AI Hub Campaign & Knowledge Specialist (Open to All Applicants)
UNDP · Rome
Please note the appropriate Tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure that you are holding the applicable contract as defined below:
- Tier 1: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed term (FTA) appointments (defined as “internal” candidates)
- Tier 2: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA) and personnel on regular PSA contracts
- Tier 3: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates
BACKGROUND
Office/Unit/Project Description:
At UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), we are on a mission to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions around the world. UNDP is the United Nations' global sustainable development organization working across 170 countries with 17,000 staff. Digital technology is one of the most fundamental drivers of changes this century. Digital not only provides new opportunities and challenges for development, but it is also fundamentally changing the context in which development is taking place. Since the launch of its first Digital Strategy in 2019, UNDP has been on an ambitious transformation journey to harness the potential of digital technology for development. We are now in the next phase of our digital transformation, implementing the Digital Strategy 2022-2025, which puts forth a vision to create a world in which digital is an empowering force for people and planet. This vision is enshrined in the Digital, AI, and Innovation Hub in BPPS, where Digital technologies, AI, and innovation hold tremendous promise for supporting and advancing development, where UNDP is leveraging these capacities to shape smarter development for a fast-changing world
Project Description:
Our mission is to nurture a space where novel ideas emerge and thrive, with transformative solutions by Africa’s innovators and start-ups to build AI foundations—in areas of green compute, data and talent. Connecting everyone into an ecosystem where they can grow together and advance prosperity for all is at the AI Hub's core. As Enrico Mattei, the inspiration for the Italy-Africa Mattei Plan, redefined international partnerships in the 1950s, Italy is once again driving an ecosystem of equal partnerships through the AI Hub.
The AI Hub is aligned with the African Union’s AI Strategy and is anchored by 14 partner countries in Africa (Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Tanzania and Tunisia), catalyzing transformation across six key sectors–energy, agriculture, health, water, education & training, and infrastructure. Artificial Intelligence is poised to be the most transformative technology of our era, and its benefits must be accessible to all.
For Africa, where 60% of Africans are under 25, AI presents a unique opportunity to leapfrog traditional development growth, delivering innovative and impactful solutions in healthcare, education, agriculture, finance, and governance.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
The AI Hub Campaign Specialist will play a pivotal role in shaping the programme narrative, focusing on the convergence of AI foundations for development and private sector growth within the AI Hub for Sustainable Development. This position involves co-designing innovative AI Hub programmes during their development and engagement phases, while leading tailored campaigns to mobilize stakeholder action and establish the AI Hub as a dynamic systems orchestrator. The Specialist will collaborate closely with partners across the G7, African nations, and relevant authorities in 14 partner countries in Africa to amplify impact.
AI Hub Programme Knowledge & Insights:
- Lead the design, implementation and monitoring of the AI Hub for Sustainable Development Programmes’ knowledge and insights strategy, generating timely and action-oriented insights and creating new knowledge to inform and drive the successful delivery of the AI Hub’s vision and objectives across its 6 months – 1 year programming cycles across the AI foundations.
- Working closely with the AI Hub Head of Programme Design & Engagement, and collaborating with the DAI Hub’s DT Knowledge & Strategy, and DAI Hub Communications team, build processes, methodologies, and campaign strategies in partnership with G7, Africa and relevant authorities in the 14 partner countries in Africa
- Support Italy, G7 countries, and African government partners in identifying and fostering new partnership and catalyze exponential actions by partners through effective campaigns and advocacy.
- Contribute to UNDP's ability to identify narrative trends, emerging campaign tools and approaches, as well as changing dynamics among our key stakeholders and networks to help UNDP and the AI Hub for Sustainable Development stay ahead of the frontier issues of AI and digital development.
AI Hub Programmes Campaign Implementation & Scale:
- Develop and execute the AI Hub programmes campaigns, setting key clear objectives and expected outcomes, conducting stakeholder mapping and analysis, establishing touchpoints and processes for sourcing & implementing new AI ideas, tracking existing workstreams, and ongoing team management.
- Establish monitoring, evaluation and learning approaches to guide strategy implementation, including setting up KPIs, conducting stakeholder interviews.
- Design and pilot new approaches for connecting media, communities, and communications teams at partners’ organizations and countries to harness AI development opportunities and mitigate risks and challenges, playing to UNDP's strengths and value proposition.
- Collaborate closely with the Digital, AI and Innovation Communications team at BPPS, ensuring collaboration and coordination.
AI Hub Programmes Campaign Operations and Management:
- Under the supervision of the Head of Programme Design & Engagement, work closely with the Director of the AI Hub and Head of Programmes on go to market strategies for all AI Hub programmes and partnerships.
- Manage partnership expectations and visibility of partners.
Advocacy & Thought Leadership:
- Steer research to Identify priority themes and topics for thought leadership in line with the vision and objectives of the AI Hub Design creative approaches to identifying and retaining the interest of target audiences and devising a mixed method approach leveraging grassroots, traditional and new media to communicate AI Hub’s work.
- Participate in global AI forums, conferences, and high-level discussions to position UNDP and its implementation of the AI Hub as a thought leader in responsible AI for development.
- Manage stakeholder events to spotlight attention to the opportunities and challenges of AI development and set directions for the future.
Other Duties:
- The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement:
- Reporting directly to the AI Hub Head of Programme Design & Engagement, the Campaign Specialist will work in tandem with the global Digital, AI and Innovation Hub, the UNDP Rome Centre, and the Bureaus of Africa and Arab States. This collaboration will also ensure the adoption of robust communications and advocacy guidelines pertaining to different stakeholders, aligned with the Bureau of Policy and Programmes at UNDP, to maximize reach and influence across regions.
QUALIFICATIONS
Min. education requirements:
- An advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Design, Business Administration, Engineering, Information Technology management, Education, or a relevant technical field is required, or
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Min. years of relevant work experience:
- A minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience working in AI, digital transformation, or sustainable development.
Required skills:
- Proven track record of experience leading impactful multi-stakeholder campaigns, managing diverse partner visibility, navigating high-stake environments and driving actions by ecosystem.
- Proven track record of experience identifying partnerships and designing impactful initiatives with the private sector.
- Deep understanding of diverse stakeholder groups and experience in LDCs, Africa, and other underserved regions.
- Experience in project management, with a demonstrated ability to influence global policy and drive organizational change.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies:
- Understanding of different contexts and experience working with developing countries is desired.
- Knowledge of international development and key challenges affecting developing countries is desired.
Required language(s):
- Fluency in oral and written English is required.
- Working knowledge of another official UN language or a local language from partner countries is advantageous.
COMPETENCIES
Core Competencies:
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:
Communications: Campaign Management
- Ability to produce and implement communications and advocacy campaigns which lead to impactful change.
Communications: Advocacy strategy and implementation
- Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change.
Digital & Innovation: Digital thought leadership
- Ongoing research into emerging technologies and digital trends and the applications, risks, and opportunities associated with digital adoption, combined with the ability to communicate this synthesis with broad audience.
Partnership Management: Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding
- Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms.
Business Management: System thinking
- Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
Business Direction & Strategy: Effective decision making
- Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications.
Business Management: Communication
- Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.