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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, commitment

UNICEF procurement services function including pre-financing support to governments and supply chain operations will continue to be a strategic element in sustaining and expanding access to essential supplies for children and their families in many programme countries.

Many of Supply Division’s approaches and solutions to support the adequate financing of supplies will continue to be expanded in the next strategic period 2026-2029. However, there is also a need to identify, build and strengthen new and current partnerships and supply and logistics solutions to support the provision of essential supplies and accelerate results for children in a post-pandemic “new normal” and poly-crisis environment.

The changing landscape, including the recent development of exciting partnerships, vis-a-vis UNICEF’s Supply Function’s support to AU Member States, including via UNICEF’s Procurement Services function.  Within the framework of UNICEF’s Africa Strategy, and contributing to UNICEF’s localization agenda, UNICEF has expanded its partnership with Africa CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention), to initially focus on four outcomes: (1) Supply chain management (building Africa CDC’s supply function); (2) -Stronger, more equitable primary health care, and emergency preparedness and response; (3) Pooled procurement; and (4) – African manufacturing.

How can you make a difference? 

The institutional building of Africa CDC will require a dedicated team focusing on the day-to-day support and engagement with Africa CDC staff to facilitate skills transfer and coordination of the Africa CDC and UNICEF Expanded partnership joint workplan activities. The Partnership Specialist is responsible for the coordination, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of partnership engagement strategies to achieve positive outcomes for the Africa CDC and UNICEF expanded partnership, further outlined below:

1. Implement the work plan for assigned area, in order to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of results, in accordance with UNICEF’s and Africa CDC expanded partnership strategy.
2. Seeks and promotes new partnerships and resource mobilization, working with UNICEF colleagues and Africa CDC to identify partnership and resource mobilization needs and broker resource mobilization agreements to meet those needs.
3. Receives and screens inquiries from potential collaborators and facilitates communication with appropriate UNICEF and Africa CDC staff. Scans and scouts external environment within designated partnership area for opportunities and risks and shares information in a timely fashion with relevant UNICEF and Africa CDC staff.
4. Provides strategic, logistical and programmatic support to senior management and other UNICEF and Africa CDC staff in corporate engagement and interaction with assigned partners.
5. Develops and maintains deep knowledge and familiarity with current and prospective partners and relevant stakeholders, contributing to a database of key contacts and to Africa CDC ’s base of knowledge on partnership and resource mobilization.
6. Expands UNICEF’s and Africa CDC’s network of key interlocutors to build stronger relationships between Africa CDC , and governments, other key-decision makers, regional development institutions, foundations, civil society organizations, international financial institutions and/or other relevant constituencies.
7. Develops and implements annual partnership engagement and resource mobilization plans.
8. Acts as a focal point for identification and pursuit of opportunities for outreach, engagement, policy influence and collaboration, including on how to anticipate and respond to partners’ concerns and priorities, ensure that UNICEF’s and Africa CDC’s interests, perspectives, and knowledge are taken into account in relevant policy and institutional processes, and ensure that they are fully aware of UNICEF’s and Africa CDC’s perspectives, policies, priorities and capabilities. Contribute to the development and management of initiatives for high-level outreach, including for UNICEF’s and Africa CDC’s Senior Management.
9. Contributes to the development of new partnership and resource mobilization practices and approaches by formulating recommendations for action based on on-going monitoring, analyzing current trends within designated partners and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development.
10. Contributes to strategies for engagement and the development of communications products to enhance Africa CDC’s visibility and influence with existing and prospective partners and key stakeholders by providing analysis of the current environment and trends and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development. Works closely with UNICEF’s colleagues and Africa CDC staff to ensure that policy advocacy and outreach is strongly grounded in the experience and insights of the Expanded Partnership outcomes . Contributes written inputs for communications instruments that best inform and influence decision makers.
11. Performs other related duties as assigned by the supervisor to ensure the success of the team, including guiding, training, and coaching short-term staff, including interns and consultants, as needed.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree is required in one of the following fields: international relations, political science, communications, international development, or another relevant technical field.
• Work Experience: A minimum of five years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public affairs, programme management, resource mobilization, external relations, or other relevant area.

• Skills: 

• Diplomatic communication and negotiation skills to establish and maintain trusted partnerships for achievement of objectives and to develop close and effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Current knowledge of development issues, strategies, as well as programming policies and procedures in international development cooperation. 
• In-depth knowledge of partnership development and resource mobilization.
• Demonstrated ability to formulate new approaches in respect of resources management and outreach- related activities.
• In-depth familiarity with political and governmental processes
• Ability to conduct sound policy analysis.

• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is 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…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) 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 measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, 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.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.