This is a unique opportunity to strengthen Geneva's position as a global hub for organizations working on digital infrastructure, networks and access. The role leads the development of a technical programme that coordinates, quality assures and supports foundations and a range of partner organizations to establish, grow and operate effectively within Geneva's international ecosystem, all of whom are aligned with UNICEF’s digital inclusion priorities.
UNOPS Geneva Office is providing support to a wide range of portfolios, including UNICEF.
This position is a Partner Personnel role. The selected candidate will be hired by UNOPS under its rules and regulations and will be engaged as UN Partner Personnel for UNICEF - Digital Inclusion (DI) and will operate under the effective management and supervision of UNICEF. UNOPS is supporting UNICEF-DI as a UN Partner and acting on its behalf to provide recruitment and administrative support for this position.
About UNICEF Digital Inclusion
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.
UNICEF’s Digital Inclusion team accelerates access to affordable, sustainable, safe and resilient digital infrastructure for every child. We do so by supporting governments and partners to expand equitable and affordable connectivity across child-facing service locations such as schools, health facilities, and social protection locations, and addressing related infrastructure such as electricity and computer. Our work empowers children and their communities through information, opportunity, choice and dignity. The Digital Inclusion team includes functions that support Giga, the joint partnership between UNICEF and ITU to connect every school to the internet.
Digital Inclusion team is part of the Digital Impact Division (DID), which is at the heart of reshaping how UNICEF delivers lasting results for all children everywhere, and is committed to harnessing the full potential of emerging digital technologies to advance UNICEF’s mission. DID works in close collaboration with a network of colleagues in more than 190 countries and territories at country, region and headquarters levels to leverage technologies and capabilities that accelerate progress on UNICEF’s goals, strengthen community resilience, and expand access to essential digital services and information.
UNICEF Digital Inclusion works with a Geneva-based ecosystem of mission-driven digital public-good organizations and in collaboration with internet measurement, open-data and resolver infrastructure organisations. The cluster is expanding.
The Senior Manager, Geneva Digital Inclusion Ecosystem and Portfolio Development will support the technical development, coordination and quality assurance of a Geneva-based ecosystem of mission-driven partners, helping align specialised capabilities with UNICEF’s digital inclusion priorities.measurement, open data, resolver and network organisations. This role will also represent the cluster credibly in the public.
This position will work under the supervision of the Deputy, Digital Inclusion, and in close cooperation with the Manager, Geneva Digital Inclusion Ecosystem Building and Governance.
Ecosystem Strategy, Sourcing and Portfolio Development
- Lead the development and implementation of the Geneva ecosystem strategy for mission-driven organisations that can contribute discrete, high-value capabilities towards a fair, safe and inclusive internet for every child.
- Identify, map and cultivate relationships with prospective organisations, founders, funders, technical communities, research institutions and other relevant actors whose mission, capabilities and growth ambitions align with UNICEF Digital Inclusion priorities.
- Develop a structured pipeline of potential ecosystem participants, including outreach, initial assessment, relationship management and clear recommendations on suitability for further consideration.
- Lead the substantive assessment of prospective organisations’ strategic relevance, technical and programme fit, public-good orientation, potential contribution to the overall portfolio, and rationale for establishing or strengthening a presence in Geneva.
- Help define and periodically update the portfolio thesis: the priority capability areas, ecosystem gaps and complementarities that should guide recruitment and catalytic support.
Selection, Due Diligence and Catalytic Support Design
- Lead the design and implementation of a transparent process for identifying and qualifying prospective Gazelles, working within UNICEF-cleared governance, legal, fiduciary, safeguarding and partnership requirements.
- Prepare concise assessment materials and recommendations for decision-making, including the organisation’s mission alignment, capability, readiness, sustainability pathway, risks, proposed contribution to the ecosystem and potential support package.
- Work with the Manager, Geneva Digital Inclusion Ecosystem Building and Governance to ensure that candidate organisations receive appropriate institutional, legal, fiduciary and establishment guidance; the Head retains responsibility for strategic and technical qualification, while the Manager leads operational follow-through.
- Shape tailored catalytic support packages for selected organisations, which may combine strategic advice, access to networks, mentoring, workspace facilitation, convening opportunities, support to access relevant Geneva innovation pathways, and where approved milestone-based catalytic funding.
- Ensure that all support reinforces the independence, sustainability and public-good contribution of participating organisations, and does not create an entitlement to UNICEF procurement, staffing, contracting or programme-delivery roles.
