Consultancy - WebXR Technical Adviser, Office of Innovation, New York, 41 days over 6 months (October 2018 - April 2019)

The Office of Innovation is seeking for WebXR Technical Adviser. Duration, 41 days over 6 months (October 2018 - April 2019). Duty Station: New York

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.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, innovate

UNICEF has been innovating for children for more than 70 years. Innovations support the organization’s 190 countries and territories where UNICEF has operations, finding solutions for the world’s most vulnerable children. The UNICEF innovation work includes both policy and practice of innovation in UNICEF, and the larger UN ecosystem. Innovation in UNICEF is defined as “doing something new or different that adds value.” Innovation is a cross-sectoral function that enhances programme and development effectiveness as well as management and is guided in all contexts by UNICEF’s Innovation Principles (http://unicefstories.org/principles/). UNICEF is engaged in testing and scaling up new partnerships, technologies, and collaborations in some of the world’s most difficult operating environments.

UNICEF's Innovation (Venture) Fund is a pooled funding vehicle specifically designed to finance early stage, open-source technology that can benefit children. The core motivation of the Innovation Fund is to identify "clusters" or portfolios of initiatives around emerging technology - so that UNICEF can both shape markets and also learn about and guide these technologies to benefit children. We invest in solutions that can impact the lives of the most vulnerable children. The Innovation Fund’s XR portfolio is composed of a set of companies that develop solutions in the areas of VR, AR and other that connect real and virtual worlds. XR can support UNICEF in serving the needs children in areas such as health, education, training and other. WebXR is a standard that allows developers to create immersive content that runs on all VR and AR devices and is accessible from the browser, thus allowing for this new medium to be more accessible to all. UNICEF is looking to hire a technical adviser with experience managing WebXR projects, expertise in developing WebXR, and strong WebXR community knowledge.

How can you make a difference?

The consultant is expected to:

1. Attend the UNICEF Innovation gathering and lead a technical WebXR workshop for the XR cohort.
2. Drive the technical roadmap and strategy for implementing WebXR into UNICEF Innovation Fund XR companies’ solutions.
3. Ensure UNICEF Innovation Fund company solutions are aligned with the most up-to-date WebXR standards.
4. Mentor companies 1:1 and provide them with technical advise through monthly calls, remote/onsite sprints
5. Develop and maintain standards for quality documentation and work with UNICEF Innovation Fund companies to ensure code is clearly documented and uploaded onto agreed upon Github repositories.
6. Provide technical support for a WebXR call for submissions, reviewing XR submissions to UNICEF Innovation Fund

Prepare a technical guide for present and future UNICEF Innovation Fund XR fundees that explains WebXR technical requirements and limitations for regions served by UNICEF.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have ...

Require Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related technical discipline
• 8+ years of relevant web development or product management experience
• Previous experience with developing software
• A track record of project delivery for large, cross-functional projects
• Experience with product management on technical products with externally visible open source APIs, SDKs, protocols or other developer-facing product features
• Experience with professional software engineering practices and best practices for the full software development life cycle
• Exposure to a variety of languages, frameworks, toolchains
• Experience with web technologies like WebGL, Three.js, A-Frame, WebVR
• Experience with rapid prototyping and evaluation of user feedback
• Can break down large features into a series of smaller, usable deliverables
• Experience with open-source technologies and cultivating open source communities
• Experience with WebVR communities
• Comfortable working and negotiating with others to manage dependencies and coordinate roadmaps
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, excellent technical communication with peers and non-technical stakeholders

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience working in international development context highly preferred
• Desire to work in a highly-collaborative environment

Languages: Fluency in English.

Payment details and further considerations

• Payment every two months, based on monthly tasks and progress reports, approved upon monthly review with supervisor.
• Consultant is responsible for her/his own health insurance
• Consultant is eligible for DSA for all work-related travel. 1 travel to workshop location expected to cover 3 working days (to be confirmed).

Applications must include:

• Cover letter
• CV
• Daily rate in USD

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Duration: 41 days over 6 months (October 2018 - March 2019)

Duty Station: New York