Digital Transformation Specialist

The Digital Transformation Specialist will provide senior technical leadership for the digital transformation components of the Italy–Africa Digital Development Flagship Programme. The role focuses on ensuring digital solutions are technically sound, interoperable, scalable, secure, and aligned with national digital priorities and international standards, working closely with UNDP Country Offices, national digital counterparts, and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical design and quality assurance of executive feasibility studies under the Italy-Africa Digital Flagship Programme.
• Oversee architecture design including GIS platforms, remote sensing integration, telemetry systems, IoT sensors, and climate advisory dashboards ensuring interoperability.
• Define technical architecture covering computing, cloud deployment, data storage, cybersecurity, interoperability, and AI use cases aligned with national priorities.
• Lead definition of data governance models, interoperability standards, and responsible AI frameworks compliant with international regulations.
• Coordinate with UNDP Rome Centre, national digital agencies, MAECI, and Italian partners to ensure technical coherence and institutional ownership.
• Lead design and refinement of digital transformation strategy ensuring scalability and alignment with national digital agendas.
• Define and oversee enterprise architecture frameworks for digital public infrastructure including digital identity, e-government platforms, connectivity, data governance, and interoperability.
• Conduct and validate technical feasibility analyses and ICT landscape reviews with UNDP Country Offices and national counterparts.
• Provide technical advisory to government ministries, national digital agencies, and partners on system architecture, technology stack, cybersecurity, and data protection.
• Lead technical due diligence ensuring alignment with international standards and sustainable vendor-neutral architecture.
• Manage technology workstream ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery of digital components.
• Establish and manage programme governance structures including steering committees, change control boards, risk registers, and issue logs.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation including solution design, specifications, procurement documents, test strategies, and acceptance criteria.
• Oversee technical quality assurance and acceptance testing of digital systems.
• Provide input to project formulation documents, results frameworks, and monitoring and evaluation plans related to digital components.
• Lead development of cybersecurity strategies and frameworks informed by ISO/IEC 27001 and NIST CSF.
• Advise on data protection legislation, data sovereignty, privacy-by-design principles, and international frameworks such as GDPR.
• Conduct IT risk assessments, develop mitigation strategies and contingency plans.
• Ensure digital systems incorporate access control, audit trail, and incident response capabilities.
• Serve as senior technical interlocutor with government counterparts and strategic partners including financial institutions, donors, and private sector.
• Provide technical inputs to investment cases, concept notes, and bankable project documents.
• Design and deliver capacity development sessions, technical workshops, and knowledge-sharing events.
• Represent UNDP at technical conferences, inter-agency forums, and bilateral meetings.
• Monitor global trends in digital public infrastructure, open-source digital public goods, AI-enabled public services, cloud adoption, and emerging connectivity technologies.
• Support identification and piloting of innovative digital tools to accelerate SDG delivery.
• Contribute to UNDP’s global knowledge base through lessons learned, technical briefs, and replicable frameworks.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Electrical / Telecommunications Engineering, Public Administration, Public Policy, or International Development with a strong ICT focus, Business Administration with specialization in Digital Transformation is required.
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in digital transformation, ICT programme management, and digital strategy.
• At least 5 years’ experience in an international development context and/or with government entities in developing countries.
• Demonstrated expertise in enterprise/solution architecture, digital strategy, and ICT systems design.
• Experience leading technical design and quality assurance of feasibility studies and digital public infrastructure projects.
• Knowledge of international standards such as ITU, ISO, NIST, and principles of open-source and digital public goods.
• Experience in cybersecurity strategies, data governance, and risk management frameworks.
• Ability to coordinate multi-stakeholder environments and align diverse partner expectations.
• Experience in capacity development, technical advisory, and stakeholder engagement.
• Fluency in written and oral English is required.
• Fluency in written and oral Italian is desired.

Skills

• Digital Transformation
• ICT Programme Management
• Digital Strategy Design
• Enterprise Architecture
• Solution Architecture leadership
• ICT Systems Design
• Technical Design
• Quality Assurance
• Feasibility Studies
• Digital Public Infrastructure
• International Standards
• ITU Standards
• ISO Standards Compliance
• NIST standards
• Open Source Principles
• Digital Public Goods
• Cybersecurity Strategies
• Data Governance
• Financial Risk Frameworks
• Capacity Development
• Technical Advisory
• Stakeholder Engagement

Languages

English, Italian