Digital Transformation Specialist

Job Description

Anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in line with the priorities outlined in the UNDP Strategic Plan, the Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS) supports the Arab States region to achieve sustainable development by eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development, and building resilience to crises and shocks. Within this work, the Regional Bureau for Arab States responds to needs across development settings including Least Developed Countries, Middle Income Countries, Net Contributor Countries and countries affected by crisis, with a view to support the building of resilience, fight climate change, leverage the promise of innovation, and prioritize the advance of women, youth and vulnerable groups as part of its commitment to the principles of universality, equality and leaving no one behind in an increasing complex regional context.   

The Regional Hub for Arab States in Amman focuses on thought leadership, crisis response and country office support. With a focus on effective, timely and responsive support in line with UNDP’s programme priorities and tailored to the emerging and changing needs and priorities in the region, the offer of support includes strategic policy advice, programme development and implementation, capacity development, policy research and analysis, knowledge services, and operations. The Amman Regional Hub also hosts the Regional Programme for Arab States which responds to emerging regional priorities through knowledge generation, regional initiatives, and projects.  

In line with corporate priorities set out in the Digital Strategy 2022-25 digital transformation is an emerging area of demand that underpins UNDP’s long-term vision of creating a world in which digital is an empowering force for people and planet. In response to accrued interest among regional stakeholders, government, donor, and private sector partners, RBAS is strengthening its capacity within this area of work to amplify development outcomes by embedding digital across its programming and to empower digital ecosystems in the Arab States region. While the digitalization portfolio comprises of various cross-sector initiatives, it is anchored within the wider area of governance with an overall focus on public services and is implemented in close collaboration with all teams across the Hub in the design of regional initiatives and development solutions for country offices.

Under the Team Leader’s general guidance and direct supervision, the specialist will provide thought leadership and technical advice on the digitalization portfolio and lead on digital initiatives, such as the Digital for Sustainable Development Initiative (D4SD) as well as provide high-level technical support to Country Offices within the Arab States region. S/he will be guided by the principles set out in the Digital Strategy 2022-25, namely a human-rights centered approach that promotes inclusive, gender-sensitive approaches, leaving no one behind, while contributing to shared global standards and frameworks that protect people’s rights, advocating for open digital standards and open data, working to strengthen local digital ecosystems, and leveraging strategic partnerships. 

Position Purpose

Reporting to the Team Leader – Governance, Peace Building and Crisis Response, the Digital Transformation Specialist leads on key priorities and milestones, ensuring interconnected planning and implementation of digital initiatives and mainstreaming of digitalization in other regional initiatives.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of the interconnected nature of development risks & crises that the world is facing and that call for assembling of multidisciplinary teams for an integrated & systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable cross-sectoral collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Set the strategic direction on digital transformation policy, solutions and partnerships for RBAS

• Liaise closely with the Chief Digital Office on the roll-out of corporate strategies and initiatives. 
• Provide strategic advice and key liaison for Digital Transformation work within the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States.
• Ensure consistent advocacy for and driving of the vision and execution of the digital transformation agenda across the Arab States region, as a cross-cutting regional priority.
• Ensure strategic alignment of digital transformation service line activities with the overall direction and guiding principles set by the UN Corporate Digital strategy 2022-2025.
• Integrate and facilitate digital transformation mindset across policy, design, and technology deployment to inform key decision-making.
• Ensure inclusive and responsible digital solutions for sustainable development are leveraged strategically across all sectors and outputs are aligned with regional and global transformation trends.

Lead the delivery of technical advice and manage regional digital transformation programming of the Regional Bureau for Arab States

• Lead the development and implementation of the D4SD initiative and inclusive, whole-of-society, digital transformation projects in the Arab states region in close collaboration with relevant teams.
• Provide digitally enabled programmatic and policy development support to country offices in the Arab States region helping to shape the digital transformation agenda.
• Oversee and strategically guide regional digital initiatives, including complex digital systems, in line with UNDP’s digital standards.
• Ensure close linkages with other GPN teams and regional initiatives to mainstream digital across all thematic areas of work.
• Supervise and manage project personnel and consultants in her/his area of work.

Promote thought leadership, including lessons learned and dissemination, and community of practice networking

• Facilitate digital community building activities across the region, including capacity building, knowledge networking and knowledge sharing.
• Contribute to global digital policy discussions, promoting UNDP’s thought leadership on technology, digital transformation, and its impact on human development.
• Convene high-level strategic dialogues, fostering collaboration and alignment across teams and advisors to advance the regional digital transformation strategy.
• Initiate forward-looking knowledge generation through strategic reports and analyses.

Advocacy and partner engagement for effective policy positioning in the region

• Represent UNDP (and UN partner organizations) in the regional development arena under D4SD and at relevant major conferences and specialized technology working groups, as well as at official meetings as RBAS digital transformation lead. 
• Support RBAS strategic partnerships with UN agencies, international entities, government bodies, donors, technology companies, academic institutions, and civil society organizations to leverage resources and expertise in advancing digital innovation for sustainable development.
• Guide on advocacy and comms efforts on digital transformation initiatives.
• Facilitate policy support, including international and UN organizations, for expert advice on and/or for identifying new and emerging technologies,
• Engage in relationship management of regional partners, identify resources mobilization opportunities, and develop funding proposals and concepts.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Organisation.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The Regional Digitalization Transformation Specialist will be responsible for supervision, performance management and development of Regional Digital Specialist (IPSA, 11), Regional Digital Analyst (IPSA, 9).

Competencies

Core:
Achieve Results:

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively:

• Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously:

• Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility:

• Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.

Act with Determination:               

• Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner:

• Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

People Management:

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical:
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.
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.

Digital & Innovation: Digital ecosystems

• Knowledge of how they work, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society. 

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 a broad audience. 

Digital & Innovation: Portfolio design & management

• Ability to identify leverage points in systems and design interventions that address them. The value of the interventions is determined not in isolation, but as part of the overall portfolio and their coherence. 
• Ability to design processes that extract learning on an ongoing basis from existing portfolios, so that learning accrues over time and new options for action are continuously generated. 
• Build a learning ecosystem around a complex development challenge: being able to mobilise a variety of stakeholders and help them learn and work together. 
• Understand key principles of systems and complexity theory. 

Business Direction & Strategy: Effective Decision Making

• Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services or solutions.

Business Management: Portfolio Management 

• Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization’s programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity. 
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. 
• Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management. 

Business Direction and 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 Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in International Development, ICT, MIS, Business aAdministration, Digitalization, or a relevant related field is required. OR
• A first level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above fields in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in development programming and/or innovation and digital transformation is required.
• Proven familiarity with a broad range of digital transformation solutions, approaches and methodologies is required.
• Demonstrated knowledge and proven ability to work with diverse stakeholders involved in policymaking and advocacy (including the academia, communities, experts, NGOs/CSOs etc.) is desired.
• Excellent communication skills and proven ability to mobilize support from a wide range of partners (public, private, academic, civil society, business community leaders) is is a strong asset.
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic plans for digital platform development and organizational digital transformation, aligning initiatives with overarching business goals and industry trends is a strong asset. 
• Proven Capacity to lead teams and mentor entrepreneurs, providing guidance and support to optimize digital transformation efforts and maximize organizational impact is a strong asset. 
• Experience in programme and/or project development and implementation is a strong asset.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP and advanced programmes for statistical analysis of data is required.
• Previous working experience within the Arab Region at the national and regional level is preferred.

Language:

• Fluency in English required.
• Knowledge of Arabic and/or French is an asset. 

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters.

Note: 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.

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UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

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About the Organization

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.