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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 fulfill 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. 

For every child, hope. 

Consultancy Title: Youth Innovation Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Generation Unlimited (YPA) Secretariat, Programme Group - NYHQ

Duration: January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ - REMOTE

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education, and the protection of children from violence and exploitation. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

Generation Unlimited is a global multi-sector partnership launched in 2018, dedicated to ensuring that every young person is in education, learning, training, or employment by 2030. By mobilizing resources and engaging partners from public, private, and youth sectors, GenU addresses the global youth skills and employment crisis. It supports country-level initiatives and drives global solutions to improve education, skills development, and youth employability, with a focus on equity and innovation.

Yoma Initiative

As a GenU innovative pilot solution, Yoma empowers young people by providing pathways for skills development, social impact, and livelihoods. Yoma creates a dynamic ecosystem where youth navigate structured opportunities, build skills, and connect to economic prospects. The initiative focuses on reaching marginalized youth and offers diverse programs that facilitate the transition from learning to earning. By integrating partners from across sectors, Yoma aims to create a sustainable environment for young people to thrive and secure meaningful futures.

Role Overview: Youth Innovation Consultant

Yoma, as a youth-centered digital ecosystem, connects young people to impactful opportunities, bridging the gap between learning and earning. With partners like SAP, Accenture, Standard Chartered, CapGemini, Goodwall, and others, several innovation pilots are currently underway. These pilots aim to empower youth through digital skills, green economy roles, entrepreneurship pathways, and employment pipelines across multiple regions and countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and the Philippines. Each pilot leverages Yoma’s dynamic platform to deliver meaningful learning experiences, incentivize participation, and foster long-term social and economic impact.

The Youth Innovation Consultant will play a critical role in assessing these pilots, ensuring that each initiative follows an innovation-led approach. This includes maintaining a focus on youth-centered design, iterative development, and feedback loops to align with young people's evolving needs. The consultant will assess each pilot’s progress and recommend adaptations to optimize outcomes and maximize impact. Throughout the year, the consultant will facilitate the integration of real-time youth feedback into program iterations and ensure the continuous relevance of the pilots.

Scope of Work:

The consultant’s role involves submitting reports for each pilot—evaluating their innovation, youth engagement, and overall impact. These assessments will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of what works across the pilots and inform scaling strategies. These reports will also document lessons learned, tracking how different approaches succeed or require adaptation. By the end of the implementation year, the consultant will provide detailed insights and recommendations for pilot projects to refine future interventions and enhance the Yoma ecosystem’s role in empowering young people globally.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignment Overview 

Deliverables/ Outputs

Delivery deadline

Pilot 1: Digital Skills Pathway – Educate to Employ:

This pilot provides underserved youth with digital skills training aligned with SAP technologies. It equips participants for in-demand roles, such as Associate Developer and Consultant, through flexible learning modules on Yoma. The program bridges the gap between skills development and job placements by integrating SAP’s industry connections   

• Digital Skills Pathway Report

Evaluate the pilot's impact on participants' skill acquisition and job readiness. Provide recommendations for scaling SAP’s skilling modules and maintaining youth-centered program delivery.

31 March 2025

Pilot 2: Green Economy Innovation – Green Yoma

This pilot promotes green skills development through hands-on activities and challenges focused on environmental impact. Youth engage in reforestation projects, waste reduction initiatives, and climate advocacy while building green economy competencies.

• Green Economy Innovation Report

Analyze how the pilot supports youth-led climate action and assess the potential for expanding green jobs within the Yoma framework. Highlight key learning outcomes and propose improvements for future cycles.

31 May 2025

Pilot 3: Youth Employment Pipeline – Links to Work

This pilot connects young women from Nigeria and Kenya with job opportunities through partnerships with local job platforms (e.g., Fuzu, Jobberman). Participants receive job search support, career coaching, and ongoing monitoring to ensure job retention and satisfaction.

• Youth Employment Pipeline Report

Measure key metrics such as job placement rates, retention outcomes, and participant feedback. Provide insights on scaling the employment pipeline and strengthening partnerships with local employers.

31 July 2025

Pilot 4: Digital Youth Engagement Team

This pilot sees the formation of a youth engagement team to drive youth engagement across learning and impact outcomes. The goal is to sustain youth engagement through continuous learning and social interaction, encouraging knowledge sharing among peers           

• Youth Engagement Team Report

Evaluate the Team's performance in engaging users and fostering learning outcomes. Offer recommendations for expanding the module offerings and enhancing engagement strategies.

30 Sep 2025

Overview: Cross-Pilot Innovation Standardization

Support a consolidated innovative approach to ensure consistency in tracking key metrics across all pilots. The focus is on youth engagement, employment outcomes, learning effectiveness, and sustainability, ensuring each pilot’s success informs future programming. 

• Cross-Pilot Innovation Report

Provide a comprehensive overview of all pilots, synthesizing learnings, challenges, and successes. Present actionable recommendations for future programming and scaling across the Yoma ecosystem.

31 Dec 2025

Qualifications

Education:

• *A Master University Degree in a relevant field such as International Development, Social Innovation, Public Policy, Environmental Studies, or Business Administration.

Language Proficiency:

Fluency in English (written and spoken); additional language skills in French or African languages are an asset.

Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• Professional Experience: At least 4 years of experience leading or supporting youth-focused innovation projects, particularly in areas such as digital skills development, green economy roles, or entrepreneurship.
• Ecosystem Strategy and Systems Thinking: Expertise in designing, managing, scaling, and/or operating within large-scale skilling and employment ecosystems with sustainable, impactful outcomes.
• Youth-Centered Program Development and Innovation: Experience developing, implementing, and iterating programs focused on youth engagement, skills development, and entrepreneurship, integrating continuous feedback to ensure relevance and impact.
• Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships and Policy Engagement: Proven ability to cultivate and manage partnerships across public, private, and non-profit sectors while collaborating effectively on policy initiatives aligned with strategic goals.
• Agile Project Management and Remote Coordination: Proficiency in managing projects using agile methodologies, including iterative design and prototyping, with the ability to coordinate stakeholders across geographies remotely.
• Data Analytics and Monitoring for Impact: Skilled in data analysis tools for assessing and tracking program outcomes and using data-driven insights to guide decision-making and enhance program performance.
• International Development: Experience working with international organizations (e.g., UNICEF, World Bank) or similar institutions on multi-country programs.
• Ecosystem and Partnership Management: Proven track record in managing partnerships with public, private, and non-profit stakeholders, aligning efforts to drive impact and innovation across sectors.
• Agile Project Management and Remote Work Proficiency: Experience using agile methodologies (e.g., iterative development, rapid prototyping) to manage complex projects remotely across time zones and geographies.
• Data Analysis and Monitoring Skills: Proficiency in using data analytics and visualization tools (e.g. R, Python, STATA Tableau) to monitor program outcomes and support data-informed decision-making.
• Global South Experience and Cross-Cultural Communication: Extensive work experience in the Global South, particularly in Africa, with the ability to work effectively in cross-cultural environments.

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.