Project Manager - Digital and AI Skilling (Open for Tier 3 Applicants)

Please note the appropriate Tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure that you are holding the applicable contract as defined below:

• Tier 1: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed term (FTA) appointments (defined as “internal” candidates)  
• Tier 2: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA) and personnel on regular PSA contracts 
• Tier 3: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kenya in partnership with the Ministry of Information, Communications and Digital Economy and Microsoft has co-created a Centre of Competence on Digital and AI Skilling for civil servants in Kenya. The center is envisioned as a multifunctional space focused on strengthening local digital ecosystems and cultivating multi-stakeholder partnerships that will accelerate digital transformation by enhancing the culture, competencies, and capacities of Governments across the continent. This project, established through the signing of the MoU between UNDP Kenya and the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy (MICDE), aims to support Kenya's digital transformation by strengthening digital and AI skills development. The project is closely aligned with Kenya's National Digital Master Plan (2022-2032), which highlights digital skills as a key pillar for national development. Leveraging UNDP's development expertise and its strategic partnership with the State Department of ICT and the Digital Economy, the initiative is well-positioned to deliver valuable technical support in advancing the Government’s digital transformation agenda.

The partnerships will range from academia, public service, private sector, and the development sector and aim to drive digital inclusion, a prerequisite to ensuring the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The objectives of the Centre of Competence for Digital and AI Skilling are:

• To improve digital competencies within the public sector to accelerate digital transformation of the public sector in Kenya.
• To enhance access to advanced technologies and thus increase efficiency, inclusion, and service delivery within government.
• To promote a culture of innovation and experimentation embedded within the public sector, resulting in a mindset and cultural shift among public servants to drive and lead inclusive transformation towards a digital government.

Duties And Responsibilities

UNDP Kenya is seeking an experienced and results-driven Project Manager to lead the development, implementation, and scale-up of the Regional Centre of Competence for Digital and AI Skilling. The Project Manager will be responsible for end-to-end project delivery, including strategic planning, curriculum development oversight, stakeholder engagement, and regional rollout. The role will also ensure alignment with national training standards, career progression frameworks, and broader digital transformation goals. This is a unique opportunity to drive systemic change in public service across Kenya and Africa.

1) Lead and Manage Project Planning Implementation

• Oversee and drive the overall implementation of the RCOC workplan in alignment with national priorities and strategies, working closely with the Government of Kenya and key development partners;
• Provide strategic direction and daily operational oversight to ensure timely and quality delivery of project outputs;
• Supervise the continued development and refinement of digital and AI skilling programs across all public servant cohorts, ensuring relevance, inclusivity, and responsiveness to government needs;
• Design and implement mechanisms to align training programs with public service career progression frameworks and national competency standards;
• Manage administrative, procurement, and financial tasks, ensuring compliance with all UNDP procedures.

2) Strengthen Partnerships and Mobilize Resources 

• Cultivate and manage partnerships across government, private sector, academia, and development partners to support the Centre’s mission and expand its reach;
• Coordinate partner onboarding and contributions (both financial and in-kind), ensuring strong engagement and collaboration across the ecosystem;
• Identify and pursue opportunities for resource mobilization to sustain and scale the initiative, including support for regional replication.

3) Oversee Learning Management System (LMS) Integration and Scale-up

• Oversee the integration of the RCOC curriculum into the government’s existing Learning Management System (LMS), ensuring it is accessible, interoperable, and user-friendly. Continuously incorporate new content and resources from ecosystem partners to enrich the learning experience;
• Collaborate with relevant partner teams to strengthen LMS functionality and enhance the overall user experience, ensuring the platform remains responsive to the evolving needs of public servants;
• Promote adoption and drive the scale-up of the LMS to support national training rollouts, while positioning it for future regional expansion across Africa.  

4) Develop and Implement National and Regional Rollout Strategies

• Lead the development of national and regional rollout strategies, including phased implementation plans, and capacity-building roadmaps;
• Coordinate cascading training models to reach a large number of public servants, including Train-the-Trainer initiatives to institutionalize digital capacity building for public service;
• Provide adaptive and agile management to address emerging implementation challenges and ensure long-term impact and sustainability.

5) Ensure Alignment with Public Service Career and Training Standards

• Ensure that training programs are recognized and integrated into Kenya’s national public service career progression systems;
• Facilitate consultations with key stakeholders, including the Public Service Commission, Ministry of Public Service, and Kenya School of Government, to harmonize skilling efforts with public sector norms and standards;
• Coordinate alignment with international frameworks where relevant, ensuring global best practices are embedded in the training model.

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

Institutional Arrangements

The Project Manager will be stationed at the UNDP Kenya Country Office and will report to the Team Leader in the Governance and Inclusive Growth Unit.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross Functional/Technical Competencies

Business Management

• Partnership Management
• Digital Awareness and Literacy
• Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies. 
• Ability to monitor new and emerging technologies, as well as understand their usage, potential, limitations, impact, and added value; 
• Ability to rapidly and readily adopt and use new technologies in professional activities, and to empower others to use them as needed;
• Knowledge of the usage of digital technologies and emerging trends.

Business Direction and Strategy

• System Thinking
• Effective Decision Making
• 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. 
• Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications. 

Digital

• Digital Ecosystem
• Data Governance
• Knowledge of how they work, understanding the opportunities and challenges for governments and society.
• Knowledge of data science, skills to develop data management tools, organize and maintain databases and operate data visualization technologies 
• Digital Business Analysis 
• Ability to support digital business processes across a range-of digital projects, programmes and activities.

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum Education Requirement:

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Data Engineering, Data Science, Digital Transformation, ICT, or related field is required, or;
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor's degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of master's degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience

• Minimum 2 years (with master´s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor´s degree) of progressively responsible experience in project management, digital transformation initiatives and technology-enabled capacity development, preferably in the public or development sector.

Required Skills

• Experience in supporting digital capacity-building initiatives or digital transformation projects at the global level;
• Demonstrated experience in managing multi-agency, cross-sector partnerships and coordination;
• Experience working in the technology sector;
• Experience in digital transformation, change management, and implementation of public sector innovation/digital initiatives;
• Hands-on experience in digital skills development, curriculum design, and cohort-based training delivery;
• Demonstrated project management capabilities, including planning, budget oversight, procurement coordination, and stakeholder engagement;
• Prior work experience with Governments.

Desired Skills in addition to the competencies covered in the competencies section

• Prior work experience within UN agencies at the Country-level;
• Experience working in an African regional context and/or supporting South-South Cooperation digital initiatives;
• Familiarity with capacity building frameworks and competency-based learning models;
• Understanding of digital and emerging tech ecosystem is an advantage;

Required Language(S)

• Fluency in English is required.

Equal Opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam Alert

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