Summary

We are seeking a Planning Officer to join Giga, a joint initiative between UNICEF and ITU, with a specific goal to connect every school to internet, and every young person to information, opportunity and choice. The selected candidate is a vital part of the Management Team at Giga, bridging the technical and planning aspects to ensure coherent and aligned operational planning and execution. Reporting to the Programme M&E Specialist, the Planning Officer is expected to utilize their strong technology background, understanding of open-source ecosystems, tech planning cycles, and UN planning frameworks to contribute effectively towards Giga’s mission. 

Your main responsibilities will be…

Technology-Driven Planning:

• Integrate technology planning cycles with UN planning frameworks to ensure aligned and coherent operational planning.
• Utilize understanding of open-source ecosystems to contribute to technology-related planning and strategy formulation.

Operational Planning and Coordination:

• Develop, maintain, and refine the operational plans, ensuring they are in sync with Giga’s technological roadmaps and UN planning frameworks.
• Coordinate with tech teams and other units within Giga to ensure seamless planning and execution of tech-driven initiatives.

Monitoring and Evaluation Support:

• Provide support in monitoring the implementation of tech-driven initiatives against set plans, identifying deviations and proposing corrective actions.
• Assist in evaluating the impact and effectiveness of tech initiatives, ensuring they are in line with Giga’s objectives and UN standards.

Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building:

• Share insights on tech planning cycles and open-source ecosystems with the team to enhance understanding and integration in planning processes.
• Build the capacity of Giga team members on technology-driven planning, open-source technologies, and UN planning frameworks.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:

• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment in planning and execution of tech-driven initiatives.
• Communicate effectively with tech teams, management, and external partners to ensure shared understanding and collaborative planning.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Document planning processes, methodologies, and tech-driven initiatives meticulously for future reference and sharing with stakeholders.
• Prepare and submit timely reports on planning, implementation, and evaluation of tech initiatives, ensuring clarity and accessibility for a diverse audience.

To qualify for this position, you will have…

• A Bachelor’s degree in Technology Management, Information Systems, Computer Science, Business Administration or a related field is required.
• A minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in technology-driven planning, open-source ecosystems, and UN planning frameworks is required.
• Proficiency in technology planning cycles, open-source technologies, and project coordination.
• Strong understanding of UN planning frameworks and how they integrate with technology-driven initiatives.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to adapt to a fast-paced, evolving environment and to work independently and as part of a team.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

About Our Team

We are a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary team of software engineers, finance specialists, data scientists, policy experts, and much more. Our team is a distributed workforce and plans to remain distributed into the foreseeable future. We are growing fast. Our team has grown by over 400% in the last 6 months as we rapidly scale to meet our stated mission.