Programme Specialist (African Drone & Data Academy), NOC (Temporary Appointment), 364 days, Lilongwe, Malawi

Job no: 538519
Contract type: Temporary Appointment
Level: NO-3
Location: Malawi
Categories: Innovation

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, 21^st century education…

UNICEF Malawi Country Programme (2019-2023) is aligned with the Government of Malawi’s Growth and Development Strategy (MDGS III) and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). The programme supports the Government of Malawi to meet its commitment to respect, protect and fulfil children’s rights in line with international conventions and standards. The country programme is guided by the principles of children’s rights, equity, gender equality, inclusion and resilience, and supports evidence-based, integrative and innovative programming. The vision is that ‘all girls and boys in Malawi, especially the most disadvantaged and deprived, realize their rights’.  The programme focuses on: early childhood (parenting, high-impact social services, early stimulation and learning), middle childhood and adolescence (learning, multi-sectoral services, active citizenship), communities (decentralized services and systems, community ownership, social norms), programme effectiveness (monitoring, evaluation, HACT, Innovation, Social Protection and Social Policy and External Communication.  The programme is based on ‘leaving no child behind’, realizing ‘rights for all children in Malawi’.

How can you make a difference?

Join our dynamic team in UNICEF Malawi on a temporary appointment where you will be responsible for managing the African Drone and Data Academy (ADDA) to train African youth in 21^st century skills, such as drones or geo-referenced data, and enable them to contribute to UNICEF programme objectives. As the programme specialist, you will provide technical support and advice to the development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of ADDA.

You will operate in a matrix management structure, where you will directly and functionally report to the Innovation Specialist, and technically you will be matrixed to the Education Specialist, to facilitate ADDA’s transition into a locally owned sustainable entity, providing world class education in drones and geo-referenced data.

Your duties will mainly include:

1. Developing and implementing an annual strategy, project plan and budget, and an overall three-year road map.
2. Collaborating with contractors, partners, and affiliated entities to translate the strategy and action plan into work plans, manage the budget, and establish and regularly monitor progress against KPIs.
3. Supporting ADDA advocacy and local & international partner engagement.
4. Achieving effective quality assurance to improve ADDA services and ensure that the curriculum meets the highest international standards.
5. Knowledge sharing with partners and supporting UNICEF external communications with up-to-date project information through project monitoring, narrative reporting and liaising with partners.

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have….

Education:

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: project management, business, education, mechanical engineering, development studies or a similar field. *A first level university degree in combination with two (2) years of additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• A minimum of five years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: project management, programme planning, partnership development, and youth engagement and outreach with a focus on innovation ecosystems, business incubation, entrepreneurship, drones for good, or data for good.
• Highly preferable:
  • Experience as a lecturer/faculty/researcher on drones or geo-referenced data at an international higher education institution, preferably with a Malawian higher education institution
  • Practical experience or familiarity in using drones to transport goods and/or harnessing geo-referenced data from drone acquired imagery to support relevant use cases (e.g. agriculture, forestry, irrigation, emergency preparedness, emergency response).
• Preferable:
  • Practical experience or familiarity with GIS and data science methodologies
  • Proven ability to conceptualize, plan and execute ideas as well as to transfer knowledge and skills
• Experience in the following areas is highly recommended:
  • Blended and digital learning methods
  • Developing and implementing training curriculum for digital skills and innovations
  • Engaging with higher education sector, political structures, civil society pressure groups, and other channels of national influence
  • Monitoring and evaluation of large, complex projects with multi-partner engagement
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as a strong asset
• Background and/or familiarity with emergency is considered as an asset

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English and a local language is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

Core Competencies

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

Functional Competencies

• Analyzing (1)
• Deciding and Initiating action (2)
• Planning and organizing (2)
• Applying technical expertise (2)

View our competency framework

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.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/.

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

Advertised: 03 Mar 2021 South Africa Standard Time
Deadline: 17 Mar 2021 South Africa Standard Time

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