Consultancy, External Engagement Specialist, Office of Global Innovation, New York 11.5 months #538223 – Remote

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, innovate…

UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support realizing children’s rights are critical to improving their lives.

The Office of Innovation is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the startup thinking, the technology, and the partners that turn this energy into scalable solutions.

UNICEF’s Office of Innovation creates opportunities for the world’s children by focusing on where new markets can meet their vital needs. We do this by:

• Connecting youth communities (or more broadly — anyone disconnected or under-served) to decision-makers, and to each other, to deliver informed, relevant and sustained programmes that build better, stronger futures for children.
• Provoking change for children through an entrepreneurial approach — in a traditionally risk-averse field — to harness rapidly moving innovations and apply them to serve the needs of all children.
• Creating new models of partnership that leverage core business values across the public, private and academic sectors in order to deliver fast, and lasting results for children.

How can you make a difference?

The External Engagement Specialist will support the Office of Innovation in developing and delivering communications strategies for UNICEF Ventures, and supporting the external communications of the Giga Initiative. The consultancy will serve to develop and package communications from existing and new initiatives that aim to communicate the value of the UNICEF Venture Fund and the Giga initiative, increase alignment with related initiatives, particularly the Digital Public Goods Alliance, and build external engagement capacity of partners.

Main responsibilities will include but not limited to:

• External communications of the UNICEF Venture Fund, including the calls for proposal for new startup companies, capturing and sharing stories from the portfolio startups, country offices and across portfolios
• Develop packages for capacity building of startups in external communications and engagement
• Aligning external communications content across the initiatives of UNICEF Ventures and the Digital Public Goods Alliance and capturing and sharing stories on how UNICEF Ventures initiatives contribute to Digital Public Goods
• External communications of the Giga initiative, including capturing and sharing stories of mapping and connecting schools across Giga countries, product launches, partnerships, and major events involving Giga
• Aligning external communications content with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) communications team on Giga

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Advanced degree in relevant field (Communication, Journalism, Public Relations or related areas)
• At least 5 years of professional experience in a relevant 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 strong track record of delivering products for external engagement and visibility
• Experience of working with Private Sector PR and communications teams and driving communications activity that delivers business benefit 
• Significant experience working with print and broadcast media, preferably with a tech/innovation perspective
• Solid understanding of the role technology plays in the development and humanitarian sectors, as well as the UN system
• Understanding of UNICEF Innovation operating environment and priority partners 
• Good management skills and the ability to deliver against multiple priorities and deadlines
• Knowledge of UNICEF Office of Innovation’s key messaging and focus areas (including data science, connectivity, open source technology, working with start-ups and a range of other partners, and others)
• Ability to work with a diverse team in a rapidly-changing work environment and adapt to unforeseen changes
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to see the big picture and connect multiple story threads into one greater narrative
• Capacity to prioritize and manage a diverse range of partners, projects and activities  
• Great interpersonal skills and the ability to unite fragmented, and occasionally opposing, teams and ideas
• Project management skills including task prioritization, budget monitoring, and results-driven strategies
• Good understanding of the media landscape and the multiple ways we can engage media partners
• Ability to quickly create reports/presentations in standard office software (Microsoft Office suite, Google docs, Keynote, etc.)
• Demonstrates a solution-focused approach to overcoming the challenges of working with multiple stakeholders and is able to find shared and mutual outcomes
• Consults others and shares expertise, know-how and ideas with colleagues for best results and proactively contributes ideas, approaches and insights that enable innovation
• Makes decisions within agreed parameters and is accountable for own actions 
• Fluency in English. Competence in another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) preferred.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Payment details and further considerations

• Monthly payment, based on monthly tasks and progress reports, approved upon monthly review with supervisor.
• Consultant is responsible for his/her own health and travel insurance
• Consultant is eligible for standard DSA for all work-related travel
• Consultant is eligible for roundtrip airfare to and from the duty station at the beginning and end of the assignment.

Remarks:

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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.