The Position:

UNFPA is seeking an accomplished and strategic leader to head our Digital Center of Excellence. This pivotal role will provide strategic leadership and oversight for all digital products and services directly supporting UNFPA's core programmatic work, as well as the organization's evolving practice in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data, and Knowledge Management (KM).

This includes responsibility for implementing our strategic vision in this area as well as managing the team supporting the solutions. 

You will report directly to the IT Director.
 

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies. 

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The Chief, Digital Center of Excellence provides leadership in UNFPA’s digital transformation agenda engaging in and supporting developing digital interventions and solutions for UNFPA’s programmes. The Chief builds and maintains strong relationships with regional and country leadership as well as headquarter divisions, UN agencies and external partners.

You would be responsible for:

The Chief of the Digital Center of Excellence (CoE) is a key leadership role, responsible for setting the vision, strategy, and directing the execution of a comprehensive, programme-focused portfolio of digital solutions. Serving as the principal IT leader and visionary for the CoE's solution landscape, the incumbent will accelerate impact by strategically integrating tools for AI, Data, and Knowledge into core programmatic solutions, thereby supporting programming at the global, regional, and country levels.

A. Strategic Digital Leadership and Digital COE roadmap

• Drive the implementation of the UNFPA Digital Strategy, translating it into actionable multi-year roadmaps for the Digital CoE,
• Act as a key strategic liaison with regional, country and programme teams to ensure digital investments are impact-focused and integrated into country programmes,
• Direct the budget, resource planning, and resource mobilization efforts of the Digital COE,
• Managing strategic partnerships with technology providers and UN agencies to maximize ROI and foster inter-agency digital collaboration,
• Lead the organization's engagement in Digital Public Goods and contribute to global advocacy for UNFPA’s digital vision,

B. Digital Product Lifecycle, Innovation, and Programmatic Scaling

• Oversee the end-to-end delivery and full lifecycle of the Digital CoE’s product portfolio, utilizing human-centered design and agile methodologies,
• Collaborate with ITSO engineering teams to increase maturity in product delivery and identify emerging technologies to accelerate programmatic results,
• Identify and scale successful digital innovations across regional and country offices, facilitating global governance for Tech for Development products,
• Establish monitoring and evaluation frameworks to measure user adoption and the direct contribution of digital products to UNFPA’s Transformative Results, ensuring a data-driven approach to product evolution,

C. AI, Data, and Knowledge Ecosystem Governance

• Leading the UNFPA AI Governance Framework, ensuring ethical and compliant use of generative and agentic AI in close collaboration with other stakeholders,
• Leading the UNFPA Data Governance Framework to ensure data is managed as a strategic asset throughout its lifecycle in close collaboration with other stakeholders,
• Ensure a unified enterprise data architecture for programme data to enhance real-time decision-making and foresight,
• Evolve the digital workplace into a robust knowledge ecosystem, leveraging AI to improve institutional memory and document management,

D. Digital Dexterity and Organizational Change Management

• Lead the UNFPA Digital Dexterity Program, ensuring that all staff—particularly in field and humanitarian settings—are equipped with the skills to leverage AI and digital tools effectively,
• Act as a "change evangelist" to drive the adoption of new ways of working, shifting the organizational culture from "analog-first" to "digital-by-design,"
• Establish practices to foster a culture of continuous learning and high digital literacy among staff and partners,

E. Effectively manage and support the Digital Center of Excellence unit

• Manage the staff and personnel of the Digital Center of Excellence unit. This includes motivating the team, recruiting new team members, evaluating performance and developing training plans,
• Develop, manage, measure and report on key performance indicators, such as average response time, first contact resolution rate, customer satisfaction,
• Ensures the delivery of trainings and webinars on the effective use of corporate technologies and platforms.

Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA leadership. 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• Advanced university degree in Information Technology, Business Administration or related discipline. 
• A first-level university degree in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• A minimum of 10 years professional experience in information technology management, business operations, or field support in leveraging technology to improve programme results in a large international organization is required,
• Knowledge and understanding of T4D, AI and KM systems in cloud environments,
• Proven project and programme management skills with excellent knowledge of change management are desirable,
• Sound experience on information systems management and support,
• Experience with UN system policies and operations or a similar environment,
• Ability to communicate effectively within all levels of the organization, including briefing executive management and key client stakeholders.

Languages: 

• Fluency in English; knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably French and/or Spanish, is desirable. 

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change,

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
• Communicating for impact,

Functional Competencies:

• Developing ICT standards and applications,
• Manage information and workflows,
• Planning, organizing and multitasking.

Compensation and Benefits:

 This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.