Senior Manager, Geneva Digital Inclusion Ecosystem and Portfolio Development

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.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

UNOPS Geneva Office is providing support to a wide range of portfolios, including UNICEF.

This position is a Partner Personnel role. The selected candidate will be hired by UNOPS under its rules and regulations and will be engaged as UN Partner Personnel for UNICEF - Digital Inclusion (DI) and will operate under the effective management and supervision of UNICEF. UNOPS is supporting UNICEF-DI as a UN Partner and acting on its behalf to provide recruitment and administrative support for this position.

About UNICEF Digital Inclusion

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

UNICEF’s Digital Inclusion team accelerates access to affordable, sustainable, safe and resilient digital infrastructure for every child. We do so by supporting governments and partners to expand equitable and affordable connectivity across child-facing service locations such as schools, health facilities, and social protection locations, and addressing related infrastructure such as electricity and computer. Our work empowers children and their communities through information, opportunity, choice and dignity. The Digital Inclusion team includes functions that support Giga, the joint partnership between UNICEF and ITU to connect every school to the internet.

Digital Inclusion team is part of the Digital Impact Division (DID), which is at the heart of reshaping how UNICEF delivers lasting results for all children everywhere, and is committed to harnessing the full potential of emerging digital technologies to advance UNICEF’s mission. DID works in close collaboration with a network of colleagues in more than 190 countries and territories at country, region and headquarters levels to leverage technologies and capabilities that accelerate progress on UNICEF’s goals, strengthen community resilience, and expand access to essential digital services and information.

UNICEF Digital Inclusion works with a Geneva-based ecosystem of mission-driven digital public-good organizations and in collaboration with internet measurement, open-data and resolver infrastructure organisations. The cluster is expanding.

The Senior Manager, Geneva Digital Inclusion Ecosystem and Portfolio Development will support the technical development, coordination and quality assurance of a Geneva-based ecosystem of mission-driven partners, helping align specialised capabilities with UNICEF’s digital inclusion priorities.measurement, open data, resolver and network organisations. This role will also represent the cluster credibly in the public.

This position will work under the supervision of the Deputy, Digital Inclusion, and in close cooperation with the Manager, Geneva Digital Inclusion Ecosystem Building and Governance.

Ecosystem Strategy, Sourcing and Portfolio Development

• Lead the development and implementation of the Geneva ecosystem strategy for mission-driven organisations that can contribute discrete, high-value capabilities towards a fair, safe and inclusive internet for every child.
• Identify, map and cultivate relationships with prospective organisations, founders, funders, technical communities, research institutions and other relevant actors whose mission, capabilities and growth ambitions align with UNICEF Digital Inclusion priorities.
• Develop a structured pipeline of potential ecosystem participants, including outreach, initial assessment, relationship management and clear recommendations on suitability for further consideration.
• Lead the substantive assessment of prospective organisations’ strategic relevance, technical and programme fit, public-good orientation, potential contribution to the overall portfolio, and rationale for establishing or strengthening a presence in Geneva.
• Help define and periodically update the portfolio thesis: the priority capability areas, ecosystem gaps and complementarities that should guide recruitment and catalytic support.

Selection, Due Diligence and Catalytic Support Design

• Lead the design and implementation of a transparent process for identifying and qualifying prospective Gazelles, working within UNICEF-cleared governance, legal, fiduciary, safeguarding and partnership requirements.
• Prepare concise assessment materials and recommendations for decision-making, including the organisation’s mission alignment, capability, readiness, sustainability pathway, risks, proposed contribution to the ecosystem and potential support package.
• Work with the Manager, Geneva Digital Inclusion Ecosystem Building and Governance to ensure that candidate organisations receive appropriate institutional, legal, fiduciary and establishment guidance; the Head retains responsibility for strategic and technical qualification, while the Manager leads operational follow-through.
• Shape tailored catalytic support packages for selected organisations, which may combine strategic advice, access to networks, mentoring, workspace facilitation, convening opportunities, support to access relevant Geneva innovation pathways, and where approved milestone-based catalytic funding.
• Ensure that all support reinforces the independence, sustainability and public-good contribution of participating organisations, and does not create an entitlement to UNICEF procurement, staffing, contracting or programme-delivery roles.

