Technology for Development (T4D) Specialist, NO-C, Lilongwe, Malawi #107672 (Open to Malawian Nationals Only)

Mid Programme & Policy Innovation

Overview

Join UNICEF's Innovation team to enhance technology for children's programs.

You have:

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields: Information Systems Management, Technology Management, Computer Science, Business Management, Business Administration or related practical experience.
• Professional certification in ICT project management, programming, software engineering, business analytics, telecommunications and/or information security is an asset.
• A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience is required in managing, designing, and implementing solutions for large-scale technical projects, including supervising engineers and software developers.
• Experience with ICT hardware, mobile phones and web-based technologies, particularly designing or deploying tools appropriate to low bandwidth environments.
• Experience in other technical areas, i.e. network administration, support services management, messaging, database administration and data visualization.
• Fluency in English, both strong verbal and written skills, are essential.
• Experience supporting data safety and cybersecurity in large, complex projects with delivery to a large remote user base and multiple stakeholders is an asset.
• Experience managing partnership with telecom companies and/or mobile service providers is an asset.
• Experience in training and capacity building is desirable.
• Experience in a UN organization is an asset.
• Background and/or familiarity with emergency situations is considered an asset.
• Experience with RapidPro, Open Source Smart Register Platform (SRP), Digital Health Information System 2 (DHIS2), Open Data Kit (ODK) and other global Digital Public Good technologies, and deploying, maintaining, and rolling out these technologies is desirable.
• Working knowledge of SQL database and ArcGIS is preferred.
• Knowledge of human-centred design thinking approaches, information systems, requirements analysis and software development is advantageous.

Contract

This is a NO-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-3 contracts.

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, empowerment…

UNICEF Malawi Country Programme (2019-2023) is aligned with the Government of Malawi’s Growth and Development Strategy (MDGS III) and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). The programme supports the Government of Malawi to meet its commitment to respect, protect and fulfil children’s rights in line with international conventions and standards. The country programme is guided by the principles of children’s rights, equity, gender equality, inclusion and resilience and supports evidence-based, integrative and innovative programming. The vision is that ‘all girls and boys in Malawi, especially the most disadvantaged and deprived, realize their rights’. The programme focuses on early childhood (parenting, high-impact social services, early stimulation and learning), middle childhood and adolescence (learning, multi-sectoral services, active citizenship), communities (decentralized services and systems, community ownership, social norms), programme effectiveness (Innovation, Research, Evaluation and Knowledge Management, Planning and Monitoring, Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers - HACT, Partnerships and External Communication). The programme is based on ‘leaving no child behind’, realizing ‘rights for all children in Malawi’.

Malawi’s context, being one of the least developed countries in the world and prone to natural disasters and climatic shocks, demands creativity, resourcefulness and efficiencies in its development and humanitarian interventions. UNICEF Malawi Country Office (MCO) has committed to harnessing the power of innovation, technology and digital transformation to accelerate ongoing UNICEF and Government efforts to strengthen national systems and accelerate results for children across the key social sectors. New programming approaches, digital, product and process innovation, and innovative financing are all core components that drive programme results.

How can you make a difference?

MCO offers an exciting and rewarding career opportunity to join our dynamic Innovation team, where you will support enhancing technology-enabled programming to improve programme effectiveness in development and humanitarian contexts. The incumbent will provide technical guidance to programme teams in the identification, assessment and integration of digital innovation and technology into UNICEF programming, collaborate and engage with key internal and external partners, and build their capacity to promote technology-enabled initiatives for early childhood, school-age adolescents, child-friendly, inclusive and resilient communities results.

The incumbent will report to Innovation Specialist, with a technical reporting line to Information Communication Technology (ICT) Specialist.

This job, therefore, presents a unique and significant opportunity for a qualified, vibrant, motivated and committed person to contribute to the overall achievement of transformative results for children with professional excellence by delivering on the following key responsibility areas, but not limited to –

Technical guidance and assistance to programme teams

• Provide technical guidance to the Country Office in identifying, selecting, defining, deploying, and sustaining T4D interventions to address bottlenecks towards achieving programme results.
• Roll out high-impact digital intervention tools and programmes (e.g., RapidPro, UReport, Internet of Good Things, GEOSIGHT, INFORM, GIGA) in collaboration with ICT.
• Review technical solutions to ensure UNICEF standards are followed; contribute to project management processes, generation, and review of terms of reference and vendor selection.
• Bring human/user-centred design methods to enable user-acceptance testing, evaluation, documentation, and analysis.
• Support Innovation Specialist in deploying a portfolio approach, adapting common solutions prioritized for UNICEF programming (e.g. Digital Public Goods).

