or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

Please click Here to view UNICEF's core values and Here to view our competency framework.

UNICEF competencies required for this post are.

• 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)

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to including everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, 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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

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.

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.

“UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”

For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEF’s Entitlements’ page. If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online Salary Estimate Calculator

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

Potential interview questions