Summary

Giga seeks a Commodity Expertise Specialist to join one of the most innovative and impactful initiatives at the United Nations, whose aim it is to connect every school in the world to the Internet and every young person to information, opportunity and choice. The Commodity Expertise Specialist will be a core member of the Market Influence and Procurement team at Giga, bringing in-depth knowledge about internet connectivity, spectrum management, and the movement and accounting of gigabytes—from the global transit of Internet traffic via undersea, terrestrial fiber-optic cables or satellites (including LEO, MEO and GEO), to the national backbone, distribution networks, and into the last-mile service delivery to schools.

Your main responsibilities will be…

Technical Expertise:

• Provide deep technical expertise on the various facets of internet connectivity including the movement, sale, and accounting of gigabytes across terrestrial and satellite platforms.
• Understand and advise on spectrum management, internet traffic, and its quantification, ensuring Giga’s strategies are technically sound.

Market Analysis:

• Analyze supply and demand dynamics of connectivity commodities, especially in emerging markets.
• Evaluate market players, pricing dynamics, and regulatory frameworks affecting the movement and pricing of gigabytes.

Technical Advisory:

• Serve as a technical advisor to the Market Shaping and Procurement teams, ensuring that the technical aspects of internet connectivity are accurately represented in procurement strategies and negotiations.
• Provide technical inputs during negotiations with connectivity providers and other stakeholders.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Engage with external technical experts, industry stakeholders, and regulatory bodies to gather insights and stay updated with the latest advancements in internet connectivity technologies and market dynamics.
• Facilitate technical discussions with stakeholders to address challenges and explore opportunities for improving connectivity in target regions.

Reporting and Documentation:

• Develop technical documents, reports, and presentations to communicate technical and market insights to internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to the creation of procurement documents and negotiation strategies with technical inputs.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Collaborate closely with the Market Analysis, Data Science, and Procurement teams to ensure a coherent understanding and approach towards improving market access and shaping favorable market conditions for Giga’s objectives.

Please access the full Term of Reference (ToRs) and read a more detailed description of the assignment in this file in order to prepare your financial proposal and know more about the role: Commodity Expertise Specialist (Internet Connectivity).pdf

To qualify for this position, you will have…

• Master’s degree in Telecommunications, Computer Science, Engineering or a related technical 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 substantial experience in the field of internet connectivity, spectrum management, and related technical areas.
• Experience in procurement or market shaping within the telecommunications or internet connectivity sectors is beneficial. The ability to adapt to rapidly evolving technological and market conditions is crucial for success in this role.
• Experience in engaging with international organizations, government entities, and private sector stakeholders is an asset.
• Deep understanding of the technical, regulatory, and market dynamics affecting the movement and pricing of gigabytes.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and in collaborative team environments.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into understandable terms for non-technical stakeholders.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Travel

• The consultant is expected to travel to Giga’s Barcelona Tech Centre on six trips, for a stay of 5 nights each.
• 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.   
• Consultant is responsible for his/her own health and travel insurance.
• Consultant is responsible to arrange his/her own travel, including visa.

How to apply

• Interest applicant is required to submit a financial proposal with all-inclusive fee. 
• 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. Please find attached the financial proposal template.

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.