Consultancy – Project Management Assistant (Digital) – Global Office of Research and Foresight – approx. 10 months (Remote/Work from home)

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, answers 

UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight (UNICEF Innocenti) is the

dedicated office for research and foresight at UNICEF.

UNICEF Innocenti has a dedicated unit focused on Digital Engagement and Protection, generating new evidence and insights about children’s lives in a digital age by applying a combination of research and foresight methods. The research focus is on primary data collection with children and families around the world to understand the risks and opportunities children face online. The current portfolio of work involves past and future research in more than 40 countries, primarily in the global South, through our Global Kids Online and Disrupting Harm research projects.

The foresight work analyses the potential impacts of emerging technologies through trends analysis and other foresight methods, uncovering the opportunities and challenges they bring for children, and developing policy guidance for governments and industry. Past flagship projects have covered AI policy guidance and digital inclusion for children.

UNICEF Innocenti is now looking for an individual consultant to support the Digital Engagement and Protection unit with project coordination, events management and administrative services for its portfolio of projects.

How can you make a difference? 

Project management support:

Assist with monitoring project implementation against established milestones, support with anticipating risks and suggesting mitigation strategies to improve performance, and keep project documents up to date (e.g. results and risk frameworks, Gantt charts, project implementation plans, etc.) to facilitate internal and donor reporting processes.

Contribute to the preparation of regular internal monitoring documents, providing accurate updates to the Team and Partners about the implementation of the project.

Support in monitoring budgets, financial expenditures of section, contracting and invoicing, keeping supervisor informed and advised on actions for decision/follow up. In particular, the consultant will update the supervisor on the completion of deliverables and liaise with the EA for payments.

Facilitate the production of unit publications by acting as a focal point for vendors on behalf of the author/Team. The consultant is requested to keep track of production timeline, give updates on the status of the publications, and assist in drafting of publication TORs (e.g. for copyediting, layout, etc.).

Administration and events:

Support unit’s recruitment processes including drafting the content of Terms of References and helping to schedule and set up interviews.

Facilitate the processing of contracts for consultants and external vendors. This includes preparing and filing documents, completing necessary forms and templates.

Provide logistics support for events including capacity development activities and trainings, national/global experts consultations, and launch events for the unit’s publications. This includes liaising with UNICEF country offices, partners and event participants.

Act as point of contact for assigned convenings and events. This includes drafting agendas and preparing background materials for participants, liaising with partners, managing correspondence for assigned events, and provide detailed notes and key takeaways from the meetings, when needed.

Maintain the team calendar, arrange and book internal meetings and with the partners, and take meeting minutes where needed to ensure accuracy and effective communications about the outcomes of meetings.

If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: 

GORaF_Digital_Consultant (Programme) EXT.pdf

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

• A university degree (Bachelor’s or higher) in a social science, project management, administration or a related discipline.
• A minimum of three years of professional work experience related to project management support, partners coordination, and administration is required. Experience in an international organization would be considered an asset.
• Experience using MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other software such as SharePoint; knowledge of integrated management information systems.
• Excellent organizational, planning, and time-management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and excellent attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work well as part of a geographically dispersed team and to coordinate with partners across sectors.
• Commitment to UNICEF’s core values of care, respect, integrity, transparency and accountability.
• Fluency in English is required. Fluency in Spanish, French or Arabic considered an asset.
• Previous experience working with UNICEF Regional and Country Offices or an international organization would be an asset.
• Experience with administrative policies and procedures related to events organization and logistics is desirable.
• Experience in liaising and coordinating with external partners, from both public and private sector would be an asset.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

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

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 or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks: 

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts. 

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