Senior Analyst (Innovation Scaling) At UNOPS

FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY * UNOPS offers flexible working arrangements including the opportunity of remote working. Formal long term remote work at another duty station can be authorized on a no-cost basis, depending on business needs and the role’s requirements. Extended remote working can affect how benefits and entitlements are calculated.

To achieve its goals, Global Pulse is recruiting a ‘Senior Analyst – Innovation Scaling’, to be based in UN Global Pulse Finland (Helsinki).

Helping to shape a ‘next-generation UN’, the Innovation Scaling team at UNGP Finland was established to explore pathways and frameworks to take innovations to scale. As UNGP’s innovation agenda gradually takes form, there is an urgent need to develop key internal capacities and processes which will ‘prime’ UN innovation to achieve scale and thereby, greater impact.

Starting with a primarily ‘experimentation-only’ portfolio, UNGP now wishes to develop:

Working across UN agencies, needs-driven and clearly outlined experiments which are scalable by UN partners for sustainable impact and systemic change; and
To accelerate the delivery of the Secretary-General´s ‘Our Common Agenda’ commitments, tested innovations with clear scaling pathways which support UN priorities. This is achieved through framing the concept of optimal scaling through evidence-based learning, literature reviews, best practice, interviews and observations.

The role will work with contributors and collaborators from within and from outside the UN. The incumbent will elicit research questions from stakeholders and contribute to the planning and implementation of sensing and scanning activities. Using wide data sets and working with a a diverse range of people and organisations, the role will identify trends and patterns from which it will develop insights and products which support decision making. This role will complement capacity building efforts to develop a cross UNGP network approach to scaling innovations.

The incumbent will drive forward the innovation scaling work portfolio and solicit and channel sound and customized technical advice to a wide range of projects and work portfolios within the UNGP network and beyond. The role will promote learning and knowledge management across the UN and its development partners. It will support the design of the innovation scaling offer for the wider UNGP network and the UN system, in line Our Common Agenda commitments and ‘UN 2.0’.

Occasional travel and field missions may be required, as conditions allow.

Under the direct supervision of the Innovation Scaling Lead, the incumbent will execute the following duties:

Management support and coordination.
Technical support, research, analysis and knowledge creation.
Capacity development and partnership mobilization.
Monitoring, reporting and communication.
Management support and coordination:
Support the management and coordination of UNGP´s innovation scaling offer.
Assist in the strategic positioning of UNGP’s innovation scaling offer, to the UNGP network and to the wider UN system.
Elaboration of concepts and tools with internal and external partners.
Planning and facilitating co-creation sessions with associated follow ups.

2. Technical support, research, analysis and knowledge creation

Provide substantive inputs and technical expertise across the innovation scaling journeys.
Contextualize scaling frameworks and pathways. Identify gaps and support needs in meeting key pre-requisites for scaling.
Carry out research to monitor needs, trends and developments within a broader innovation scaling ecosystem, to further evolve the workstream.
Develop knowledge assets around innovation scaling from analysing lessons learnt and good practices.

3. Capacity development and partnership mobilization:

Support innovation scaling capacity development tasks, including documentation and dissemination of best practices, developing cross-network tools and resources, training, and providing inputs to guidelines and processes development as required.
Support expert ecosystem development in the innovation scaling area.
Assist in brokering partnerships for advancing innovations at different stages of the innovation cycle in support of innovation mainstreaming and scaling.

4. Monitoring, reporting and communication:

Contribute to strategic communications and resource mobilisation.
Support Monitoring & Evaluation, Portfolio Impact Management and reporting.
Provide support in various contractual procurement tasks as required.
Support events, workshops and conferences as required.
Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above.

Impact of Results

The role contributes to catalyzing transformation in the UN through supporting the development of key internal capacities and processes to prime innovations for scale to achieve greater impact.

Education:

● Advanced university degree (Master´s or equivalent) preferably in international development, social sciences, or another relevant discipline is required.

● A first-level university degree (Bachelor´s degree) and an additional two (2) years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience:
Required:

● At least two (2) years of relevant work experience in project, or programme or product management, particularly in one or more of the following areas: innovation or international development or research, or other related fields.

Desirable:

The following experience is desirable. Candidates who do not have experience in these areas are welcome to apply:

Experience working in the humanitarian or development sectors, including experience in international organisations or government contexts or sub-government entities, such as think tanks or innovation accelerators.
Experience in coordination and management across multidisciplinary teams.
Experience in working with UN organizations.
Understanding of project management and coordination practices in a UN context.
Experience in delivering high-quality research, analysis preferably in both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Experience in communicating research insights through accessible multimedia formats.
Ability to coordinate multi-stakeholder projects, including with government, universities, UN organisations, NGOs, and the private sector.
Experience working with agile project management and portfolio management.

Language Requirements:

● Fluency in English (speak, write, read) is required.

● Knowledge of another United Nations official language is an asset.

Background

UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

The New York Service Cluster (NYSC) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners’ programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations to implement the project activities for UN Global Pulse.

UN Global Pulse (UNGP) is an initiative of the Executive Office of Secretary-General (EOSG) founded in 2009. UNGP works in support of the Secretary-General’s priorities, in advancement of the UN Charter. It serves as a cross-pillar lead and hub for experimentation and digital innovation with globally distributed Network in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.

UNGP works with digital innovation, strategic foresight, real-time data and artificial intelligence to further sustainable development, humanitarian and peace outcomes. UNGP’s vision is ‘A world in which responsible and inclusive digital innovation serves to empower people and protect the planet’. UNGP’s mission is to work at the intersection of digital innovation and science to inform, inspire and support the entire UN and those it serves, to anticipate and respond to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

The goals of the UNGP Network are: i) to generate knowledge, capabilities and approaches that support the transformation of the United Nations into a more agile and resilient ‘next-generation’ institution; ii) to create and accelerate the development of globally accessible approaches that help communities and partners anticipate and address emerging global challenges; and iii) to advocate for the global transformation of policies, practices and culture required to maximize the impact of digital innovation, minimize its risk of harm, and ensure pathways to scale and sustainability.

The incumbent of this position will be personnel of UNOPS, under its full responsibility.