Innovation Specialist, (Connect, SPARK and COMPASS oversight) P-3, Temporary Position, 364 days, #00137210, Office of Innovation, Stockholm, Sweden

Organizational Context

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential. 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.

Job Purpose

The Office of Innovation (OoI) is mandated to catalyse, accelerate, and scale innovative solutions that address critical bottlenecks affecting children and young people. The Office works across UNICEF’s global network to identify, test, and support the adoption of solutions with the potential to deliver impact at scale. To do so, OoI applies an innovation portfolio management approach, combining early-stage exploration, structured support to proven solutions, and systematic learning to inform decision-making. Through this mandate, OoI contributes to strengthening UNICEF’s organizational innovation capacity, improving the effectiveness of programmes, and supporting progress toward child-related Sustainable Development Goals. The Connect function within the Office of Innovation supports the achievement of these objectives by ensuring that innovation initiatives are coherently designed, well-coordinated, and effectively delivered.

Responsibilities

The Innovation Specialist will provide oversight and coordination for SPARK and COMPASS initiatives, ensuring their alignment with OoI priorities and responsiveness to country needs. This role involves managing consultants and delivery inputs, ensuring the quality assurance of outputs and processes, and facilitating strategic alignment and integration of innovation efforts. The specialist will also coordinate country engagement and support, and contribute to learning, reporting, and knowledge management activities. This position plays a crucial role in strengthening UNICEF’s ability to provide structured innovation support to country offices and to generate evidence and learning that inform future innovation investments, ultimately contributing to improved programme effectiveness and progress towards child-related Sustainable Development Goals.

Work Experience

A minimum of two years of relevant professional experience in innovation, programme management, or a related field is required. Experience in coordinating complex projects and managing consultants is desirable.

Skills

Innovation Management, Project Coordination, Portfolio Management, Quality Assurance, Stakeholder Engagement, Reporting and Analysis, Knowledge Management, Consultant Management, Strategic Alignment, Cross-functional Collaboration

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