Digital Solutions & CoE Specialist, Information Technology Solutions Office (ITSO), New York, P-3

The Position:

The Digital Solutions & CoE Specialist is located in the Digital Centre of Excellence (DCoE) within the Information Technology Solutions Office (ITSO) at UNFPA Headquarters in New York. The position reports directly to the Chief, Digital Centre of Excellence.

The role will be responsible for managing and integrating ICT solutions into UNFPA's programmatic work. Within the core Information Technology Solutions Office (ITSO) team, the position will play a crucial part in identifying, evaluating, and implementing cutting-edge technologies and best practices to enhance the organization's ICT capabilities and support its mission.

 

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 will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, 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:

As part of the Digital Centre of Excellence (DCoE), the Digital Solutions & CoE Specialist delivers and manages the technical execution of assigned core digital products and supports their rollout and scaling across Headquarters, Regional, and Country Offices. The position translates the Centre's digital strategy into working, enterprise-compliant products. It combines hands-on technical product management with quality assurance, so that digital solutions are scalable, secure, and directly strengthen UNFPA's programmatic impact. The position also co-leads assigned partnerships and supports the Centre's resource mobilisation efforts to finance the scaling of digital solutions, idea piloting, and startup support.

You would be responsible for:

The Digital Solutions & CoE Specialist delivers across the following areas:

A. Digital Product Management & CoE Solution Scaling

• Manage the technical lifecycle, rollout, and scaling of assigned core digital products developed or adopted by the DCoE.


• Draft product roadmaps, technical requirements, and user stories for software developers, technical vendors, and system integrators.


• Conduct technical feasibility assessments and digital maturity evaluations for Country Offices seeking to deploy localized digital solutions.


• Ensure assigned DCoE solutions comply with organizational cybersecurity standards, enterprise architecture, data privacy regulations, and human rights frameworks.


• Track product performance, log issues and risks, and apply mitigation measures across the product lifecycle.

B. Technical Advisory & Field Support

• Provide Technical Assistance to Regional and Country Offices on implementing complex ICT and digital solutions.


• Provide direct support and quality assurance on developer deliverables, technical integration, and system infrastructure.


• Establish standard operating procedures, technical documentation guidelines, and service-level targets for scaled digital solutions.


• Act as the technical interface between developers, vendors, and non-technical programme staff, translating programme needs into clear technical specifications.

C. Governance, Capacity Building & Standards

• Develop technical guidelines, coding standards, and reference architectures for the digital products supported by the DCoE.


• Lead technical workshops, webinars, and hands-on training sessions for regional ICT officers and implementing partners.


• Oversee vendor contracts, technical consultancies, and developer deliverables, ensuring timebound and cost-effective execution.


• Maintain a catalogue of reusable solutions and reference implementations, and support communities of practice so Country Offices can reuse proven digital products.

D. Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation

• Co-lead assigned partnerships from first engagement through to a signed agreement, working with DCoE leadership, and supporting the wider resource mobilisation agenda.


• Draft concept notes, proposals, and partner briefs that make the case for financing digital scaling, idea piloting, and startup support.


• Support Country Offices pursue partnerships and develop funding proposals for digital and T4D initiatives, and quality-assure the technical content.


• Build and maintain a pipeline of external donors and partners to support digital transformation across UNFPA operations globally 


• Build and maintain a pipeline of scaling, piloting, and startup opportunities, tracking readiness, funding status, and partner interest.


• Prepare technical and costing inputs for grants, challenge funds, and co-financing arrangements.


• Coordinate the sourcing, due diligence, and onboarding of external startups and innovators, and support Country Office pilots that test new solutions in a startup model.

E. 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: 

• Minimum of 5 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in software product management, innovation, digital transformation implementation, system architecture, or technology-driven development initiatives.


• Proven track record in managing technology implementation lifecycles, technical vendor teams, and complex digital product deployments.


• Demonstrated experience providing technical advisory support to decentralized or international field environments.


• Knowledge and understanding of T4D, AI, and KM systems in cloud environments.


• Experience preparing funding proposals or partnership agreements, and building donor or partner relationships in a development or technology context.


• Experience working within an enterprise IT office, innovation hub, or digital centre of excellence is highly desirable.


• Strong familiarity with data privacy standards, enterprise systems architecture, and modern cloud infrastructures.


• 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, 


• Building partnerships.

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.