Policy and strategic development support

• Support development and implementation of the technology and digital innovation strategy and governance model for the country office; bring visibility to T4D gaps, opportunities, and scale-up strategy supporting Country Office priorities.
• Help monitor development and quality assurance during planning and deployment of T4D initiatives; participate in establishing and maintaining standards, documentation, and support mechanisms for T4D.
• Work closely with Programme Planning and Monitoring (PPM) section to integrate digital development and technology innovation into the programme planning lifecycle. Align with programme priorities (Annual Work Plans etc.)
• Support Innovation Specialists and Programme teams in identifying strategic programme development and resource mobilization opportunities, developing concept notes and funding proposals.

Capacity building and Business relationship management support

• Lead capacity-building initiatives and training to enhance the competencies, capacity, and knowledge within the programmes on digital development, train UNICEF staff, partners, government counterparts and other end users in digital development and technology innovation.
• Support Innovation Specialist in managing Business and Programme Relationship services to define high-level requirements, document and match requirements and guide the design, development, and deployment of appropriate T4D solutions.
• Build staff awareness in using digital public goods, frontier technology and innovations such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), wearables, IoT, mobile money, blockchain etc.

Knowledge management

• Work with Research Evaluation, Knowledge Management (REKM) section to help identify, capture, synthesize and share lessons learned from T4D for integration into broader knowledge development planning, advocacy and communication efforts.
• Update and maintain an inventory of T4D interventions, assets, resources, and networks.

Work with PPM to ensure documentation and clear monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for innovation and T4D projects, including baseline data collection, ongoing monitoring, and first-phase data collection and analysis.

You are encouraged to download the classified job description Classified Job Description_107672_Technology-for-Development-Specialist-T4D_NOC_2019.pdf in order to view the full role and its requirements.

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

Education:

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Information Systems Management, Technology Management, Computer Science, Business Management, Business Administration or related practical experience.
• Professional certification in ICT project management, programming, software engineering, business analytics, telecommunications and/or information security is an asset.

Experience:

• A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience is required in managing, designing, and implementing solutions for large-scale technical projects, including supervising engineers and software developers, responsibility for budgets, contracts and procurement, etc.
• Experience with ICT hardware, mobile phones and web-based technologies, particularly designing or deploying tools appropriate to low bandwidth environments.
• Experience in other technical areas, i.e. network administration, support services management, messaging, database administration and data visualization.
• Experience supporting data safety and cybersecurity in large, complex projects with delivery to a large remote user base and multiple stakeholders is an asset.
• Experience managing partnership with telecom companies and/or mobile service providers is an asset.
• Experience in training and capacity building is desirable.
• Experience in a UN organization is an asset.
• Background and/or familiarity with emergency situations is considered an asset

Technical knowledge and skills:

• Experience with RapidPro, Open Source Smart Register Platform (SRP), Digital Health Information System 2 (DHIS2), Open Data Kit (ODK) and other global Digital Public Good technologies, and deploying, maintaining, and rolling out these technologies is desirable.
• Working knowledge of SQL database and ArcGIS is preferred.
• Knowledge of human-centred design thinking approaches, information systems, requirements analysis and software development is advantageous.

Language:

• Fluency in English, both strong verbal and written skills, are essential.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically and (7) Works collaboratively with others.

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 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 include 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, 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 promote 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.

Remarks:

The position is not considered an elevated-risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate.

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable females are encouraged to apply.

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/.

The vacancy announcement is open to all candidates – both internal UNICEF staff holding permanent, continuing and fixed term appointments and external candidates.

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

In order to deliver results for the children of Malawi, UNICEF Malawi Country Office works in a fast-paced but impactful environment where creativity, innovation, collaboration, teamwork, a safe space and professional development are supported and encouraged. We are therefore seeking individuals who are motivated to make a real difference and serve the children of Malawi with resourcefulness, resilience, creativity, and professional excellence.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org