Impact Evaluation & AI​/ML Specialist

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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  every child, the right to a Future

UNICEF’s evaluation function is largely decentralized. It includes senior-level regional evaluation advisers and multi-country evaluation specialists based in its five regions, as well as dedicated country-level evaluation focal points who provide full- or part-time support to evaluation efforts. The function conducts a diverse portfolio of independent, credible, and impartial evaluations, including corporate thematic, institutional effectiveness, humanitarian, country-led, and impact evaluations. These efforts ensure that UNICEF systematically uses evaluation evidence to enhance its effectiveness and deliver better results for children.

This P4 Evaluation Specialist (Impact Evaluation & AI/Machine Learning) position is based in UNICEF's Evaluation Office (EO) and reports to the Senior Evaluation Specialist/Chief of Section (P5) within the Global programme effectiveness and impact evaluation portfolio. Impact evaluation specialists within the team provide specialized technical expertise to ensure high-quality, agile evaluation delivery and timely support for emerging needs globally and from decentralized offices.

They strengthen advanced impact evaluation methodologies, including through use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and through partnerships with public and private sector actors at global and decentralized  2023, the EO launched the UNICEF Evaluation of Impact Strategy and Action Framework 2022–2025, establishing institutional priorities for a strategic approach to generating and using evidence of the impacts of UNICEF-supported interventions, including evidence of their cost-effectiveness.

The Impact Catalyst Fund (ICF) serves as the strategy's main incentive mechanism. Currently, two thematic windows and nine impact evaluations are underway with country offices, with two additional thematic windows proposed for  parallel to these developments, the evaluation function has made a commitment to expand its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in its evaluations, including in its impact evaluations.

It is anticipated that internal capacity in AI and ML will need to develop further in the years ahead while external expertise will also need to be procured.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direction, guidance, and supervision of the Senior Evaluation Specialist / Chief of the Programme and Impact Evaluation portfolio, the Evaluation Specialist (Impact Evaluation & AI/Machine Learning) is responsible for implementing UNICEF’s Impact Evaluation Strategy. This role focuses on expanding the use of rigorous impact evaluations (e.g., randomized controlled trials) across a wide range of programmatic and cross-thematic areas.

The Evaluation Specialist will lead the technical planning and execution of multi-country impact evaluation portfolios, offering hands-on expertise in impact evaluation design (including e.g. sampling calculations, inter-class correlations), econometric data analysis, and report writing. S/He will also provide technical support and quality assurance for decentralized impact evaluations, promote the expansion of impact evaluation coverage across UNICEF programmes, and support learning and capacity development for UNICEF staff and partners.

An essential…