Background

The Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) serves as UNDP's primary knowledge and advisory hub for the Europe and CIS region (RBEC). The Hub connects the region to a global network of development experts, builds knowledge and capacity, and forges partnerships to address the development challenges of a complex and diverse region. The new Regional Programme (2026-2029) integrates four strategic priorities: prosperity for all; effective governance; crisis resilience;  

and healthy planet. Under each programmatic priority the programme seeks to act as a catalyst for systemic transformation and to deploy the portfolio approach more widely, enabling dynamic experimentation, learning and adaptation across interconnected interventions. 


The IRH Innovation and Digital Team is taking forward a transformative approach to sustainable development through strategic innovation, portfolio and systems-thinking methods. At the core of this work is the portfolio approach, which organizes initiatives around cohesive outcomes, enabling UNDP to address complex challenges through systems thinking and adaptive management. With over 20 active portfolios across 7 Country Offices, this systems approach is reshaping development strategies in areas such as urban transformation, digital innovation, and crisis response. Looking ahead, the team is focusing on three key innovation portfolio areas: urban transformation; digital development and emerging technologies; and innovative financing. Across all dimensions of our work, the team employs systems thinking, future-oriented approaches emphasizing the generation of development intelligence, and acceleration of local innovation to unearth new development pathways. The IRH Innovation and Regional Team acts as a regional extension of UNDP’s global Digital, AI, and Innovation Hub (DAI Hub) and closely collaborates with the global team.  

Given rapidly expanding demand in the region for AI-related programming, the team is seeking to hire an Advisor on AI for Development to help shape new offers in this space, contribute innovative analytical work, and support specific emergent workstreams and partnerships. 

Under the guidance of the regional lead for digital (currently the Learning, System Thinking and Digital Specialist) and working under the overall guidance of the Strategic Innovation Specialist (regional team leader), the consultant will contribute to the work of the Istanbul Regional Hub's Innovation and Digital team across the following areas of work: 

Duties and Responsibilities

AI Trend Analysis and Intelligence 

Monitor, analyze, and synthesize emerging trends, developments, and evidence in AI to inform the strategic direction and programming of the Innovation and Digital team. Specific responsibilities include: 

  • Conduct ongoing monitoring and analysis of the evolving AI landscape, including technological developments, policy shifts, market dynamics, and emerging use cases relevant to UNDP's programming context. 

  • Produce regular trend briefs, analytical summaries, and intelligence products that translate AI developments into actionable insights for the team's programming and advisory work. 

  • Identify implications of emerging AI trends for UNDP Country Offices in the RBEC region, including opportunities, risks, and areas requiring proactive engagement. 

  • Contribute to the team's strategic planning processes by providing evidence-based inputs on where and how AI-related programming should evolve. 

AI Service Offers for Country Offices 

Research, develop, and contribute to the testing of AI-related service offers for UNDP Country Offices, spanning areas such as training and capacity building, AI strategy development, governance and regulation support, and responsible AI frameworks. Specific responsibilities include: 

  • Contribute to the mapping and consolidation of existing and potential AI service offers that Country Offices can draw upon based on their context and needs. 

  • Lead the development and testing of selected service offers, and contribute to others as required, ensuring they are practical, adaptable, and grounded in current evidence and best practice. 

  • Engage with Country Offices to understand demand, test prototypes, gather feedback, and iterate on service offers accordingly. 

  • Coordinate with team members and external experts to ensure quality, consistency, and complementarity across the collection of AI offers. 

  • Document methodologies, tools, and lessons learned to support the scaling and replication of service offers across the region. 

Generative AI Incubator 

Lead the development and testing of the Generative AI Incubator, an initiative designed to support UNDP Country Office colleagues in integrating AI tools and methods into their day-to-day workflows. Specific responsibilities include: 

  • Design the incubator concept, including its objectives, structure, participant selection criteria, learning pathways, and support mechanisms. 

  • Develop and curate practical content, tools, and resources that enable participants to experiment with and adopt generative AI in their work processes. 

  • Facilitate incubator cohorts, providing hands-on guidance, troubleshooting, and mentoring to participating colleagues. 

  • Monitor and evaluate the incubator's effectiveness, capturing evidence of workflow improvements, productivity gains, and adoption patterns. 

  • Iterate on the incubator model based on participant feedback and emerging AI tools and capabilities, and contribute to its potential scaling across the region. 

Strategic Foresight with AI 

Support the application of AI tools and methods to strategic foresight practice. Specific responsibilities include: 

  • Explore and test the use of AI-powered tools and approaches to enhance strategic foresight exercises, including horizon scanning, scenario development, and trend analysis. 

  • Lead development of rapid scenario development workflows, including validated prompt libraries, quality benchmarks, and human-AI integration processes. 

  • Support research and and preparation of foresight outputs (briefs, scenarios, etc) in support of regional strategic foresight practices 

  • Contribute to the design and facilitation of foresight workshops and engagements that integrate AI tools and methods, for both internal UNDP audiences and external stakeholders. 

  • Document and share findings on how AI can augment foresight practice, contributing to the team's broader knowledge base and service offer development. 

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization 

Identify and support the development of strategic partnerships with donors, technology companies, and foundations to advance the team's digital and AI programming. Specific responsibilities include: 

  • Help identify potential partners including donors, technology companies, foundations, and research institutions  

  • Support outreach and broker relationships with identified partners, including through initial engagement, preparation of briefing materials, and coordination of follow-up. 

  • Contribute to the development of partnership proposals, concept notes, and funding submissions in coordination with the team and relevant UNDP units. 

Competencies


Achieve Results:

​​LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work​

Think Innovatively:

​​LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking​

Learn Continuously:

​​LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning​

Adapt with Agility:

​​LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process​

Act with Determination:  

​​LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously​

Engage and Partner:

​​LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships​

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

​​LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making ​

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Economics, International Development, Social Sciences, Business Administration,  or related field is required. 
  • OR A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above field with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree

Experience:

2 years of relevant professional experience (with Master´s degree) or  

 a minimum of 4 years with a Bachelor’s degree, in programme management, operations, development projects, or related areas. 

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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