Chief, Digital Foundations - Business, (P-5), Fixed Term, #00133095, Digital Impact Division, Digital Foundations - Valencia, Spain

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

Digital Impact Division (DID) is at the heart of reshaping how UNICEF delivers lasting results for children. We are committed to harnessing the full potential of emerging digital technologies to advance UNICEF’s mission.

Within DID, Digital Foundations (DF) creates and sustains transformative, data and AI-ready digital solutions grounded in human-centered design. Leveraging resilient, scalable cloud technologies, it provides a secure and adaptable technology backbone to deliver results for children with greater efficiency and agility. Through forward-looking technology roadmaps and continuous improvement, the Digital Foundations function modernizes core systems, strengthens cybersecurity, and fosters innovation to ensure future-resilient systems. As a key enabler of UNICEF’s digital transformation, it enhances data-driven decision-making and enables operational excellence to achieve sustainable results for children. 

The Chief, Digital Foundations – Business, reporting to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), leads the strategy, development, and lifecycle management of UNIICEF enterprise business applications and digital platforms. This role is central to delivering secure, scalable, and user centric solutions that enable operational effectiveness and digital transformation across the organization.

The incumbent ensures that global systems, such as Enterprise Resource Planning ecosystem, Customer Relationship Management, Programme, Partnership and Service Management, are well-integrated, continuously optimized, and aligned with UNICEF strategic goals and Digital Impact Division vision. Through close collaboration with stakeholders, corresponding business units and partners, the Chief translates functional needs into digital capabilities that support headquarters, field offices, and shared service centers.

This role leads internal and external-facing digital solutions workstreams, advancing standardization, usability, and long-term sustainability. It drives innovation, manages strong vendor relationships, and champions agile delivery models that enable cross-functional collaboration. 

A key responsibility is fostering collaboration with UN agencies for digital coherence, to codevelop or align shared digital tools, enhancing interoperability, cost efficiency, and collective impact. By enabling integrated, modern, and intelligent digital foundations, the Chief plays a vital role in advancing UNICEF mission, culture of innovation, and results-based management.

This position leads a team of 38 staff members at different levels. 

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  Chief Digital Foundations Business P5 JD.pdf

• Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Computer Science, Information Technology Management, Business Administration or any other related fields.
• Work Experience: A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible and relevant work experience in a large international development context and in a geographically dispersed organization is required.
  • Proven people management and team leadership experience, including leading, developing and managing diverse teams in complex, multicultural environments.
  • Progressive leadership experience in enterprise applications and digital platforms within complex, global organizations.
  • Proven track record of leading end-to-end application lifecycle management, enterprise business applications, digital engagement platforms, partnership management, fundraising and mission-critical internal systems. 
  • Experience managing large-scale digital transformation initiatives, including business process optimization, system rationalization, and stakeholder engagement across diverse geographies. 
  • Demonstrated success in strategic planning and execution of technology and business application roadmaps aligned to ICT strategy, organizational goals in multi-stakeholder environments. 
  • Strong experience working in multi-vendor environments, including contract negotiation, performance monitoring, and partnership development. 
• Skills: Expert-level understanding of enterprise architecture, application platforms, systems integration, and middleware.
  • Deep knowledge of ERP ecosystems (e.g., SAP, Oracle), CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, ServiceNow), enterprise content management platforms and open-source technologies
  • Proficiency in cloud-based services and SaaS models, application modernization, and security-by-design principles. 
  • Solid grasp of software development methodologies, including agile, DevOps, and CI/CD pipelines. 
  • Competence in data management, interoperability standards, and the use of APIs and service buses for digital connectivity.
  • Familiarity with information security frameworks, ICT risk management, compliance is an asset 
  • Good understanding and ability to implement impactful Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), automation and business.
• Functional and Leadership Skills: Strong strategic thinking and analytical capabilities to align digital platforms with organizational goals and field realities.
  • Demonstrated ability to translate business needs into digital solutions, working across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Excellent project and programme management skills, including budget oversight, risk mitigation, and vendor coordination.
  • Skilled in change management and stakeholder engagement, especially in multicultural and decentralized contexts. 
  • Strong leadership in building, motivating, and mentoring high-performing, cross-functional teams.
  • Ability to drive innovation, manage complexity, and champion digital culture change within a mission-driven organization. 
  • Highly effective communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and external partners
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
• UN interagency digital collaboration, AI/ML, automation and business intelligence, Digital Public Goods and government systems, Information security, ICT risk and compliance, Data management and governance, IT financial management and cost optimization
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of serious misconduct.

UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable.

Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these checks.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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments are conditional on the selected candidates' willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Advertised: 09 Nov 2026 Romance Standard Time
Applications close: 23 Nov 2026 Romance Standard Time

Back to search results Apply now Refer a friend