Consultancy Title: GenU Digital Strategy & ICT Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: GenU, Programme Group

Duration: 01 March 2026 – 28 February 2027

Home/ Office Based: Remote

About UNICEF –

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

As a part of the GenU Programmes Team, under the overall guidance of the Deputy Director Programmes, under the direct supervision of the Senior Advisor, Global Programmes, in collaboration with the Global P2E Coordinator, P2E Content Specialist, UNICEF and GenU partners, the Digital Strategy & ICT Consultant will support GenU’s broader digital initiatives, ensuring cross-programme ICT support by:

• Implementing a digital strategy that enables a portfolio approach to digital scaling across GenU programmes;
• Providing ICT technical expertise across Passport to Earning (P2E), the Global Volunteer Initiative (GVI), imaGen Ventures, and other initiatives requiring digital infrastructure support;
• Facilitating platform integrations and technical alignment between Learning Passport, ICTD, and other digital solutions;
• Enhancing back-end system management, data security, and cost optimisation to ensure sustainability and compliance; and
• Transitioning the P2E to a stable, open source platform.

Scope of Work:

1. GenU Digital Systems Strategy Development

• Implementation of GenU’s digital systems strategy in cooperation with relevant country offices
• Ensure a harmonized portfolio approach for aggregator and other digital platforms
• Provide strategic technical guidance on platform selection, integration architecture, and ecosystem optimization
• Undertake refinements to the strategy in an agile manner as agreed with the Senior Advisor, Global Solutions.

2. P2E Platform Transition and Operational Support

• In coordination with the Learning Passport and ICTD, monitor the process of migrating MCT to open source, ensuring it meets the agreed timeline, and performs to the expected quality needed to support P2E implementation in countries.
• Provide technical support to address issues that may arise throughout the migration, in coordination with UNICEF and partners.
• Provide support to COs in relation to data and dashboard challenges.
• Plan and support the deployment of aggregator platforms that links content across multiple learning platforms and partners
• Provide operational support and management of P2E platforms being responsible and primary contact to UNICC support personnel and country offices
• Assess and advise on cloud hosting, Azure credit costs and other financial implication of cost-efficient scaling for P2E.

3. Partnership Coordination and Technical Assessments

• Conduct technical assessments of strategic partnership opportunities across all GenU digital systems and coordinate technology-relevant activities with GenU partners

4. Country Aggregator Systems Deployment Support

• Provide technical support for country aggregator systems deployment as part of GenU’s Digital Systems Strategy

5. Solutions Discovery and Market Assessment

• Conduct continuous solution discovery and market assessment to identify potentially-relevant external platforms and toolks to complement GenU’s digital ecosystem

6. Knowledge Generation and Dissemination

• Draw out lessons learnt from country deployments, consolidate and test as a deployment toolkit
• Facilitate capacity building on GenU’s Digital Systems Strategy and aggregator platform portfolio approach
• Consolidate outcomes, recommendations and key achievements into a comprehensive annual report

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Travel - Estimated $8,000

Qualifications

Education:

• Advanced degree (Masters) in Computer Science, Information Technology, Digital Transformation, or a related field

Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• At least 10 years of experience in ICT consulting, digital transformation, or platform architecture
• Deep expertise in digital platform assessment, integration architecture, and ecosystem optimization
• Strong technical knowledge of cloud infrastructure (Azure, AWS), API architecture, and system integration
• Experience with Learning Management Systems (LMS), aggregator platforms, and digital identity solutions
• Proficiency in technical feasibility assessments and platform migration planning
• Certifications in Cloud Computing (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud), LMS platforms, or Data Security are highly desirable.  
• Strong knowledge of the Microsoft Community Training platform  
• Strong knowledge of LMS management, open-source learning platforms (Moodle, Open edX, Totara), and cloud-based learning ecosystems.  
• Minimum 3 years of experience in backend system management, APIs, and digital infrastructure.  
• Proficiency in data security, GDPR compliance, and analytics-driven decision-making.  
• Proven experience developing and implementing digital strategies for large-scale programs
• Experience managing multi-platform digital ecosystems across multiple countries
• Strong understanding of platform scalability, security compliance, and data governance
• Experience with technical assessment frameworks and platform evaluation methodologies
• Experience conducting technical due diligence and partnership assessments
• Strong stakeholder management across technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to manage multiple technical priorities within specified timeframes, across multiple teams and time zones
• Experience providing technical guidance and capacity building to program teams
• Track record of delivering technical documentation, reports, and strategic recommendations
• Experience with youth employment, skills development, or education technology platforms
• Knowledge of open-source software ecosystems and community-driven development
• Experience across diverse industries and international development contexts

Language Proficiency: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

- Upload copy of academic credentials

- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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. 

Remarks:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.