Digital Transformation, AI and Data Specialist, Ankara, Türkiye

General

Description of assignment title: Digital Transformation, AI and Data Specialist

Assignment country: Türkiye

Duty stations: Ankara

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 09/12/2026

Duration: 12 months(with possibility of extension)Long-term benefits and allowances

Sustainable Development Goal: 10. Reduced inequalities

Host entity: UNRCO

Modality: Onsite

Type: International

Volunteer category: Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives:

• The Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) serves as the strategic platform of the United Nations development system at country level. Its mission is to lead, coordinate, and align the UN's collective expertise and resources in support of Türkiye's national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring coherent, effective, and inclusive implementation. The Resident Coordinator is the designated representative of and reports to the UN Secretary-General.
• The RCO's core objective is to strengthen system-wide coordination, enabling the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) to operate as a unified, results-driven partner to the Government. It ensures that policy advice, programming, and partnerships are aligned with national frameworks while advancing inclusive, sustainable, and rights-based development.
• The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Türkiye, under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator, supports the Government of the Republic of Türkiye in advancing national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the framework of the 2026-2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF): https://turkiye.un.org/sites/default/files/2025-12/UNSDCF_2026-2030_Turkiye_Final_26112025.pdf. The UNSDCF provides the overarching structure for this collaboration, ensuring that the UN system delivers measurable impact in line with national priorities and global commitments.
• For the 2026-2030 period, the UNCT focuses on four strategic priorities under the UNSDCF, in line with the twelfth National Development Plan of Türkiye:
• Inclusive and equitable social development
• Outcome 1.1 By 2030, people benefit more from inclusive quality services, protection, and empowerment promoting equity and resilience.
• Outcome 1.2: By 2025, women and girls have improved and equal access to resources, opportunities, and Green, resilient, inclusive economic development
• Outcome 2.1: By 2030, Turkiye has an accelerated green, resilient, and inclusive economic transformation that provides skills, decent work, and livelihood opportunities for all, enhancing human development, and welfare in urban and rural settings.
• Climate change, Environmental Sustainability and Resilience
• Outcome 3.1: By 2030, all people benefit from strengthened policies and collaborative action for climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental sustainability as well as enhanced disaster preparedness and resilience.
• Good governance and quality judiciary services
• Outcome 4.1: By 2030, the governance system in Türkiye is more transparent, accountable, inclusive, and rights-based, with active civil society participation, and the quality of judiciary services is improved.
• Outcome 4.2: By 2030, the international protection and migration management system is more effective and holistic, upholding rights of People under the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (PLFIP).

Context:

• The Twelfth Development Plan (2024-2028) sets digital and green transformation as pivotal axes of sustainable development. This national vision focuses on robust AI infrastructure, high-impact R&D ecosystems, and the evolution of digital governance. Aligned with these priorities, the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2026-2030 positions digital connectivity as a key enabler for all development outcomes.
• At the global level, the UN Secretary-General's Roadmap for Digital Cooperation calls on the UN system to lead by example: championing digital public goods, closing persistent digital divides, ensuring that AI is developed in a trustworthy and human-rights-respecting manner, and strengthening the architecture for inclusive, multi-stakeholder digital governance. Regionally, Türkiye plays a strategic role at the intersection of Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, positioning it as a key actor in shaping agendas across neighbouring regions including on digital protection.
• Within this context, the Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO) supports bridging government strategy and national priorities with technical expertise across UN agencies, and support financing and multistakeholder partnerships (IFIs, private sector, academia).
• The Digital Transformation, AI and Data Specialist will serve as the RCO's focal point on digital and emerging technology issues; support the RCO (DMO) in strengthening data-driven coordination across the UN system; and support the UNCT to both practice and promote responsible, inclusive digital transformation throughout the 2026-2030 Cooperation Framework cycle.

Task description:

