Consultancy: Operations Process Improvement Consultant

UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child...innovate

UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support realizing children's rights are critical to improving their lives.

The Office of Innovation is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the start-up thinking, the technology, and the partners that turn this energy into scalable solutions. We're an interdisciplinary team around the world tasked with identifying, prototyping, and scaling new technologies and practices.

How can you make a difference?

You will play a critical role in transforming operational processes and delivery of support services by improving systemization within the Office of Innovation, by working closely with the operations team to drive efficiency, enhance accessibility of resources, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Your expertise in process optimization and change management will ensure smoother workflows, reduced bottlenecks, and increased transparency. Through process mapping and analysis, targeted training, and hands-on support, the consultant will empower staff with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate and leverage improved operational systems effectively. This collaboration will ultimately lead to a more structured, user-friendly, and high-performing operational environment.

Your role will enable the Operations Team to expand on previous work completed, enhance the usability of existing systems and assist in building cross functional operations team. You will help identify creative solutions appropriate to the operational frameworks of UNICEF.

The Operations Team plays a vital role in ensuring the seamless execution of support functions, serving as the backbone for effective programme delivery. By managing processes, optimizing workflows, and providing essential support tools, the team enables innovation initiatives to run smoothly and efficiently.

Your main responsibilities will be:

1. Standardize processes across multiple locations.

2. Identify and prioritize process improvements based on key bottlenecks and user feedback. Strategies for change may include outsourcing of service provision to other UNICEF offices or to commercial service providers.

3. Enhance process simplification to fit OOI's operational context.

4. Define, monitor, and report on internal Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for transparency.

5. Collaborate with the operations team to design and implement effective process change management mechanisms, ensuring smooth transitions, stakeholder buy-in, and measurable impact.

6. Deliver a structured knowledge-sharing framework, including user-friendly repositories, training materials, and self-service tools, ensuring staff can efficiently access critical operational information.

7. Support the upgrade and launch of an improved operational support site.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in Business Administration, Organizational Development, Human Resources, Public Administration, or a relevant field.

• A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in process improvement, operational efficiency, and change management within international organizations or innovation-driven environments.

• Experience in operations management and service delivery models, and knowledge management frameworks.

• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and performance monitoring tools.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience in knowledge-sharing initiatives such as training development, process documentation, and system implementation.

• Working and demonstrable knowledge in digital workplace tools such as SharePoint and other workplace productivity tools.

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Travel:

• The consultant may be expected to travel to Stockholm, for a stay of 5 nights.

• The consultant is responsible for arranging his/her own travel, including visa and travel insurance.

Payment details and further considerations

• Payment of professional fees will be based on the submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

For more details, please review the Terms of References: TOR Operations Process Improvement Consultant .docx

How to apply:

• Interested applicants are required to submit a financial proposal with all-inclusive fee. Please see the financial proposal template.

• Financial proposal must include travel costs (economy class) and daily subsistence allowance, if travel is required as per TOR and any other estimated costs: visa, travel/health insurance.

• Applications without a financial proposal will not be considered. Consultancy Financial Offer template.docx

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

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.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

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.

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.

In case of any questions, please contact us at swe-ooi-recruitments@unicef.org