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.

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 referees of previous jobs (supervisors and peers). 

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

Travel:   

UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. Travel costs are covered only in the event that the function will be undertaken physically in the duty station and excludes working from home arrangements.

Office/Unit/Project Description

Emerging and future digital technologies and the opportunities they offer will profoundly improve the lives of those furthest behind. Recognizing this potential, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched an organization-wide digital transformation that will splice digital into its DNA—harnessing its potential to do good for more people, better and faster. UNDP’s 2019-2021 Digital Strategy has created a new UNDP Digital Unit, charged with leading the next wave of innovation in sustainable development.

UNDP is the development arm of the United Nations.  Present in 170 countries with over 17,000 people, UNDP works on the world’s biggest problems: extreme poverty, climate change, good governance, renewable energy, crisis prevention, and women’s empowerment, among others.

We are leveraging the power and agility of digital to propel all people forward, starting with digital initiative development, scaling innovation, and communicating this organizational change internally and externally. To achieve this, we need a team that's nimble, that's passionate, that has the technical skills required to help close the digital divide. Read more about our digital strategy here.

Mastering our data is a crucial element of our digital strategy to enable a #nextGenUNDP and position UNDP as a leader in digital development. UNDP has an obligation and deep commitment to achieving sustainable development outcomes. Leveraging data as a strategic asset will require a strong governance process that enables success and not a process that slows progress. A value driven governance empowers individuals and teams within the organization to make better use of data by providing clear guidance on best practices which balance the strategic needs of the organization with the tactical needs of the specific data use case of the individual or team. Establishing a Data Governace Group and producing guiderails on issues such as Data Privacy, Data Residency, Working with non-traditional data, etc. are integral part of the strategy. The data team within the Chief Digital Office is looking for a data policy specialist to take lead in setting up the Data Governance Group and producing such guiderails.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

• Establish and coordinate a ‘Data Governance Group’ for UNDP with organisation-wide representation
• Lead drafting of data and technology related policies and position papers such as data privacy, ethical collection of data and data storage
• Lead research and implementation of policies on data and technology compliance (such as GDPR) and other industry standards
• Lead the process of drafting reports on data and technology assessments such as data quality and technology maturity
• Lead a process to develop a UNDP-wide corporate taxonomy and a data catalogue
• Contribute to the digital team in developing emerging policy agendas in digital transformation and future of development contexts, in collaboration with policy teams at UNDP, bringing in perspectives and expertise from Country Offices and the regions
• Conduct research, analysis and thought leadership on Machine Learning, AI, non-traditional and innovative data sources and produce case evidence and research findings to distil relevant lessons from projects and programmes to inform policy formulation and guidance

Competencies

UN CORE VALUES AND COMPETENCIES

Professionalism:  Shows pride in work and achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication:Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients " and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Required Skills and Experience