Senior Consultant

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Under the supervision of a Contracts Specialist from the Digital Supply Unit, the Senior Consultant will lead and advise on large-scale procurement initiatives for Internet connectivity and associated services for schools and healthcare centres, primarily for the African continent, in compliance with Giga's technical requirements and local country's expectations. This role requires a strategic thinker and execution-oriented professional with deep knowledge of the public procurement lifecycle, connectivity service specifics and challenges, vendor negotiation, and compliance with regional and international procurement standards.

The consultancy is office-based, in Geneva. UNICEF will facilitate the process for obtaining local permits exclusively for the consultant, excluding any dependents. (For more information on Non-staff members IO based in Geneva, you can visit this link).

Consultancy scope of work

1. Procurement Strategy & Design:

• Develop and lead procurement strategies at very large scale for Internet connectivity service scope, including, but not limited to:
• Connectivity and communication services, such as internet bandwidth, telecom infrastructure, and managed services;
• Cloud-based solutions and data hosting to support digital tools deployed under Giga;
• Software development and platform services, including SaaS tools for school mapping, contract management, and performance monitoring;
• Digital tools and applications, including geospatial platforms, data visualization dashboards, and mobile/web apps to enable school connectivity tracking;
• ICT hardware and equipment to support school- and country-level infrastructure needs.
• Structure and oversee competitive tendering processes in accordance with UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations and local, regional, and international public procurement laws.
• Support the development of technical tender documents such as Statements of Work (SOWs) and Terms of Reference (TORs) in collaboration with Giga teams and technical partners.

2. Market Engagement & Tender Management:

• Conduct market sounding and supplier prequalification to identify suitable vendors.
• Draft and review RFPs, RFIs, evaluation criteria, and contract documentation.
• Manage vendor selection, bid evaluations, and contract award processes, including contract term drafting and negotiations until the signature of UNICEF Institutional Contracts and Long-Term Agreements (LTAs) with the selected suppliers

3. Advisory & Capacity Building:

• Advise on scalable sourcing and deployment approaches to maximize value for money and efficiency.
• Provide support and help skill up UNICEF team for Giga as required.

4. Project Management & Risk Mitigation:

• Monitor procurement timelines, risk mitigation strategies, and vendor compliance.
• Ensure quality assurance and adherence to procurement best practices.
• Work as a team with the other members of UNICEF procurement team for Giga.
• Report progress, issues and achievements to GIGA stakeholders.

5. Cross-functional Coordination:

• Collaborate with legal, technical, financial, and project delivery teams to ensure alignment across the different procurement steps and subsequent implementation phases.
• Liaise with Country Offices, Regional Offices, and global partners as needed, to support joint procurement, benchmarking, and efficient delivery of digital solutions.
• Support UNICEF internal processes such as UNICEF Contract Review Committee (CRC) submission.
• Assist with representing the Giga procurement function in internal and external meetings, workshops, and consultations.

How can you make a difference?

The consultant will be responsible for ensuring that the following deliverables are achieved:

1. Procurement Strategy & Design:

• Procurement Strategy Document.

• Internet Connectivity service design for all types of schools and health facilities in scope.

• Connectivity service operating model to support digital tools deployed under Giga and connection with Giga SaaS tools for school mapping, contract management, and performance monitoring.

• ICT hardware and equipment validation and documentation to support school- and country-level infrastructure needs.

• Requirement Documentation (SoW, ToR, etc) for tendering processes in accordance with UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations and local, regional, and international public procurement laws.

Delivery deadline:

2. Market Engagement & Tender Management

• Market survey and supplier prequalification to identify suitable vendors.

• Define RFPs, RFIs, evaluation criteria, and contract documentation.

• Manage vendor selection, bid evaluations, and contract award processes, including contract term drafting and negotiations until contract signature.

Delivery deadline:

3. Advisory & Capacity Building

• Scalable sourcing and deployment approach document.

• Provide support and help skill up UNICEF team for Giga as required.

Delivery deadline:

4. Market Engagement & Tender Management

• Market survey and supplier prequalification to identify suitable vendors.

• Define RFPs, RFIs, evaluation criteria, and contract documentation.

• Manage vendor selection, bid evaluations, and contract award processes, including contract term drafting and negotiations until contract signature.

Delivery deadline:

5. Project Management & Risk Mitigation

• Document procurement timelines, risk mitigation strategies, and vendor compliance.

• Monitor and document quality assurance and adherence to procurement best practices.

• Report progress, issues and achievements to Giga stakeholders.

Delivery deadline:

6. Cross-functional Coordination

• Collaborate with legal, technical, financial, and project delivery teams to ensure alignment and sign-off of all stakeholders.

• Liaise with Country Offices, Regional Offices, and global partners as needed, to support joint procurement, benchmarking, and efficient delivery of digital solutions. Support UNICEF internal processes such as UNICEF Contract Review Committee (CRC) submission.

• Assist with representing the Giga procurement function in internal and external meetings, workshops, and consultations.

Delivery deadline:

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education:
   Advanced university degree (Master's Degree) in Procurement, Contract/Commercial Law, Business Administration, Economics, Supply Chain Management, Information Technology or related field is required.
• Work Experience:
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in procurement, with a strong focus on connectivity, telecom, or ICT infrastructure projects, including:
• Internet connectivity solutions (e.g. satellite, fiber, LTE)
• Network and related hardware (routers, switches, solar backup systems)
• ICT implementation and Support Service (e.g. managed services, maintenance, service monitoring)
• Skills:
• Ability to resolve difficult, complex and sensitive situations often under pressure.
• Ability to clearly and concisely express ideas and concepts in written and oral form.
• Ability to work strategically to realize organizational goals, develop strategies, set clear visions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with ability to produce high-quality procurement documentation and establish and maintain trusted partnerships for achievement of objectives and to develop close and effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Sound capacity for planning, organizing and reporting on complex and large-scale tasks.
• Ability to identify and analyze systemic issues, formulate opinions and make conclusions and recommendations to resolve the same.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end supply chain processes, from client's needs assessment, through planning, procurement and contracting, logistics and delivery, monitoring and evaluation.
• Sound technical understanding of network and/or internet connectivity technologies and associated challenges.
• Culturally sensitive, with experience working in diverse, multilingual environments.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale procurement processes.
• Strong computer skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint. SAP is a plus.
• Ability and willingness to integrate and adapt quickly to a new environment, cross-country team and complex project.
• Language Requirements:
   Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Desirables:

• Public or donor-funded initiative experience is highly desirable.
• Experience working in or with African organisations and/or telecom suppliers for a delivery in Africa is preferred.
• Strong overall knowledge and understanding of UNICEF programmes, public procurement principles, financial and legal aspects of supply chain issues, ethics and risk management of supply chain operations.
• Experience in cross-border or regional connectivity projects e.g. supporting multi-country coordination for concurrent procurement initiatives is a plus.
• Understanding of cyber security risks, compliance with standard terms and conditions addressing information and data security, and related best practices is considered an asset.
• Experience in market research and outreach, especially in emerging and frontier markets is highly desirable.
• Understanding of contractual frameworks for aggregated purchasing or pooled procurement, ideally across multiple countries or regions is highly desirable.
• CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) or equivalent is desirable.
• PMP or Prince2 is a plus.

How to apply

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

1. Cover letter/application.
2. Daily rate and all-inclusive lumpsum for this consultancy.
3. At least 3 Reference contacts.
4. A copy of your highest diploma.

Advertised:
 09 Oct 2025 W. Europe Daylight Time

Deadline:
 26 Oct 2025 W. Europe Standard Time