Consultant for Portfolio 2.0

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, established in 1946, operates in over 190 countries and territories with a mission to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential. The organization is committed to promoting the rights of every child and offers diverse opportunities for professional and personal development. UNICEF has a strong focus on innovation, particularly through its Sustainable WASH Innovation Hub based in Copenhagen, which aims to identify and scale climate-resilient water and sanitation solutions.

Job Overview:
The role of the Consultant for Portfolio 2.0 is crucial for the Sustainable WASH Innovation Hub at UNICEF. This position involves reviewing and adapting the portfolio structure to enhance the identification of promising solutions and ensure effective support for high-impact innovations. The consultant will also design a second tier of support for high-value solutions that may not have immediate high impact but are valuable for women and children. The goal is to strengthen collaboration and knowledge management while introducing a differentiated innovation portfolio architecture, referred to as 'Portfolio 2.0'. This new approach aims to leverage UNICEF's unique position to support scaling a range of innovations into a two-tiered model, which includes High Impact Solutions, Potential Transformative Solutions, and Added Value Solutions. The consultant will be responsible for defining and detailing these categories to cultivate WASH innovations effectively.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be tasked with several key responsibilities, including:

• Reviewing and adapting the existing portfolio structure to improve the identification of promising solutions.
• Designing a second tier of support for high-value solutions that may have lower impact but are essential for addressing sustainable WASH services targets.
• Strengthening collaboration and knowledge management within the Hub.
• Introducing a more differentiated innovation portfolio architecture ('Portfolio 2.0') to accelerate impact toward SDG
• Organizing solutions into defined groups, including High Impact Solutions, Potential Transformative Solutions, and Added Value Solutions.
• Clearly defining and detailing the categories of the portfolio to enhance the cultivation of WASH innovations.
• Collaborating with various stakeholders, including government, NGOs, private sector, and academia, to source and manage innovations effectively.
• Designing intake workflows, classification systems, and coordination mechanisms for portfolio items.
• Conducting organizational capacity assessments and mapping competencies to design staffing or resourcing models.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in fields such as Innovation, International Development, Public Policy, Business Administration, Engineering, Social Sciences, or a related technical field. A first degree with two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree. Additionally, candidates should have a minimum of 5 years of professional experience in innovation management, portfolio design, or strategic program management in development or humanitarian settings. They must demonstrate experience in designing innovation portfolios, including multitiered architectures and operational models, and have a strong understanding of governance frameworks, policies, and risk management related to innovation.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in relevant fields such as Innovation, International Development, Public Policy, Business Administration, Engineering, Social Sciences, or a related technical field. Candidates with a first degree and additional relevant experience may also be considered.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 5 years of professional experience in innovation management, portfolio design, or strategic program management within development or humanitarian contexts. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in designing innovation portfolios and operationalizing governance frameworks, as well as a proven ability to translate strategy into operational processes.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required for this position. Knowledge of another UN language is considered an asset, and familiarity with the WASH sector or climate-resilient development is highly desirable.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy will involve travel, and applicants must include travel costs and daily subsistence allowance in their financial proposal. Payment will be based on the submission of agreed deliverables, and UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment if the deliverables do not meet the required standards. Interested applicants must submit a technical and financial proposal, with the technical proposal not exceeding 10 pages. UNICEF promotes a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, or background. The organization has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct incompatible with its aims and objectives.