Operational Governance & Delivery Expert

UNOPS is the operational arm of the United Nations, supporting partners in implementing peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects. We help people build better lives by providing expertise in infrastructure, procurement, project management, and human resources.

Our Global Portfolios deliver multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development and climate action. Working from hubs in Geneva, New York, and Vienna, we collaborate closely with the UN family and international partners to provide essential services in the world’s most challenging environments.

Based in Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the 2030 Agenda by hosting flagship initiatives and providing high-level fund management, oversight, and operational support to UN agencies and global partners.

As a strategic resource for the UN system, the Geneva Office provides cost-effective, results-oriented management solutions to a wide range of global health, nutrition, and environmental initiatives. It is also home to the UNOPS Europe and Central Asia Regional Office.

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

This position is a Partner Personnel role. The selected candidate will be hired by UNICEF and will operate under the effective management and supervision of UNICEF.

UNOPS is supporting UNICEF-DI as a UN Partner and provides recruitment and administrative support to UNICEF for this position.

About UNICEF Digital Inclusion

Sitting within the UNICEF Digital Inclusion (DI), and working in close partnership with program leadership and team leads, this role serves as the operational backbone of the organization. The contractor will own three interlocking responsibilities: developing the internal strategic narrative that guides decision-making coherence; designing and stewarding the governance model that enables accountability across a matrix delivery environment; and owning the delivery platform (ClickUp) as the system of record for project execution and performance visibility. 

The role requires collaboration within DI cross-functional project teams, and ITU stakeholders, and demands equal comfort operating at the strategic level with leadership as at the hands-on level with delivery tooling and SOPs.

Internal Strategic Narrative Development

• Support leadership in translating Digital Inclusion’s evolving priorities into a clear, actionable and reusable strategic narrative that guides decision-making and delivery coherence.

Operational Governance Stewardship 

• Design and institutionalize a practical, system-enabled governance model that enables clarity, speed and accountability across a matrix delivery environment.

Delivery Platform Ownership (ClickUp ) & Systems Enablement

• Own and evolve the Digital Inclusion delivery platform (ClickUp) as a core enabler of project execution, governance and performance visibility.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

• An advanced University degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in the relevant fields such as technology, engineering, finance, economics, or similar field is required.

• A first University degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced University degree. 

• Project Management certification in one or more industry recognized practices (for examples Prince 2, Agile, PMI) is required.

• Relevant qualification in the application of AI technologies and processes is desired.

• A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in a similar role.

• Demonstrated experience in delivering capacity-building interventions across management information and project management systems and across program delivery organizations.

• Demonstrated experience in  of scalable program delivery processes and methods as well as delivering organizational change and transformation leadership.

• Demonstrated project management system expertise and administration including data modelling, workflow design and implementation, API development, automations and user administration and training.

• Demonstrated experience coaching managers and building delivery capability within matrixed, cross-functional teams setting.

Desired:

• Project management experience across diverse technical and non-technical domains and management of international, multi-cultural, cross-functional teams. 

• Proven experience from diverse international and business organizations that demonstrates the application of flexible and varied approaches according to different functional needs; experience in external supplier relationship management.

• Familiarity with and/or experience of the joint ITU/UNICEF Giga initiative. 

• Excellent management, interpersonal, planning and coordination skills.

• 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.
  

• 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 [link removed]. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here. [link removed]
• 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.