UNOPS

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

As part of the Global Portfolios Office, UNOPS Geneva provides comprehensive solutions in secretariat hosting, operational support, and fund management. We manage global programmes, including the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) Portfolio, offering project management, procurement, HR, and financial services. Geneva hosts the secretariats of eight global partnerships focused on health (RBM, Stop TB, ATscale), nutrition (SUN), water/sanitation (SHF), humanitarian leadership (GELI), urban development (Cities Alliance), and disaster displacement (PDD). We also provide fund management for EIF and UN Water, and operational support to Geneva-based partners like the Global Fund and UNHCR. 

Job Specific Context
UNOPS Geneva Office is providing support to a wide range of portfolios, including UNEP, UNICEF, UNHCR, and other partners.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children—to save their lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfil their potential.

About UNICEF Digital Impact Division (DID)
The Digital Impact Division (DID) is at the heart of reshaping how UNICEF delivers lasting results for children. DID is committed to harnessing the full potential of emerging digital technologies to advance UNICEF’s mission. The division works in close collaboration with regional Digital Impact teams and colleagues across headquarters divisions, regions, and country offices to leverage technologies and capabilities that accelerate progress on UNICEF’s goals, strengthen community resilience, and expand access to essential digital services and information.

The mission of DID is to enhance UNICEF’s global digital impact by promoting equitable access to information and services, empowering communities to create lasting, positive change for children, and fostering a more inclusive, interconnected, and sustainable world for every child, everywhere.

About UNICEF Digital Inclusion
The Digital Inclusion programme supports governments and partners to improve equitable and affordable digital access for children, schools, and communities. The programme engages with regulators, operators, and public institutions to explore innovative approaches to connectivity, infrastructure governance, and digital public goods.

This position is a Partner Personnel role. UNOPS is supporting UNICEF Digital Inclusion as a UN partner and is acting on its behalf to provide recruitment and administrative support for this position. The selected candidate will be recruited through UNOPS in accordance with UNOPS recruitment rules and will be engaged as UNICEF Digital Inclusion personnel. The incumbent will work under the effective management and supervision of UNICEF Digital Inclusion, not UNOPS.

About the Tech Advocacy Pillar
The Technology Advocacy (Tech Advocacy) pillar is a newly established vertical within UNICEF Digital Inclusion with the mandate of advocating for policy and infrastructure change that supports children’s access to safe, affordable, and quality networks. It works upstream, focusing on the infrastructure layer (connectivity, electricity, and mobile money networks) that enables the downstream benefits of content, services, and applications to reach children equitably.

The pillar operates at the intersection of data, technology, policy, and advocacy - working to translate evidence and technical insights into systemic change for children’s connectivity. It works across three interconnected areas: driving advocacy with governments and global audiences to shift policy and infrastructure development; producing credible, globally recognised measures of digital inequality; and incubating technical initiatives that turn policy ambitions into deployable solutions.

The Tech Advocacy pillar works closely with technology companies, governments, regulators, telecom operators, and civil society to drive systemic change. It is uniquely positioned to bridge UNICEF’s data assets and technical capabilities with high-level policy influence - making the case for universal, safe, and affordable networks and access for children.

The Tech Advocacy pillar advances UNICEF Digital Inclusion’s mission by driving systemic change in how children access digital infrastructure and services. The Programme Manager will coordinate delivery across the pillar’s objectives:

• Advocacy for policy and infrastructure change to advance children’s access to affordable, sustainable, safe, and resilient digital infrastructure.

• Credible global measurement of digital inequality for children, including connectivity quality.

• Incubation of technical solutions that enable new network and infrastructure models.

• Development of open standards and protocols that enable benefits to flow from the infrastructure layer to applications.

Required:

• A Master’s degree preferably in public policy, international development, engineering, information systems, economics, technology policy, or another relevant field.

• A first-level university degree preferably in the abovementioned fields, combined with two additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.

Required:

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in programme or project management, with a focus on technology, digital inclusion, connectivity, or advocacy in government, international development, or technology environments.

• Proven ability to manage multiple complex work streams simultaneously across diverse teams.

• Experience coordinating with multiple stakeholders.

• Demonstrated experience with data, digital tools, or technology platforms.

Desired:

• Experience in technology policy, digital advocacy, or government engagement — including influencing policy processes or regulatory environments.

• Experience developing advocacy materials, policy positions, or thought leadership content for technical and non-technical audiences.

• Experience with digital public goods, open-source tools, or open standards (e.g., 3GPP, OpenRAN, spectrum policy).

• Knowledge of telecommunications policy, spectrum management, or internet infrastructure.

• Experience with the United Nations or other multilateral organisations.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.