Background

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 Campaign & Knowledge Analyst will play a supporting role in shaping the programme narrative, focusing on the convergence of AI foundations for development and private sector growth within the AI Hub for Sustainable Development. This position involves contributing to advocacy, thought leadership, and insights packaging for innovative AI Hub programmes design and implementation.  The Analyst with support in developing tailored campaigns to mobilize stakeholder action and establish the AI Hub as a dynamic systems orchestrator across AI foundations and sustainable development. The Analyst will collaborate closely with partners across the G7, African nations, and relevant authorities in 14 partner countries in Africa to amplify impact.  In addition, the Analyst is expected to work closely with the UNDP Rome Centre to ensure key stakeholders are engaged.  

Duties and Responsibilities

AI Hub Programme Knowledge & Insights:  

• Support the design and implementation, and monitoring of the AI Hub for Sustainable Development Programmes’ knowledge and insights strategy, generating  timely and action-oriented insights and creating new knowledge to inform and drive the successful delivery of AI Hub’s vision and objectives across its 6 months – 1 year programming cycles across the AI foundations.
• Working closely with the AI Hub Head of Programme Design & Engagement, and collaborating with the DAI Hub’s DT Knowledge & Strategy, and DAI Hubs Communications team, support to build processes, methodologies, and campaigns strategies in partnership with G7, Africa and relevant authorities in the 14 partner countries in Africa.
• Support Italy, G7 countries, and African government partners in identifying and fostering new partnership and catalyze exponential actions by partners through effective campaigns and advocacy.
• Support in regular communication with the AI Hub stakeholders including programme participants/innovators, UNDP country offices, and private sector partners.  

AI Hub Programmes Campaign Implementation & Scale:

• Support the execution of the AI Hub programmes campaigns, setting key clear objectives and expected outcomes, conducting stakeholder mapping and analysis establishing touchpoints and processes for sourcing & implementing new AI ideas, tracking existing advocacy, and ongoing team management.
• Support in the design and pilot new approaches for connecting media, communities, and communications teams at partners’ organizations and countries 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 Communications team at BPPS, and the UNDP Rome Centre ensuring collaboration and coordination.

Advocacy & Thought Leadership:

• Conduct research
• To Identify priority themes and topics for thought leadership in line with the vision and objectives of the AI Hub
• Design creative approaches to identifying and retaining the interest of target audiences and devising a mixed method approach leveraging grassroots, traditional and new media and/or digital campaigns to communicate AI Hub’s work.  
• Manage stakeholder events to spotlight attention to the opportunities and challenges of AI development and set directions for the future.

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 Campaign & Knowledge Specialist.

Competencies

Core:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1

• Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1

• Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1

• Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1

• Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination:  LEVEL 1

• Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1

• Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1

• Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical:
   
Digital - Data Storytelling and communications:

• Skilled in building a narrative around a set of data and its accompanying visualizations to help convey the meaning of that data in a powerful and compelling fashion.
  Digital - Digital product design:
• Ability to design digital products which are user-centered, intuitive, functional and achieve desired outcomes.

Digital - Digital product management:

• Ability to design and lead digital product development including testing, ongoing product iteration, product strategy and delivery.

Digital - 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.

Business Management - Project Management:

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Business Management - Communication:

• Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Partnership Management - 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.
   

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• An advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Public Relations, Marketing, Programme Management, and Stakeholder Engagement and International Relations, or a relevant field is required, or  
• A first level university degree (bachelor´s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Applicants with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.  
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in AI, digital transformation, or sustainable development.

Desired skills:

Proven track record of experience supporting impactful multi-stakeholder campaigns, managing diverse partner visibility and driving actions by ecosystem.

Proven track record of experience in project management, designing partnerships and impactful initiatives with the private sector.  

Deep understanding of diverse stakeholder groups and experience in EU, LDCs, Africa, and other underserved regions.

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.

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