Technical Advisor - Digital Assistive Technology

To deliver high-quality, on-demand expertise in digital assistive technology across the following areas as needed.

• Provide independent advice/feedback/comments on ATscale’s strategic priorities, annual workplans, country engagements, and global goods interventions.

• Assist in defining and scoping potential interventions, including preparing terms of reference (TORs), calls for proposals, and other forms of documents for inviting potential grantees or service providers to submit proposals both at the global and country levels (e.g., country concept notes, global public goods interventions).

• Support the design, development, and improvement of technical documents, projects, and programs related to digital AT initiatives, including preparing, reviewing, and refining proposals, implementation plans, and monitoring frameworks.

• Participate in the detailed and high-quality technical and financial evaluation of proposals for their strategic value, potential impact, technical soundness, viability, and value for money based on criteria such as, but not limited to:

  • Alignment with ATscale priorities

  • Coordination with existing and planned activities

  • Inclusion of relevant stakeholders (meaningful participation)

  • Programmatic merit

  • Technical quality

• Provide expert insights on trends, opportunities, and risks in the digital assistive technology sector.

• Identify and recommend potential collaborators, including developers, innovators, and implementers, to foster digital AT initiatives.

• Lead or contribute to capacity-building activities such as webinars, workshops, and training sessions for stakeholders.

• Engage in ATscale’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning framework and its implementation as required.

• Participate in virtual meetings with wider stakeholders/partners to discuss specific initiatives, strategic discussions or others as relevant and provide recommendations.

• Offer individual consultations and expert advice through individual meetings as and when required on digital AT topics.

• Undertake other related duties as required.

• Travel may be required to attend in-person meetings or in-country reviews.

A minimum of 7 years work experince in the combined area of assistive technology and digital AT.

Following will be considered as requirements:

• Experince on digital assistive technologies, including hardware, software, and emerging trends.

• Proven experience in the design, implementation, and scaling of digital AT solutions

• Familiarity with global AT markets and stakeholders, particularly in low- and middle-income countries

• Experience working in low-and middle-income countries or with low-resource settings communities, addressing unique challenges in these contexts

• Proficiency in technical writing and documentation

• A strong publication record, with 3–5 articles in peer-reviewed academic journals or equivalent research outputs on digital AT.

• Understanding of how cultural, linguistic, and economic factors influence AT adoption and use

Following will be considered desirables:

• Working with diverse stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, DPOs, CSOs and private tech companies, and healthcare providers, to implement digital AT solutions would be an advantage.

• Familiarity with disability rights and inclusion of disability in projects and programmes, as well as a foundational understanding of the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other international instruments, and relevant frameworks and tools on Assistive Technology

• Familiarity with emerging technologies like AI, Internet of things (IoT), and wearable devices in the context of assistive solutions would be an advantage.

• Work experience in organizing policy dialogue processes with decision makers and key stakeholders will be desirable.

• Fluency, both written and spoken, in English;

• Working knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage.