Technical Specialist, Inclusive Growth and Digital Transformation (Open to all Applicants)

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

The Technical Specialist for Inclusive Growth and Digital Transformation at UNDP Egypt leads the strategic formulation and management of a high-impact portfolio. This role involves analyzing socio-economic trends to design innovative projects that leverage technology for sustainable development. You are responsible for ensuring that all digital initiatives promote inclusive growth and effectively reach marginalized communities across Egypt.

Interaction with project personnel focuses on providing technical guidance and overseeing the timely delivery of results. You will coordinate project teams to ensure compliance with UNDP’s results-based management tools and quality control standards. By mentoring staff and facilitating knowledge exchange, you foster a collaborative environment aimed at solving complex development challenges.

Scope of work

Under the overall guidance of the DRR and supervision of the Team Leader, Inclusive Growth and Digital Transformation (IGDT), the incumbent is entrusted contributing to the technical and strategic formulation and management of a high-impact portfolio. This role involves analyzing socio-economic trends to design innovative projects that leverage technology for sustainable development. The Technical Specialist, Inclusive Growth and Digital Transformation is responsible for ensuring that all digital initiatives promote inclusive growth and effectively reach marginalized communities across Egypt.

Interaction with project personnel focuses on providing technical guidance and overseeing the timely delivery of results. The incumbent will coordinate project teams to ensure compliance with UNDP’s results-based management tools and quality control standards. By mentoring staff and facilitating knowledge exchange, the Technical Specialist fosters a collaborative environment aimed at solving complex development challenges.

The Technical Specialist coordinates work with the NOC Team Leader through a structured reporting and advisory relationship. The incumbent acts as the primary operational link, providing the Team Leader with real-time data on project performance, risks, and financial delivery to support their higher-level strategic decision-making. Regular briefings ensure that the portfolio remains strictly aligned with the UNDP Egypt Country Programme Document (CPD) and broader UNDP Strategic Plan.

Operationally, the incumbent collaborates with the Team Leader to finalize Annual Work Plans (AWPs) and budget allocations, ensuring that all digital initiatives meet UNDP’s quality assurance and Results-Based Management (RBM) standards. As for resource mobilization, the Technical Specialist prepares technical briefs and impact reports for high-level meetings with government counterparts and donors. This partnership ensures that technical project outputs are translated into sustainable policy advice at the national level.

Duties and Responsibilities

Below are the key responsibilities and expected skill sets for this role:

1.Provide top quality technical advisory services:

• Provide cutting-edge policy advice in the thematic area of the project and facilitate policy dialogues with partners, promoting UNDP thought leadership and advocacy work. Establish advocacy networks at the country level and linked to international networks. Contribute to relevant, high-impact advocacy campaigns that are implemented with key partners.
• Contribute to the analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the context of the project and advise the UNDP CO management on issues related to the thematic area of the project.
• Contribute to the setting of technical standards based on regional and global best practices in the thematic area of the project.
• Provide strategic planning and advice for portfolio planning as well as formulation and periodic revisions of the project’s annual work plan (AWP), including plans for budget, Human Resources actions and procurement that are developed in close coordination with UNDP’s Country Office Programme, HR, and Procurement teams. Coordinate development of detailed implementation plans.
• Coordinate Programme implementation to contribute to the overall Programme relevance and performance, the effective realization and quality of outputs within the specified constraints of time and cost as outlined in the project document, and adherence to applicable UNDP policy and programme management procedures and Government standards, rules, and regulations.
• Ensure proper execution of all administrative activities associated with Programme

2. Support effective implementation of programme/project activities aimed at inclusive growth and digital transformation:

• Provide technical support, working in collaboration with the Project Manager, in planning and effectively implementing project activities within the scope of approved budgets, workplans and other project documents and in alignment with UNDP’s programmatic priorities and goals. Supervise and coordinate the work of the project team and consultants. Provide guidance and support in the identification and sourcing of technical expertise, including preparation of TORs and evaluation of experts.
• Provide timely and quality technical advice and guidance for the project implementation in line with UNDP’s rules and regulations, and UNDP Project Operational Policies and Procedures.
• Manage and monitor project financial resources; and analyze project progress to identify risks and other implementation problems. Ensure timely collection of data for reporting on project activities, outputs, and outcomes; and substantially contribute to the preparation of narrative and financial progress reports, including donor reports. Provide technical guidance on risk mitigation measures to address implementation problems. Update risk logs.
• Coordinate and participate in quality control mechanisms, seeking to improve the technical quality of the project outputs, products, publications, and policy discussion papers and briefs.

3. Support strategic partnership building and resource mobilization:

• Establish and maintain a strategic understanding of and engagement with all the relevant institutions, including establishing contact and developing strategic partnerships with other UN agencies, government institutions, donors, NGOs, IFIs, the private sector, academia, civil society, and other stakeholders and beneficiaries at the national, regional, and local levels.
• Participate in meetings with donors, prepare and deliver presentations of project results, and follow up with relevant counterparts if requested by the supervisor.
• Implement resource mobilization strategies to achieve project outcomes that include facilitating liaisons with potential financing agencies and institutions to strengthen relationships and raise funds. Identify new funding opportunities for furthering the project ideas.

4. Contribute to knowledge management and information sharing in the UNDP country office:

• Organize training for the project personnel to enhance their capacities in the technical matters of the thematic area of the project.
• Identify, evaluate, synthesize, and document lessons learned and best practices directly linked to the project goals and activities. Develop knowledge sharing materials and respond to related queries.
• Contribute substantively to knowledge networks and communities of practice within the thematic area of the project.
• Develop and carry out a personal learning plan.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary forthe efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional arrangements

The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Team Leader, Inclusive Growth and Digital Transformation and the overall guidance of the DRR.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously

LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility

LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands Act with Determination LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner

LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Thematic Area Name Definition Business Direction & Strategy System Thinking Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system Business Development Collective Intelligence Design

Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information, ideas, and technology to solve problems and design solutions or services.

Knowledge and understanding of Collective Intelligence Design principles, methodology and practices.

Business Management Project Management Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals. Business Management Risk management Identify and organize action around reducing, mitigating and proactively managing risks Partnership Management Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms Partnership Management Strategic Engagement Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives Digital Data governance Knowledge of data science, skills to develop data management tools, organize and maintain databases and operate data visualization technologies

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum academic requirements

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in fields related to information Technology, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Business Informatics. Social Sciences, or equivalent field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor´s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be given due consideration in lieu of an advanced university degree.