Programme Leadership, Partnership Development and Resource Mobilisation

• Serve as the overall programme lead for the ecosystem initiative, translating UNICEF Digital Inclusion priorities and country needs into a coherent, credible and fundable ecosystem proposition.
• Build and maintain senior relationships with philanthropic, public-sector, multilateral, technology, academic and civil-society partners that can strengthen the ecosystem, attract relevant organisations and support its long-term sustainability.
• Lead the development of strategic partnerships and resource-mobilisation opportunities for the ecosystem and the Gazelles Catalytic Fund, in close coordination with relevant UNICEF colleagues and in line with UNICEF policies and approval processes.
• Develop compelling programme narratives, investment cases, partnership materials and strategic briefings for prospective funders, partners and senior stakeholders.
• Convene prospective and selected ecosystem participants around shared priorities, encourage collaboration across complementary capabilities, and create practical pathways for learning, visibility and joint problem-solving.

Technical and Strategic Quality Assurance

• Provide strategic and technical leadership on the relevance, quality and potential contribution of organisations within the ecosystem, including organisations working in areas such as connectivity, internet measurement, online safety, data infrastructure, responsible AI, digital public infrastructure or other relevant public-good capabilities.
• Maintain a current understanding of relevant technology, policy and implementation developments in order to identify ecosystem opportunities, assess prospective partners credibly and guide the strategic evolution of the portfolio.
• Facilitate access to appropriate technical expertise, peer networks and specialist advice for selected organisations, without taking responsibility for managing their technical operations, developing standards, running pilots or delivering reference implementations.
• Represent the ecosystem and its strategic purpose credibly in relevant high-level forums, while ensuring that participating organisations retain their own independent identity, governance and operational accountability.
• Capture portfolio-level insight on ecosystem gaps, opportunities, risks and emerging capability needs, and use this insight to refine strategy, selection criteria and partnership development.

Programme Oversight, Learning and Complementarity

• Establish and maintain a clear programme-management rhythm, including portfolio reviews, progress reporting, risk tracking, decision logs and learning products for UNICEF and relevant governance bodies.
• Track progress against agreed ecosystem outcomes, including the quality and diversity of the pipeline, organisations qualified and supported, resources mobilised, partnerships developed and the maturity of the ecosystem portfolio.
• Work closely with the Manager, Geneva Digital Inclusion Ecosystem Building and Governance, who will lead the operational and institutional backbone for participating entities—including establishment processes, governance, compliance, funder administration, practical host-country navigation and day-to-day communications.
• Ensure clear division of responsibilities: this role leads ecosystem strategy, sourcing, qualification, portfolio development, programme direction and external positioning; the Manager enables participating organisations to establish, govern, fund and operate effectively in Geneva.
• Report to the Deputy, Digital Inclusion, on progress, risks, strategic decisions and recommendations for scaling, adapting or discontinuing support to individual organisations.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

Required

• An advanced university degree in international development, public policy, international relations, business administration, management, innovation, technology policy, economics, social sciences or a related field with 7 years of relevant experience is required.
• A first University degree in a relevant field combined with 9 years of experience is required

Required

• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience building and scaling multi-stakeholder initiatives, partnership platforms, accelerators, or catalytic funds within international development, technology policy, philanthropy, or venture building.
• Proven track record in identifying, evaluating, and securing strategic relationships and mobilizing capital or resources from public, private, philanthropic, and technology-sector partners to convert concepts into credible, high-impact portfolios.
• Technical functional knowledge of digital public infrastructure (DPI), digital public goods (DPGs), internet connectivity/infrastructure, child online safety, or responsible technology in development contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to engage credibly with senior leaders across governments, UN/multilateral entities, and industry, while expertly navigating complex governance, reputational risks, safeguarding, and conflict-of-interest considerations.

Desired

• Experience establishing, leading or supporting an accelerator, incubator, venture fund, innovation fund, philanthropic portfolio, technology ecosystem or comparable catalytic-support mechanism.
• Experience working in, with or alongside small mission-driven organisations, start-ups, foundations, associations, open-source communities or digital public-good organisations.
• Familiarity with the Geneva international ecosystem, including relevant public authorities, international organisations, philanthropic actors, academic institutions, technology networks and innovation-support mechanisms.
• Experience working in low- and middle-income country contexts, particularly in relation to connectivity, public-interest technology, digital transformation or child-focused services.
• Familiarity with UNICEF, UN-system partnership modalities, or comparable governance, due-diligence, fiduciary and safeguarding requirements.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• 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.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

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