Corporate Innovation Specialist

Result of ServiceThe Individual contractor services will help ESCAP innovate its work culture, boost the Innovation Team's work, and enhance the impact of ESCAP's work in the region. Work LocationBangkok Expected duration9 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities In close collaboration with the Innovation Team and ESCAP divisions, and under the supervision of the Innovation Team, the Corporate Innovation Specialist will support: a. The design and implementation of innovation activities and training programmes that target ESCAP personnel, foster a culture of innovation, build capacities in innovation methodologies, and support the delivery of new and improved products and services. b. The Innovation Team in coaching project teams to apply Design Thinking, Human-Centered Design, and futures methodologies in product development and strategic planning. c. ESCAP personnel in innovating their products and services using digital tools to enhance usability, user-centricity, and satisfaction. This includes assignment of licenses and management of digital innovation tools across ESCAP, including user onboarding, and offering tutorials and training for tools such as Piktochart and Mentimeter. d. Supervision and collaboration with the Business Automation Specialist to develop and implement automation solutions that enhance ESCAP’s business processes. e. The preparation, launch, implementation, review and follow ups of the annual Seed Funding exercise that provides funding to innovative projects at ESCAP. f. The preparation work for the annual ESCAP Innovation Mapping Exercise, and the Innovation Awards, including innovation networking events and recognition activities. g. The organization of innovation events, labs, training sessions, brainstorming exercises, and related team activities. h. Enhancing engagement and outreach through implementing the team's Communication and Outreach Strategy with content writing for the different communication channels. i. The development and maintenance of a knowledge management system to organize the Innovation Team’s resources, outputs, and lessons learned. j. Innovation monitoring and evaluation activities to track performance against KPIs through data collection, analysis, and report generation. k. The management of administrative operations for the Innovation Team, including procurement, coordination, and general functions. l. The recruitment and mentorship of interns within the Innovation Team. Terms of payment for satisfactory completion of contract. The IC will receive a total fee of USD 44,900. The IC will receive a fee of USD 4,500 every month upon successful completion of the assignments for the month delivering its services on a full-time basis (Monday-Friday) during 9 months from 1 October 2025 to 30 June 2026). The IC will also receive a lump sum of USD 2,200 for the delivery of output 4 and a lump sum of USD 2,200 for the delivery of output 7. Travel Details The Contractor can either work from remote or be based in Bangkok, depending on the contractor's personal preference. If working from remote, Bangkok time zone's working hours need to be respected to allow for team collaboration. If relocation to Bangkok is the desired option by the Contractor, the ESCAP team will facilitate visa procedures for the duration of the contract. No travel provisions are included as part of this contract. The contractor may relocate to Bangkok at their own expense. Qualifications/special skills• University degree in Innovation, Economics, Information Technology, Communications, or other related field or other relevant subjects is required. • Certificate course/Masters in Innovation methodologies and approaches is an advantage. Professional experience in the corporate innovation field is required. Proven experience in organizing innovation events and/or training programmes (hackathons-like events, open innovation challenges or similar) is required. Experience in implementing/supporting the implementation of design thinking and human centered methodologies is required. LanguagesExcellent communication skills (written and oral) in English are required. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.