• Under the direct supervision of the Head of Resident Coordinator, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• 1. Support the UNCT, Results Groups, and RCO in leveraging AI, digital transformation, and data innovation in implementing UNSDCF
• - Identify and analyse emerging trends in digital technologies, artificial intelligence and innovation, translating insights into actionable recommendations to UNCT aligned with the Cooperation Framework and UNCT priorities.
• - Support UNCT, Results Groups and UN entities in integrating digital, AI and data-driven approaches into programme design, implementation and monitoring, including contributions to Common Country Analysis (CCA) and Cooperation Framework (CF)
• - Support development of Joint Programme proposals related to digital transformation and innovation
• - Provide data analysis and visualization support
• - Support the operationalisation of the Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, with particular attention to groups at risk of digital exclusion: women and girls, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and youth not in employment or education or training among others.
• 2. Support the digitalization of UN operational and programmatic processes
• - Identify opportunities for applying AI across programme design and delivery, monitoring and evaluation, data management and reporting, communications and knowledge management, and administrative process automation
• - Support the RCO with the design and development of AI-enabled tools and prototypes to drive innovation and efficiency in the UN Türkiye in collaboration with diverse working groups
• 3. Inclusive and ethical use of AI and data & accessibility
• - Support the establishment of an ethical framework for AI use within the RCO and UNCT, ensuring alignment with UN principles on human rights, data privacy, transparency, and accountability
• - Promote and ensure universal accessibility standards including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) across all UN-supported digital initiatives and content
• 4. Knowledge management and internal capacity building
• - Assess existing data management systems and digital tools within the UNCT and contribute to strengthened knowledge management and sharing.
• - Organize and deliver workshops, training sessions, knowledge sharing sessions, and practical labs on AI fundamentals and use cases, digital tools for development, data analytics, and digital accessibility
• - Support the development of training materials, user guides, technical documentation tailored to UN staff and national partners
• - Document and disseminate best practices, case studies, and lessons learned
• - Support the maintenance, optimization, and secure use of collaboration platforms (e.g., shared workspaces, cloud tools), and data management systems
• 5. Partnership
• - Support the RCO (PDF / UNIC) collaboration with universities, startups, private sector actors, public institutions aligning with the NDP and CF
• - Support the development of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in digital transformation
• - Collaborate with regional and global UN teams working on AI, data science, and digital innovation
• 6. Communication
• - Support advocacy on digital transformation, AI for development, and inclusive digital ecosystems and contribute to communication products including briefs, articles, visual content, and technical notes
• 7. Support RCO in other tasks as required.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 3 years

Donor priorities:

• .

Nationality: Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Additional eligibility criteria:

• This assignment is funded by the Government of Korea and therefore specific criteria apply:
• - Candidates must be Korean nationals. Fluency in Korean is required.
• - Candidates must be 27 years of age at the time of application.
• - Candidates who have already served as UN Volunteer Specialist funded by the Government of Korea are not eligible to apply (former UN University and UN Youth Volunteers are eligible).
• - Serving UN Volunteers will not be considered for other UN Volunteer assignments until they reach three (3) months before the end of contract date of their current UN Volunteer assignment. This provision applies equally to first and subsequent contracts.
• - Candidates may apply to a maximum of three assignments and indicate the order of preference in the 'Additional remarks' field when filling in the application form.
• - Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The selection will be done by the UN Host Entity at the level of the country of assignment.
• APPLICATION DEADLINE: 19 July 2026
• +++ UN Volunteer entitlement calculator: https://app.unv.org/calculator +++

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience:

• 3 years

Languages:

• English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Information Systems, Digital Transformation, Engineering, Human-Technology Interaction, Technology Governance, Public Policy, Business or any other related field. Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Information Systems, Digital Transformation, Engineering, Human-Technology Interaction, Technology Governance, Public Policy, Business or any other related field.

Competencies and values:

• Accountability
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Client Orientation
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Communication
• Creativity
• Ethics and Values
• Knowledge Sharing
• Planning and Organizing
• Professionalism
• Respect for Diversity
• Technological Awareness
• Working in Teams

Skills and experience:

• Experience in:
• - Experience in digital transformation, AI, data science, or related fields
• - Experience translating technical concepts, data analysis, or digital trends into policy, programme, or strategic recommendations for non-technical audiences
• - Experience working in multi-stakeholder environments, including collaboration across technical and non-technical teams
• Skills in:
• - Ability to design, prototype, test, and iterate digital solutions is highly desirable
• - Ability to conduct structured research and translate complex technical or data-driven insights into clear, concise, and actionable written outputs (e.g., briefs, notes, recommendations) tailored to policy and programme audiences
• - Proficiency in data analysis (e.g., Excel, Python, PowerBI, ArcGIS or other) to process and interpret structured and unstructured data, develop visualizations or dashboards, and translate analytical outputs into actionable insights for decision-making
• - Knowledge of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG), assistive technologies, and user-centred design approaches
• - Understanding of and ability to apply principles related to ethical AI, data protection, inclusion, and human rights in digital systems
• - Ability to rapidly learn and adapt to new tools, frameworks, and technologies

Area(s) of expertise:

• Development programmes, Information technology

Driving license:

• -

Other information