Information Comm. Technology Specialist, (P-3), Temporary Appointment (364 days), Office of the Chief Data Officer, DAPM, #125886
Job no: 564793
Position type: Temporary Appointment
Location: United States Division/Equivalent: Programme
School/Unit: Division of Analysis, Planning & Monitor
Department/Office: DAPM – Data and Analytics
Categories: Information Communication Technology
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, hope
The Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM) was established in 2019 to drive decision making and organizational learning, improve effectiveness and achievement of results of UNICEF and its partners to realize the rights and improve the life of every child. DAPM promotes the use of data and monitoring to achieve transformative impact on lives of children.
The Division is responsible for driving, shaping and guiding UNICEF’s evidence-informed analysis, strategic planning, programme monitoring and organizational performance management. As such, DAPM enables the organization to deliver on results in a more coherent manner, based on agile and contextualized programming process, and on data, evidence, and analysis, as well as the application of human-rights based and results-based management approaches.
Within DAPM, the Data Team (DaT) is the global go-to for data on children. It leads the collection, validation, analysis, use and communication of the most statistically sound, internationally comparable data on the situation of children and women around the world. For this purpose, both traditional and innovative data and analysis – including administrative and household survey data as well as geospatial analysis, big data and machine learning – are used. DaT upholds the responsibility, quality, integrity and organization of these data and makes them accessible as a global public good on the data.unicef.org website.
DaT provides leadership, strategic and normative guidance and technical support to generate data and evidence on children. The team works together with other teams within UNICEF as well as partner organizations, to support statistical systems strengthening at the country level. DaT is also fostering a data-driven transformation in how UNICEF works internally and together with partners that includes positioning UNICEF as a leader on data for children, protecting children through governance of data and building an organization-wide culture of data.
Purpose for the job: The ICT Specialist reports to the Chief of the Frontier Data and Technology Unit within the Section of the Chief Data Officer. The purpose of the incumbent role is to develop and manage ICT tools, standards, and data in support of data and statistical business processes across the data lifecycle in support of data analysts, scientists, and other UNICEF data users. Secondly, this role also supports the provision of these same good-practices data, tools, and standards to Regional and Country offices, while also assisting the field in their work to support development data with national governments.
How can you make a difference?
1. Tools in support of UNICEF’s data management needs:
- Using deep domain and technology knowledge, elicit and analyze requirements that address stakeholder data lifecycle needs.
- Analyze the marketplace and recommend off the shelf tools or recommend bespoke approaches to custom solutions that address stakeholder data lifecycle needs.
- Design and implement new and enhanced software tools in support of UNICEF’s data lifecycle needs.
- Design testing plans to validate the integrity of software products.
2. Work with UNICEF analysts, statisticians, data scientists, and monitoring and evaluation staff to support data and statistics business processes across the data lifecycle, managing the space between data and technology:
- Work with UNICEF analysts, statisticians, data scientists, and monitoring and evaluation staff to support data business processes across the data lifecycle, including assisting in the further integration of programme and situation data across systems such as the Indicator Data Warehouse, GeoRepo, GeoSight and RAM to enable better correlation of internal and external data.
- Support UNICEF data users in the structuring and storing of data in UNICEF’s Indicator Data Warehouse using the Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange standard (SDMX).
- Seek to standardize data by managing reference data and other classifications, with a view to maximizing reuse and comparability of data.
- Help create capacity development curricula on data management good practices.
- Engage with programme sections, counterparts and implementing partners to assist in developing complementary technical solutions, and shared approaches to the collection, management, and exchange of data.
- Conduct oversight of providers and third parties of ICT-related services and products.
- Represent UNICEF in inter-agency functions such as the Statistical Information Standards Collaboration Community (SIS-CC), the Inter-agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs), and the SDMX Technical Working Group.
3. Assist in understanding field office data needs, working to develop their capacity to structure, store, use, and publish data using good practices tools and standards:
- Working with colleagues in field offices, assist and promote the use of Data Management tools and standards.
- Understand local data sources and assist field offices to structure, standardize, store and publish data using Data and Analytics Team tools such as the Indicator Data Warehouse and the Reference Data Manager.
- Create and maintain documentation that assists field offices in the use of UNICEF data management tools and standards.
- Work with field offices to assist in publication of regional, national, and subnational data on field office websites, and other field office reports, publications, and presentations.
4. In concert with regional and country offices, work to extend good data practices to national government partners to enhance their ability to collect and use data to inform policy and decision making, strengthening national data and statistical systems:
- Assist field offices in their work to strengthen national statistical systems by offering advice and good practices in data management, especially with respect to tools and standards.
- Work to connect field offices in the same region to make them aware of data management initiatives taking place at national and regional level to promote regional cooperation and the development of regional data champions.
- Assist field offices in evaluating requests and proposals from national government with respect to data management.
- Assist field offices in the evaluation of data management LTAs and vendor contracts designed to be of service to national governments.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, or another relevant technical field. *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
- A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in
- Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
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 (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:
Duties can be performed remotely.
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 are also 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.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Advertised: Aug 07 2023 Eastern Daylight Time
Application close: Aug 23 2023 Eastern Daylight Time
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- Closes Aug 23 2023Information Comm. Technology Specialist, (P-3), Temporary Appointment (364 days), Office of the Chief Data Officer, DAPM, #125886 in United States
The ICT Specialist reports to the Chief of the Frontier Data and Technology Unit within the Section of the Chief Data Officer. The purpose of the incumbent role is to develop and manage ICT tools, standards, and data in support of data and statistical business processes across the data lifecycle in support of data analysts, scientists, and other UNICEF data users. Secondly, this role also supports the provision of these same good-practices data, tools, and standards to Regional and Country offices, while also assisting the field in their work to support development data with national governments.