Innovation Specialist Vacancy-Job Ref: JKKEUNICEF/2907/202631

Innovation Specialist Vacancy-Job Ref: JKKEUNICEF/2907/202631

Nairobi (Kenya)

Job Description

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

For every child, the right to Digital opportunities

Generation Unlimited (GenU) is UNICEF’s global public-private-youth partnership platform for scaling skills, employment, entrepreneurship and social impact pathways for young people. Working with governments, the private sector, multilateral institutions, civil society and young people, GenU supports large-scale solutions that help young people move from learning to earning and build sustainable livelihoods in a changing labour market.

The Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA) is one of GenU’s global digital solutions for youth agency and opportunity pathways. It connects young people to learning, employment, entrepreneurship and impact opportunities, while enabling them to build a portable record of verified skills, experiences and achievements through a Youth Digital Identity (YoID) and verifiable credentials.

How can you make a difference?
Under the supervision of the Innovation Manager, Generation Unlimited, the incumbent will lead the coordination, technical management and partnership delivery of YOMA as a GenU Global Solution and digital livelihoods platform. The role will co-develop and manage the integrated roadmap across yoma.world, YoID and the YOMA Impacts Exchange; advance YOMA’s transition to a Digital Public Good; lead YoID-first partner integration planning; coordinate job-matching, learning-to-earning, impact and credential pipelines; provide technical assistance to UNICEF Country Offices and national GenU platforms; support donor, government and private sector engagement; and ensure YOMA adoption is translated into practical implementation plans, measurable results and youth livelihood outcomes.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

Deliver remote technical assistance to Country Offices and national platforms
Manage the integrated YOMA technology roadmap and ecosystem architecture
Advance YOMA’s transition toward Digital Public Goods and Digital Public Infrastructure principles
Prioritise YoID-led ecosystem integration
Build strategic partnerships and support donor engagement
Support the roll-out of the Generation Unlimited Digital Systems Strategy from a YOMA perspective.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Computer Science, Information Systems, Digital Transformation, Innovation Management, Data Science, Business Administration, Public Policy, International Development, Engineering, Social Sciences, or another relevant field.

Work Experience:
At least 8 years of relevant work experience in managing digital product roadmaps, technology partnerships, platform integrations, partner onboarding, technical assistance delivery, or digital transformation initiatives in complex multi-stakeholder environments.

Experience leading or coordinating digital platform implementation, ecosystem development, stakeholder engagement, and cross-functional collaboration involving governments, private sector partners, development organizations, or technology providers.
Demonstrated ability to deliver technical support, implementation guidance, and operational coordination across multiple stakeholders and geographic contexts.
Skills:
Strong digital product and platform management skills, including roadmap development, prioritization, implementation oversight, and delivery tracking.
Strong partnership building and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage governments, private sector partners, technology providers, donors, and youth-serving organizations.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts into practical programme and partnership solutions.

Sound understanding of digital ecosystems, interoperability, digital identity, verifiable credentials, data governance, privacy, responsible technology, and emerging digital trends.
Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation, and drafting skills. Ability to work effectively in multicultural and multidisciplinary environments and manage competing priorities in complex, fast-paced settings.

Strong commitment to innovation, results, inclusion, youth participation, and UNICEF’s core values
Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.
Desirables:

Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
Experience supporting Digital Public Goods (DPGs), Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), digital identity, verifiable credentials, interoperability, privacy, or responsible technology workstreams in applied programme, partnership, or product contexts.
Experience coordinating digital identity, verifiable credentials, interoperability, partner platform integration, or foundational ID-related work with technical partners, UNICEF teams, and external stakeholders.

Experience supporting digital governance, responsible AI, data-sharing frameworks, open-source technology ecosystems, or technology-enabled public service delivery.
Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

Please click on the button below to Apply.