Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

 

Office/Unit/Project Description 

At UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), we are on a mission to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions around the world. UNDP is the United Nations' global sustainable development organization working across 170 countries with 17,000 staff.

Digital technology is one of the most fundamental drivers of change this century. Digital not only provides new opportunities and challenges for development, but it is also fundamentally changing the context in which development is taking place. Since the launch of its first Digital Strategy in 2019, UNDP has been on an ambitious transformation journey to harness the potential of digital technology for development. We are now in the next phase of our digital transformation, implementing the Digital Strategy 2022-2025, which puts forth a vision to create a world in which digital is an empowering force for people and planet. 

The Chief Digital Officer at UNDP is leading this effort with the goal of embedding digital technology in the development projects that we implement, supporting government partners to build inclusive digital eco-systems, and transforming the organization internally to enable these changes.

Our Team:

The Chief Digital Office (CDO) is a global team of innovators, digital strategists, and changemakers who are passionate about making digital a positive force for people and planet. The team is led by Robert Opp, a former consulting leader from BCG and former Director of the Innovation and Change Management Division at the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

The CDO is a transformation team within UNDP tasked with the responsibility to implement the Digital Strategy by building the required programmatic (planning and implementation of development projects to support government partners) and internal capacities at the country, regional and global level. Within the CDO, the Digital Programme Enablement Team develops and scales UNDP’s digital programmes, building global and local digital ecosystems that reaches and works for everyone, including in areas such as discovery and implementation of scalable digital solutions, digital skills-building, and inclusive connectivity. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

UNDP is looking for a Digital Programme Manager to provide direct strategic and operational support to the Digital Transformation team at UNDP, acting as a thought partner, scale impact and enable opportunities for collective action, especially through multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder coalitions across UNDP’s 171 country offices.  This is a highly strategic role, with a unique opportunity to be directly involved in shaping how UNDP supports efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through empowering digital ecosystems and digitally-enabled programming using UNDP’s Whole of Society Digital Transformation framework.

Key Responsibilities include:

  1. Scaling Impact: Develop strategy on scaling UNDP initiatives to support digital ecosystems across countries and lead the implementation of the scale strategy to maximize impact.
  2. Coherence & Coordination: Lead in identifying joint priorities and support its integration across digital transformation programming portfolio in both digitally enabled programming and empowering digital ecosystems.  Support project execution for the team - e.g., timeline, milestones, progress reporting
  3. Stakeholder Engagement: Support in positioning UNDP’s digital programme integrator role in countries: identify lessons, convene stakeholders and foster collaboration.
  4. Reporting: Manage donor reporting and consultations in collaboration with the Partnerships Team, Operations and Finance.

Scaling Impact: Develop strategy on scaling UNDP initiatives to support digital ecosystems across countries and lead its implementation: Provide strategic direction and design implementation plan on how UNDP can scale priority initiatives that support digital ecosystems for our partner governments. This includes:

  • the design and implementation of a collaboration model with leading technical assistance providers and local digital ecosystems. 
  • Support the delivery of new, high-impact initiatives to achieve scalability and maximum impact, in alignment with UNDP’s objectives and priorities.
  • Develop global / regional expansion strategies for select existing projects by providing advice and operational support to bring these to scale.

Coherence & Coordination: Support in identifying joint priorities with the Digital Transformation portfolio and support its integration across digital transformation programming portfolio

  • Align and support internal stakeholders and external consultants/advisors to support program goals
  • Support project execution for the team - e.g., timeline, milestones, progress reporting

Stakeholder Engagement: Support in strategic positioning of UNDP’s digital programmes and fostering collaboration between key stakeholders

  • Identify best practices and develop insights on how to scale impact of digital programmes
  • Convene key internal (UNDP) and external stakeholders to share best practice, encourage knowledge-sharing, and facilitate dialogue in order to improve effectiveness of digital programmes
  • Engage with partner governments, civil society, and private sector partners to develop new partnerships that support UNDP’s digital programmes

Reporting: Manage donor reporting and consultations in collaboration with the Partnerships Team, Operations and Finance.

  • Serve as the coordinator for all donor reporting including collecting key results, lessons, and other aspects of ensuring sound reporting to donors.
  • Ensure Digital Transformation programme team’s understanding of and compliance with internal processes during program implementation (e.g., budgeting, contracting)
  • Manage progress reporting
  • Coordinate with relevant functions whose work will support the impact of the program (e.g., comms, finance)
  • Facilitate decisions regarding the funding sources and financial structures for programmes, ensuring that those decisions are ultimately reflected in distribution model. 
  • Develop benchmarks and other methods for evaluating the cost-efficiency of technical assistance: contracts, grants, and other expenditures.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking

Learn Continuously:

LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

Adapt with Agility:

LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination:

LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:

LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Thematic Area

Name

Definition

Business Direction & Strategy

 

Strategic Thinking

Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions

Business Direction & Strategy

Business Acumen

Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome

Business Direction & Strategy

Entrepreneurial Thinking

Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate

Business Direction & Strategy

Negotiation and Influence

Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates ‘winwin’ situations

Business

Development

UNDP

Representation

Ability to represent UNDP and productively share UNDP knowledge and activities; advocate for UNDP, its values, mission and work with various constituencies

Business

Management

Results-based Management

Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results

Business

Management

Partnerships Management

Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education

  • Master's degree or equivalent in fields related to International Affairs,Business, Public Policy, Development, Entrepreneurship, Marketing or Communications.
  • Bachelor’s degree in above fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master's degree or equivalent.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

  • Minimum 7 years of relevant work experience (with master’s degree) or 9 years of relevant work experience (with bachelor’s degree) (strategy consulting, technology, government, international organizations) and functions (systems leadership, program management).

Required skills

  • Exceptional program management skills, including an entrepreneurial drive to develop and execute self-designed initiatives.
  • Ability to lead large, complex initiatives with a diverse, multi-disciplinary set of internal and external stakeholder groups.
  • Comfortable interacting with leaders across public, private, and civil society sectors.
  • Energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive team player, with the ability to engage and influence peers and colleagues, generate buy-in and trust, and positively and productively impact at the programmatic level.
  • Strategic thinking with a drive and passion for collaboration and tactical execution.
  • High-level analytical and organizational skills with intellectual rigor and flawless execution
  • Values-based, collaborative working style with a demonstrated commitment to the highest standards of ethics and confidentiality.
  • Demonstrate understanding of the latest trends and developments across technology, science, innovation, and talent.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with ability to use common software tools for word processing, presentation, and spreadsheets (especially Google Sheets, Slides, and Docs).

Desired additional skills

  • Ability to effectively drive business, culture, and technology change in a dynamic and complex operating environment.
  • Strong business acumen; understands the key financial drivers and dynamics related to growth and revenue goals
  • Ability to formulate and allocate budgets
  • Self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy

Required Language(s) (at working level)

  • Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset

Professional Certificates

  • n/a