General Information

Publication for
Partner
Partner Name
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund
Position Title
Operational Governance & Delivery Expert
Job Category
Change Management
Duty Station(s)
Geneva
Seniority Level
Senior Level
ICS Level
ICS 11
Contract Type
ICA - IICA - Regular
Contract Level
IICA 3
Posting Start Date
27-May-2026
Posting End Date
10-Jun-2026
Duration
31 December 2026, with possibility of extension subject to funding availability, satisfactory performance, and continued business needs

Job Highlight

This is an opportunity to shape how a high-impact global digital inclusion program operates at its core — not just managing delivery, but architecting the systems, governance and strategic narrative that make scaled execution possible. You will work at the intersection of strategy and operations, turning complex priorities into coherent frameworks that drive real accountability and clarity across a matrix organization. If you thrive on building the infrastructure that enables others to deliver, and want your work to have lasting institutional impact, this role was designed for you.

About the Region

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.



About the Country/Multi-Country Office

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.

Job Specific Context

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


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. The Giga team is based at the Giga Connectivity Centre in Geneva and the Giga Technology Centre in Barcelona. 


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.




Role Purpose

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.



Functions / Key Results Expected

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.


Matrix Enablement & Delivery Effectiveness Framework

  • Design and implement a lightweight, scalable delivery framework that balances consistency with flexibility across a complex matrix environment.


Operational Effectiveness

  • Drive alignment and completion of SOPs through a structured, delivery-focused consultation process, ensuring usability and adoption.



Monitoring and Progress Controls


Item

Outputs/Deliverables

Month/Year

1

Internal Strategic Narrative Development

  • To lead structured strategic discussions with program leadership to surface implicit priorities, strategic choices and decision logic

  • Iterative drafting and refinement of narrative sections

  • Validate narrative with team leads to ensure alignment with operational realities and delivery capacity

  • Consolidation of core strategic messages into reusable narrative “building blocks” 

Month 4-6

2

Operational Governance Stewardship

  • Define and formalise decision-making frameworks, roles and escalation paths

  • Identify and close gaps where governance is assumed but undocumented

  • Embed governance into delivery workflows, tools and reporting structures

  • Ensure governance artefacts are consistently understood, accessible and applied

Month 1-3

3

Coaching & Advisory Support to Project and Team Leads

  • Provide targeted coaching to project and team leads on project structuring, scoping and execution clarity

  • Deliver practical, delivery-linked sessions (clinics, workshops, working sessions) grounded in ongoing work

  • Focus on improving effectiveness, prioritisation and decision-making, not formal compliance

  • Reinforce shared delivery language, expectations and standards

  • Continuously adapt support based on observed delivery challenges and team maturity

Month 1-6

4

Delivery Platform Ownership (ClickUp ) & Systems Enablement

  • Act as functional owner and system architect for ClickUp, including workspace structure, workflows and permissions

  • Design and maintain delivery workflows, automations and data structures aligned with DI operating model

  • Define and implement integration and automation patterns (including API usage where relevant) to streamline processes and reduce manual overhead

  • Ensure platform supports end-to-end visibility of projects, dependencies and performance metrics

  • Develop and deliver targeted user training and guidance anchored in DI delivery practices

  • Continuously evolve the platform based on user feedback and delivery needs

Month 1-6

5

Matrix Enablement & Delivery Effectiveness Framework

  • Clarify minimum expectations for project initiation, roles, decision-making and tracking

  • Define which artefacts, tools and practices are expected, ensuring alignment with delivery platform (ClickUp)

  • Promote consistency across teams while allowing adaptation for different delivery contexts

  • Improve delivery reliability, transparency and coordination without adding unnecessary overhead

  • Develop and deliver associated DI specific training and enablement materials

Month 4-6

6

Operational Effectiveness

  • Facilitate collaboration with ITU and internal stakeholders to finalise priority SOPs

  • Ensure SOPs are clear, actionable and aligned with actual delivery practices

Month 1-3


Skills

Business Process, Capacity Building, Project Delivery, Project Management, Strategic Planning

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organisation. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organisation.
Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organisational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.
Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).
Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.
Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.
Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.
Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education Requirements


  • 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.



Experience Requirements


  • 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.



Language Requirements

Language Proficiency Level Requirement
English Fluent Required

Additional Information

  • 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.
 
Terms and Conditions
  • 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. 
  • For more details about the contract types, please click here.
  • 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.
At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.