Current vacancies

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

​​​​​The Programme Group (PG) provides global thought and technical programme leadership to achieve results for the most disadvantaged and excluded children everywhere within the overall framework of the UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022–2025 and in response to the universal scope of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

PG, working with other divisions and regional offices, leads UNICEF’s global programmatic vision to provide countries with technical assistance to boost programme excellence, as well as with support to leverage evidence, partnerships, and innovations that can be adapted and taken to scale in different country contexts – including humanitarian settings and low-, middle-, and high-income countries.

​​​PG is accountable for enabling the organization to deliver on UNICEF’s programme commitments and the related targets in the Strategic Plan, including those related to our normative mandates (gender, human rights, disabilities) and life course priorities (including the focus on early childhood and adolescence). It is also accountable for leading the implementation of key programme approaches, including community engagement, social and behaviour change, business engagement for results, humanitarian, development, and peace nexus and risk-informed programming; and to lead in the scaling up of programmatic responses to emerging priorities, such as mental health.

For every child, a fair chance.

Under the supervision and guidance of the Deputy Director, Programmes, the Programme Associate is responsible for executing a broad range of tasks for the Partnerships, Communications and Front Office teams, requiring thorough knowledge of UNICEF administrative procedures, processes and policies. The Programme Associate works in close collaboration with a variety of internal and external stakeholders and partners, from headquarters, country and regional offices to resource and implementing partners. In this capacity, the need to project the image of a credible and reliable partner is critical, and the efficiency and effectiveness of efforts directly reflects on the overall reputation of the team in terms of responsiveness to client needs and quality and impact of process execution.

How can you make a difference?

Travel

• Provides travel assistance to the Director and staff members in the team for travel arrangements and entitlements based on the organization’s rules and policies.
• Liaises with relevant travel focal points to ensure that the team obtains the best service and price for all travel.
• Briefs/de-briefs staff members on issues relating to related administrative matters such as visas, security clearance, and documentation procedures.
• Extracts, inputs, maintains, and verifies correctness of travel records in the organization’s travel system to ensure accurate transactions related to travel costs and staff travel.
• Assists in the preparation of budgets on travel costs and maintain travel plan and budgetary control records.
• Monitors travel certification and report back to the team.
• Meetings/Events/Logistics
• Support meetings and events by coordinating availability and making the logistical arrangements, through engagement with facilitators, caterers and hosts.
• Prepare and maintain agendas on meeting and events; coordinate background materials for participants and upload cleared materials where necessary.
• Liaise with budget focal points regarding costs and needs.

Budget Monitoring

• Monitors budgets and financial expenditures of the team, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations, keeping supervisor informed and advised on actions for decision/follow up.
• Provides support on budget revision/preparation, implementation status, determination position of funding utilization, operational, and financial closure.
• Prepares and maintains records, documents and control plans for the budget monitoring of project/programme implementation.
• Carries out transactions in VISION pertaining to grants for his/her section such as registering grant allotments and tracking expiring programme grants.

Communications & Workflow

• Facilitates the communications and workflow of the team to enhance the efficiency and timeliness of operations and outputs.
• Communicates routine and some non-routine information pertaining to the work of the team.
• Establishes and maintains the team’s filing and reference systems, both traditional and digital; and ensures the inter/intra-net websites are up to date and accurate.

Supplies/Equipment

• Support management of office supplies and equipment.
• Monitor adequate and appropriate use of supplies; update inventory of items as needed.
• Ensure that services and maintenance of supplies are in accordance with organizational standards.
• Arrange for the purchase and timely distribution of office supplies.

Calendar/Meetings/Correspondence Management

• Maintains the team’s calendar and arranges meetings
• Takes minutes of meetings, ensuring accuracy, attention to detail and coherence.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the field of work is required.
• For this position, a bachelor’s degree from a recognized academic institution in a relevant field may replace three years of related work experience.
  * A master’s degree may replace additional two years.
• A minimum of 6 years of relevant administrative services or clerical work experience is required.
• General Service Staff are recruited locally therefore candidates MUST be US permanent resident/citizen.
• Experience in budget and financial planning, monitoring and management is highly desirable.
• Advanced computer literacy and the ability to effectively use standard office software tools (MS Office, Enterprise database) and other office technology to create documentation, exchange and archive e-mail, and maintain electronic filing systems.
• Proficiency in using SAP/ERP systems (VISION) will be an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here