Consultant for Gateways Initiatives, Home based, UNICEF China Office

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, Education

UNICEF operates in over 100 countries, leveraging digital learning and innovation to address the global learning crisis and reach children excluded from education, particularly in emergency contexts. To accelerate these efforts, UNICEF, in collaboration with UNESCO, launched the Gateways Initiative at the Transforming Education Summit in 2022. 

The Gateways Initiative partners with governments and organizations to establish digital education as a public good by promoting high-quality, inclusive national digital learning platforms and content, aiming to ensure all children have access to quality digital education. The initiative is structured around three main pillars: global knowledge exchange, developing norms and standards, and creating a comprehensive mapping of digital learning initiatives. 

How can you make a difference? 

Toward mid-2025, UNICEF plans to intensify its efforts within these pillars, with a particular focus on global knowledge exchange and the mapping of digital learning initiatives. To support knowledge exchange, the Gateways Initiative has successfully conducted four webinar series and two study visits. The Gateways Initiative plans to conduct one Study Visit in China and launch the Dashboard for global digital learning platforms this year.

To accomplish these objectives, the UNICEF China Country Office (CCO) seeks to engage an expert to coordinate and support the development of the Dashboard and the coordination of the Gateways Study Visit in China in collaboration with national partners. This ToR outlines the role’s objectives, scope, and expected deliverables. 

For more details, please refer to Terms of Reference for Gateway Consultant.docx

Qualifications required

Education

• University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Information Design, Data Visualization, Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Digital Media, or a related field.
• A Bachelor’s degree in combination with additional relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.

Work Experience

• At least 5 years of professional experience as an internet product manager in data visualization, dashboard design, or interactive mapping.
• Proven experience in developing interactive dashboards or digital mapping tools, preferably in the education or development sector.
• Experience in working with open-source visualization tools and integrating dashboards into content management systems (CMS), such as Drupal.
• Previous experience collaborating with international organizations, governments, or NGOs is highly desirable.
  Ability to translate complex data into structured, actionable requirements for development teams, ensuring effective implementation.

  Soft Skills

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to translate complex datasets into user-friendly visual insights.
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder coordination skills, particularly in cross-cultural and multi-agency environments.
  • Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines.
  • Strong attention to detail and ability to adapt to evolving project needs.

      Technical skills

  • Strong understanding of data visualization principles and dashboard design, with the ability to define requirements, user needs, and best practices for interactive mapping tools.
  • Experience in coordinating software development projects, particularly in dashboard or digital mapping tool design, ensuring alignment with technical teams and stakeholders.
  • Familiarity with front-end web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and data visualization libraries (D3.js, Leaflet.js, or similar) to effectively communicate requirements to developers.
  • Experience working with CMS platforms such as Drupal, ensuring seamless integration of dashboards within UNICEF’s digital ecosystem.
  • Ability to facilitate collaboration between technical developers, national partners, and UNICEF teams, ensuring project milestones and quality standards are met.
  • Strong UI/UX awareness to ensure the final dashboard is user-friendly, accessible, and responsive across devices.

  Ability to translate complex data into structured, actionable requirements for development teams, ensuring effective implementation.

  Language

   Fluency in both Mandarin Chinese and English (written and spoken) is required.

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.