Programme Leadership, Partnership Development and Resource Mobilisation
- Serve as the overall programme lead for the ecosystem initiative, translating UNICEF Digital Inclusion priorities and country needs into a coherent, credible and fundable ecosystem proposition.
- Build and maintain senior relationships with philanthropic, public-sector, multilateral, technology, academic and civil-society partners that can strengthen the ecosystem, attract relevant organisations and support its long-term sustainability.
- Lead the development of strategic partnerships and resource-mobilisation opportunities for the ecosystem and the Gazelles Catalytic Fund, in close coordination with relevant UNICEF colleagues and in line with UNICEF policies and approval processes.
- Develop compelling programme narratives, investment cases, partnership materials and strategic briefings for prospective funders, partners and senior stakeholders.
- Convene prospective and selected ecosystem participants around shared priorities, encourage collaboration across complementary capabilities, and create practical pathways for learning, visibility and joint problem-solving.
Technical and Strategic Quality Assurance
- Provide strategic and technical leadership on the relevance, quality and potential contribution of organisations within the ecosystem, including organisations working in areas such as connectivity, internet measurement, online safety, data infrastructure, responsible AI, digital public infrastructure or other relevant public-good capabilities.
- Maintain a current understanding of relevant technology, policy and implementation developments in order to identify ecosystem opportunities, assess prospective partners credibly and guide the strategic evolution of the portfolio.
- Facilitate access to appropriate technical expertise, peer networks and specialist advice for selected organisations, without taking responsibility for managing their technical operations, developing standards, running pilots or delivering reference implementations.
- Represent the ecosystem and its strategic purpose credibly in relevant high-level forums, while ensuring that participating organisations retain their own independent identity, governance and operational accountability.
- Capture portfolio-level insight on ecosystem gaps, opportunities, risks and emerging capability needs, and use this insight to refine strategy, selection criteria and partnership development.
Programme Oversight, Learning and Complementarity
- Establish and maintain a clear programme-management rhythm, including portfolio reviews, progress reporting, risk tracking, decision logs and learning products for UNICEF and relevant governance bodies.
- Track progress against agreed ecosystem outcomes, including the quality and diversity of the pipeline, organisations qualified and supported, resources mobilised, partnerships developed and the maturity of the ecosystem portfolio.
- Work closely with the Manager, Geneva Digital Inclusion Ecosystem Building and Governance, who will lead the operational and institutional backbone for participating entities—including establishment processes, governance, compliance, funder administration, practical host-country navigation and day-to-day communications.
- Ensure clear division of responsibilities: this role leads ecosystem strategy, sourcing, qualification, portfolio development, programme direction and external positioning; the Manager enables participating organisations to establish, govern, fund and operate effectively in Geneva.
- Report to the Deputy, Digital Inclusion, on progress, risks, strategic decisions and recommendations for scaling, adapting or discontinuing support to individual organisations.
Monitoring and Progress Controls
Item
Outputs/Deliverables
Month/Year
1
A clear ecosystem strategy and portfolio thesis is in place, identifying priority capability areas, selection criteria, prospective partner profiles, and the value proposition for organisations establishing or strengthening a Geneva presence.
End Month 3
2
A structured, actively managed pipeline of prospective mission-aligned organisations is established, with documented outreach, assessment and recommendations on suitability for the ecosystem.
Ongoing; first portfolio review by Month 6
3
A transparent qualification and selection process is operational, including assessment templates, decision materials and procedures that work in coordination with the Manager’s due-diligence, governance and operational-establishment functions.
End Month 4
4
A first cohort of qualified organisations has been identified and supported through tailored strategic and catalytic support packages, with each organisation retaining an independent governance and sustainability pathway.
First cohort by Month 9; ongoing thereafter
5
Senior partnerships and resource-mobilisation opportunities are developed to strengthen the ecosystem and, subject to clearance, support the Gazelles Catalytic Fund or other approved catalytic-support mechanisms.
Ongoing; first partnership and funding pipeline by Month 6
6
The ecosystem has a credible external profile and a regular convening rhythm, bringing together relevant mission-aligned organisations, funders, Geneva-based institutions and technical communities around shared public-good priorities.
First convening by Month 6; ongoing
7
Portfolio-level reporting and learning are established, including progress against pipeline, selection, support, partnership, resource-mobilisation and ecosystem-maturity indicators, with recommendations for adaptation and scale.
Quarterly; first annual review at Month 12