Please note the appropriate Tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure that you are holding the applicable contract as defined below:
• Tier 1: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed term (FTA) appointments (defined as “internal” candidates)
• Tier 2: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA) and personnel on regular PSA contracts
• Tier 3: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates
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 changes 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. This vision is enshrined in the Digital, AI, and Innovation Hub in BPPS, where Digital technologies, AI, and innovation hold tremendous promise for supporting and advancing development, where UNDP is leveraging these capacities to shape smarter development for a fast-changing world.
Project Description:
Our mission is to nurture a space where novel ideas emerge and thrive, with transformative solutions by Africa’s innovators and start-ups to build AI foundations—in areas of green compute, data and talent. Connecting everyone into an ecosystem where they can grow together and advance prosperity for all is at the AI Hub's core. As Enrico Mattei, the inspiration for the Italy-Africa Mattei Plan, redefined international partnerships in the 1950s, Italy is once again driving an ecosystem of equal partnerships through the AI Hub. The AI Hub is aligned with the African Union’s AI Strategy and is anchored by 14 partner countries in Africa (Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Tanzania and Tunisia), catalyzing transformation across six key sectors–energy, agriculture, health, water, education & training, and infrastructure. Artificial Intelligence is poised to be the most transformative technology of our era, and its benefits must be accessible to all. For Africa, where 60% of Africans are under 25, AI presents a unique opportunity to leapfrog traditional development growth, delivering innovative and impactful solutions in healthcare, education, agriculture, finance, and governance.
Scope of Work
The AI Hub Design and Engagement Manager will serve as the senior leader managing the design of new programmes, responsible for leading the coordination and accountability for working across signals, partnerships, and program conceptualization. Specifically, this includes identifying key trends through diverse stakeholder groups across the G7 and Africa continent, public and private sector, big tech and small tech, and leveraging these elements to building programmatic understanding for design and engagement. This role also requires supporting the AI Hub Director on managing the governance groups of the AI Hub, working closely with the Executive Steering Group, the Private Sector Advisory Group, and managing communication with them and stakeholders to steer impact. As Design & Engagement Manager , she/he will also contribute to the global partnerships managed under the Digital, AI, and Innovation Hub at the Bureau of Policy and Programmes, UNDP, and those under the Regional Bureaus of Africa and Arab States.
Lead AI Hub Programme Design & Engagement Strategy:
• Lead the design of and execution for AI Hub for Sustainable Development Programmes’ research and development, that includes combining local ecosystem development with new partnerships and programmatic approaches with partners, leading to successful programme design and engagement of AI Hub’s vision and objectives.
• As part of the AI Hub’s management team, build processes, methodologies, and implementation approaches for scaling partnerships and narratives, and partnership with G7, Africa and relevant authorities in the 14 partner countries in Africa.
• Support Italy, G7 countries, and African government partners in fostering new partnership contributions to the AI Hub for Sustainable Development.
• Contribute to UNDP's ability to spot partnership trends across our network to help UNDP stay ahead of the frontier issues of AI and digital development.
Lead AI Hub Programmes Partnerships Implementation & Scale:
• Working closely with the AI Hub Head of Programme, develop and execute the AI Hub programmes partnerships, establishing touchpoints and processes for sourcing, unpacking, and building implementation approaches to new AI ideas, tracking existing workstreams, and ongoing team management.
• Design and pilot new approaches for connecting countries and stakeholders to harness AI development opportunities and mitigate risks and challenges, playing to UNDP's strengths and value proposition.
• Collaborate closely with the Digital, AI and Innovation Partnerships team and the Rome Centre Partnerships team at BPPS, as well as those in the Bureaus of Africa and Arab States ensuring collaboration and coordination.
AI Hub Programmes Partnerships and Management:
• Working closely with the Director of the AI Hub and Head of Programmes, lead the organization and engagement with the AI Hub’s Executive Steering Group, the AI Hub’s Private Sector Advisory Groups.
• Directly supervising the AI Hub Campaigns Specialist and working closely with the Digital Transformation Knowledge & Insights Manager to manage partnership expectations, joint advocacy and ecosystem building, and visibility of partners and stakeholders.
Advocacy & Thought Leadership and Knowledge Management
• Managing the AI Hub Campaigns Specialist to design creative approaches to identifying target audiences and devising grassroots and/or digital campaigns to communicate AI Hub’s work, working closely with the Head of Implementation, Digital, AI & Innovation Hub, Rome Centre, and the Bureaus of Africa and Arab States.
• Support the AI Hub Director and participate AI Hub in global AI forums, conferences, and high-level discussions to position UNDP and its implementation of the AI Hub as a thought leader in responsible AI for development.
• Manage stakeholder events to spotlight attention to the opportunities and challenges of AI development and set directions for the future.
• Actively participate in and make substantive contributions to external networks and communities of practice to promote advocacy for UNDP’s work and opportunities for collaboration in addressing development trends.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement
This incumbent will report directly to AI Hub Director.
Expected Demonstration of Competencies
Core Competencies
Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
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
Communications Relationship management Ability to engage with a wide range of public and
private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen
working relations, trust and mutual understanding.
Partnership Management Strategic Engagement Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision
makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision
and objectives.
Digital & Innovation Digital thought leadership Ongoing research into emerging technologies and digital trends and the applications, risks, and
opportunities associated with digital adoption,
combined with the ability to communicate this synthesis with broad audience.
Digital & Innovation Innovation Ecosystem curation Ability to identify key players in a ecosystem, engage with them and mobilise them to build a community and over time a movement around a common mission that can bring about changes at the system level. Ability to give sense of purpose and build trust, develop programmes of activities and platform to build and strengthen relationships.
Digital & Innovation Digital ecosystems Knowledge of how they work, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society.
Communications Advocacy strategy and implementation Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change.
Business Direction & Strategy System Thinking Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
Required Education, Experience, Skills and Competencies
Minimum Education requirements
An advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent ) in Design, Business Administration, Engineering, Information Technology management, Education, or a relevant technical field is required.
Or
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Minimum years of relevant work experience
A minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience in experience in AI, digital transformation, or sustainable development, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership role is required.
Required skills
• Proven track record of leading impactful multi-stakeholder initiatives, building strategic partnerships in the global development and diverse technology sector.
• Proven track record of designing partnerships and impactful initiatives with the private sector.
• Proven track record of deep understanding of AI infrastructure and applications, data governance, and digital public infrastructure, with experience in LDCs, Africa, and other underserved regions.
• Proven exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and stakeholder engagement skills, with a demonstrated ability to influence global policy and drive organizational change.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
• Demonstrated ability to navigate unstructured or evolving work environments in a composed and professional manner.
• Proven experience in making progress even when specific outcomes or processes aren’t clear.
• Demonstrated experience in willingness to iterate and learn as you go, particularly in fast-changing environments.
• Experience in adaptablility with the ability to confidently shift priorities or stakeholder needs.
• Demonstrated experience in effectively manage competing priorities while also maintaining quality and speed.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate solutions clearly and work in a highly .coordinated way, collaboratively across different teams to implement them.
Required Language (s):
• Fluency in English is required.
• Working knowledge of another official UN language, or a local language from partner countries is advantageous.
Equal opportunity
• As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
• UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
• UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
• UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Equal opportunity
• As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
• UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
• UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
• UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Scam alert
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