AI Team Coordinator
Remote | New York City
- Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
- Location: Remote | New York City
- Grade: Junior level - IPSA-8, International Personnel Services Agreement
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Occupational Groups:
- Information Technology and Computer Science
- Innovations for Sustainable Development
- Managerial positions
- Closing Date: 2025-04-16
Background
Job Purpose and Organizational Context
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.
The Chief Digital Office (CDO) at UNDP is leading this effort with the goal of embedding digital technology in the development projects that we implement, supporting government partners to build inclusive digital eco-systems, and transforming the organization internally to enable these changes.
Project Overview:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a key enabler in this space, helping us tackle pressing challenges through data-driven decision-making and capacity-building initiatives. The AI Horizon Programme is a core initiative within the Chief Digital Office (CDO), designed to equip UNDP staff with AI-related knowledge and skills. This role supports the coordination and execution of AI-related capacity-building projects and initiatives.
Duties and Responsibilities
The AI Team Coordinator will be responsible for supporting the implementation of AI-related projects and ensuring the smooth execution of digital transformation initiatives within UNDP.
Key responsibilities include:
Coordinate Internal AI Projects and Capacity Strengthening Offer
- Coordinating the internal AI working group and initiatives, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and supporting internal initiatives related to AI, ensuring efficient project planning, execution, and stakeholder engagement.
- Finalizing the AI Horizon Programme curriculum with academic partners, conducting a pre-training assessment, coordinating the pilot phase, promoting internal participation, overseeing workshops, and supporting the management of budget and resources for content delivery and communication.
- Implementing a monitoring and evaluation framework to track programme progress and impact, gathering user feedback through interviews, and preparing regular progress reports for senior management and stakeholders.
- Engaging with key stakeholders, including UNDP leadership, participants, and external partners, to ensure alignment; documenting best practices, lessons learned, and success stories; and drafting a final report with insights and recommendations for next steps.
Build Strategic Partnerships, Communication and Advocacy
- Coordinate with external partners, supporting joint advocacy efforts and facilitating webinars, events, and other initiatives that promote digital transformation across the UN system.
- Coordinate UNDP's support to the UN 2.0 initiative in relation to the Quintet of Change by facilitating the UN system-wide Digital and AI community. This includes coordinating community engagement, as well as designing and delivering key offerings and initiatives.
- Provide research and coordination support for ongoing AI, Capacity Building, enablement and data projects. This may include operational support for these initiatives, including delivering trainings and organizing events.
- Enhance the flow of communication between senior leadership and broader management teams to ensure alignment and transparency in AI-related initiatives.
- Produce quality PowerPoint presentations capturing latest results, insights, and reporting, both internally and externally for stakeholders including during events, project results and so on.
- Produce quality briefing notes and research support to enable advocacy, engagement and communication of key messages, initiatives, and next steps to internal and external stakeholders.
- Supporting the day-to-day operations of the pillar, including through organizing meetings, establishing sub-teams to drive changes in structures and cadences for effective functioning of the practice.
- Ensure that timely follow-up action is taken, and that the Supervisor’s commitments and agreements are appropriately reflected.
- Undertake additional tasks that may be assigned.
Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing and advocacy
- Identify, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners.
- Participate in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on project related issues. Support establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for dissemination of knowledge from the project, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and to support UNDP’s engagement in this area.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement
The AI Team Coordinator will report to the Head of Data and Technology in the Chief Digital Office (CDO). The position is based in New York, with flexibility for home-based work. The AI Team Coordinator is expected to be reasonably flexible with availability for meetings, considering different time zones.
Competencies
| Core | |
| Achieve Results: | LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline |
| Think Innovatively: | LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements |
| Learn Continuously: | LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback |
| Adapt with Agility: | LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible |
| Act with Determination: | LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident |
| Engage and Partner: | LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships |
| Enable Diversity and Inclusion: | LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination |
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
| Thematic Area | Name | Definition |
| Digital | Co-creation |
Ability to design and facilitate a process that enables a diverse group of stakeholders to solve a common problem, develop a practice, or create knowledge together. Ability to embrace diversity, work with a diverse group of stakeholders understand their interests, perspectives and views and tap into to them as a source for creativity. Ability to facilitate processes and create conditions that are open for diverse inputs, stimulate collaboration and sharing. |
| Digital | Digital ecosystems | Knowledge of how they work, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society. |
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Business Management |
Project Management |
Ability to plan,organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals |
| Business Development | Knowledge Facilitation | Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange. |
| Business Management | Communication |
Ability to 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 |
| Business Management | Resource Management |
Allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with business needs and priorities and principles of accountability and integrity |
Minimum Qualifications
| Min. Education requirements |
Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Public Policy, Politics, Business Administration, Technology, International Development, Communications or a related field is required. OR A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. |
| Min. years of relevant work experience |
Applicants with a master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience. Applicants with a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in the private sector or non-profit sector, with digital and/or innovation related experience. |
| Required skills |
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| Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section |
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| Required Language(s) |
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Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Scam alert
UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.