Digital Transformation (DPI/Govtech) Specialist (open To Internal And External Applicants)

Organizational Context

The UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) provides regional policy advisory and programme support to Country Offices across Asia-Pacific, advancing SDGs. Its Regional Innovation and Digital Team (RIDT) supports governments in addressing digital and AI implementation gaps, focusing on institutional design, adaptive policy, responsible AI/data governance, and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). This specialist role sits within RIDT, reporting to the Regional Innovation Advisor and Team Lead, coordinating regional initiatives.

Job Purpose

Governments in Asia-Pacific seek to leverage digital and AI for public service, but face implementation gaps due to governance constraints, fragmented data, and challenges in operationalizing emerging technologies like AI and DPI. The UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH), through its Regional Innovation and Digital Team (RIDT), supports Country Offices and governments in addressing these issues. RIDT builds a portfolio bridging institutional design, adaptive policy, responsible AI/data governance, and DPI. Country Offices increasingly need hands-on support for designing DPI stacks and safely operationalizing AI, including capability diagnostics, use-case identification, and co-design. This Digital Transformation (DPI/GovTech) Specialist role will drive systemic shifts, enhance peer-to-peer learning among DPI stewards, and deploy novel service delivery models. The specialist will deliver dedicated coordination, product management, and Country Office engagement to ensure regional initiatives are strategically aligned, well-documented, and positioned for sustainable scale, connecting strategic digital ambition with practical, human-centered implementation.

Responsibilities

The Specialist will co-lead the technical delivery of the DPI Stewards cohort, including scoping use cases, designing experimentation sandboxes, and facilitating peer learning and implementation journeys. They will lead applied R&D for local context-prioritized DPI use cases, championing service design and agile methodologies, and research DPI's investment logic and economic impacts, translating findings into knowledge products. The role involves advising Country Offices and governments on identifying high-impact public service use cases for DPI layers (digital ID, payments, data exchange) and facilitating co-design of DPI-enabled service delivery journeys. The Specialist will advise governments on strengthening institutional coordination and interoperability, developing implementation guidance and reusable models. They will support knowledge capture, documentation of country case studies, and design programmatic and financing opportunities for scaling DPI solutions. Furthermore, the role includes supporting governments in designing whole-of-government digital transformation architecture, facilitating cross-ministerial coordination for digital/AI initiatives, and designing capacity building programs. Finally, the Specialist will identify integrated programming opportunities combining DPI, responsible AI, and Digital Public Goods, co-develop investment cases, support scalable digital initiatives, and assist in resource mobilization.

Work Experience

Minimum five years (with Master's) or seven years (with Bachelor's) of progressively responsible experience in AI and digital transformation for public service delivery in Asia-Pacific. This includes experience working with government institutions on digital/AI initiatives, designing and delivering practical digital/AI solutions, and responsible data/AI governance in public sectors. Project coordination and stakeholder engagement experience is also required. Desirable experience includes working within the UN system, with Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)/GovTech unit setup, building partnerships, and resource mobilization.

Skills

Core competencies include achieving results, innovative thinking, continuous learning, adaptability, determination, engaging and partnering, and fostering diversity and inclusion. Technical skills encompass system thinking, knowledge generation, human-centered design, partnership management, digital transformation design, innovation management (including navigating uncertainty and shaping demand), and understanding Digital Public Goods.

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