Emerging Technologies and Cybersecurity Specialist

UNICEF works to protect the rights and well-being of every child, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable and excluded. In Bhutan, UNICEF supports the Royal Government and national partners to improve outcomes for children, adolescents and women areas across key sectors, including education, child protection, health, nutrition, WASH, social policy, climate resilience, communication for development and innovation. UNICEF Bhutan is also increasingly leveraging digital transformation as an enabler to strengthen programme delivery, enhance data systems, expand equitable access to services, and promote child online protection to ensure that children can benefit from safe, inclusive and equitable digital opportunities.

Bhutan is steadily advancing its digital transformation agenda, including in education and public service delivery. At the same time, the country is navigating emerging risks related to cybersecurity, data privacy, online safety, responsible use of artificial intelligence, and the growing exposure of children and young people to digital environments. UNICEF Bhutan is supporting the Government to strengthen digitalisation in education and skills development, improve protection of children in the online spaces, expand digital skills, and promote safe and responsible adoption of new and emerging technologies, including AI. Within this context, the Emerging Technologies and Cybersecurity Specialist will contribute to UNICEF Bhutan’s digital transformation and Technology for Development (T4D) agenda by helping strengthen cyber awareness, digital risk identification and mitigation, responsible use of AI and emerging technologies, and knowledge management on emerging technology applications relevant to children and adolescents. Over the course of the assignment, the UNV Specialist will primarily support UNICEF Bhutan’s exploration and responsible use of innovative digital technologies that can strengthen education, child protection and other work across programme sections and government counterparts, school systems, and youth-focused initiatives. Cybersecurity and, child online protection will be integrated as cross cutting considerations to ensure that innovation and technology use remain safe, inclusive and appropriate for children and adolescents. The UNV Specialist will be expected to help strengthen national capacities for child online protection in Bhutan by integrating cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and child protection principles. They would support the prevention, detection, and response to online risks affecting children, including online sexual exploitation and abuse (OSEA), cyberbullying, harmful content, data privacy risks, and misuse of digital technologies.

Under the direct supervision of the Education Specialist, Head of Education Section, and in close collaboration with the Child Protection Specialist, Head of Child Protection Section, the UN Volunteer Specialist will support in increasing the responsible use of emerging technologies in designing programmes for children and adolescents with considerations to cybersecurity and child online protection. The assignment is expected to involve an approximate 50% allocation of time to Education and 50% to Child Protection Programmes, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of the areas, with flexibility based on programme needs and priorities. More specifically, the UNV specialist will undertake the following main tasks: 1. Assist in mapping, analysing and exploration of emerging technology trends, relevant to UNICEF’s work in Bhutan, including AI, adaptive learning tools, assistive technologies, data analytics, digital platforms and other innovations that may enhance equitable access to learning, participation and service delivery for children and adolescents. 2. Contribute to development, adaptation and dissemination of concept notes, reports, donor updates, guidelines, checklists, and presentations related to innovation, AI and technology-enabled programming and use, cybersecurity, digital hygiene, safe data practices, and child online safety for UNICEF, schools, and youth programmes. 3. Support monitoring, documentation and communication of results, challenges, innovations and lessons learned from emerging technologies initiatives, cybersecurity, and child online protection, 4. Provide technical support to programme teams to explore safe and child-responsive use of emerging technologies, AI and data-informed tools for programme planning, learning assessment, youth engagement, knowledge management and communication, in line with UNICEF policies and ethical principles. 5. Support UNICEF Bhutan and partners in identifying, documenting and promoting practical approaches to responsible adoption of emerging technologies in programme implementation, cybersecurity, and child online protection. 6. Support the strengthening of national and subnational capacities to prevent, identify, and respond to child online harm through design and delivery of training for different stakeholders including children; and integration of child online protection into digital literacy and ICT training programmes. 7. Support the design of age-appropriate, culturally relevant online safety and digital citizenship resources for children, caregivers and community. 8. Facilitate partnership development and coordination with government agencies, schools, academia, private sector actors, civil society, youth networks and development partners to strengthen collaboration on AI literacy, cybersecurity awareness, child online protection, and digital innovation initiatives. During the first month of the assignment, the UN Volunteer will work closely with his/her direct supervisor to finalise an agreed-upon work plan. The work plan should outline key objectives and activities and include regular check ins with the supervisor to review progress and receive performance feedback.