UNICEF Pacific Consultancy: Digital Impact Expert – Pacific Region, Suva, Fiji, 500 days over 24 months. Individual Consultant International Position Long-term contract Senior level

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.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a future.

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, though only a third are currently on track with reporting obligations. Explore the different areas of our work here: UNICEF Pacific Islands

Building on this commitment, UNICEF’s global Strategic Plan 2022–2025 positions digital transformation as a core change strategy and more recently as an accelerator in the Strategic Plan 2026 – 2029 to deliver results and accelerate impact for children. UNICEF’s Digital Impact Strategy 2026-2029 reflects bold commitment to harnessing the full potential of emerging technologies to advance the mission of creating a better world for every child.

Across the Pacific, digital transformation is increasingly embedded in national development plans and strategies. Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) recognize it as a key driver of economic growth, social development, and regional integration. However, achieving meaningful digital transformation remains challenging: the region’s vast geography, limited infrastructure, high connectivity costs, and varying digital capacities among governments and partners create significant barriers. The growing need for interoperable, scalable, inclusive, and resilient digital systems—underpinned by strong safety and privacy safeguards – underscores the importance of coordinated efforts to advance digital development.

UNICEF Pacific is preparing to transition from its 2023–2027 country programme to the next Multi-Country Programme cycle. While foundational work such as deep-dive studies and early demonstrations of national and regional initiatives has begun, digital transformation has not yet emerged as a central driver shaping programme direction; it remains in an evolving stage.

To effectively integrate digital transformation across 14 Pacific Island countries and programmes, UNICEF Pacific requires a structured approach that emphasizes strategic leadership, strong operational frameworks, capacity strengthening, and partnerships that are responsive to each country’s unique context.

This consultancy will support that effort by providing expert guidance on integrated digital solution lifecycle management, digital inclusion, policy and governance, cybersecurity, and the creation of enabling environments. These efforts will align with country-specific priorities and strengthen collaboration across partners and agencies.

How can you make a difference?

• Engage, conduct consultative sessions and deep-dive studies, develop and operationalize the Pacific Digital Impact Operationalization Strategy and SOPs, ensuring alignment to the next MCPD priorities and effective governance structures.
• Enable sustainable and responsible digital transformation to drive effective digital programming, AI, and data initiatives across the Pacific region with considerations for resources and digital foundational baselines.
• Coordinate, establish, and strengthen priority partnerships by negotiating and formalising agreements with mobile network operators, internet service providers, technical agencies, and CROP agencies. Simultaneously, develop a comprehensive sustainability model for the design, hosting, and ongoing maintenance of a regional platform dedicated to digital public goods as well as developing donor landscape mapping and investment cases
• Provide strategic guidance oversight, monitoring and reporting for the implementation of the key high value, high risk and high impact digital initiatives.

Please refer to the ToR ( Consultant ToR – Digital Impact Expert.pdf) for further information on the deliverables and the timelines.

GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS:  

Please submit a separate financial offer along with your proposal. The financial proposal should be a lump sum amount for all the deliverables and should show a break down for the following:

• Monthly/Daily Professional Fees– based on the deliverables in the Terms of Reference (500 days)
• Travel (economy air ticket where applicable to take up assignment if in country support is required, as well as 8 field missions within the Pacific)
• Living allowance for international consultants
• Miscellaneous- to cover visa, health insurance (including medical evacuation for international consultants), communications, and other costs

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Computer Science/Information System/ Information Communication Technology, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, ICT Project/Programme Management or a related field.

Work Experience:

• Expertise in digital strategy design and development across multiple countries.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Management, preferably in low-resource settings and/or in government or donor-funded programmes with strong program/project management skills.
• Proven experience in leading, managing and supporting large enterprises wide or at national/regional level Digital Transformation initiatives.
• Experience conducting system reviews, landscape analysis, needs assessment, digital solution architecture design and development, digital related policy design and development.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality- reports and guidance documentations.
• Experience engaging government officials, UN agencies, NGOs, and donor partners.

Skills:

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to propose practical, context‑appropriate solutions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work across social sector contexts (health, education, disability, social protection) and facilitate capacity‑building and technical consultations.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English; familiarity with Pacific Island contexts or languages is an asset.

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

The 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.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

Remarks: 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable male and female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.