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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.

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For every child, rights

In Nigeria, UNICEF works in a complex humanitarian and development setting to fulfill and protect children's rights in partnership with the government, civil society, children, and families.  UNICEF Nigeria is one of the largest UNICEF Country Offices globally - click the link to learn more about UNICEF in Nigeria: https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/

Background:

Polio eradication is a corporate priority for UNICEF globally. Although there are only two remaining countries where polio is still endemic, unfortunately, the number and scale of polio outbreaks has continued to exceed expectations. Although Nigeria was certified Wild Polio Virus (WPV) free in 2020, the country is currently facing an unprecedented outbreak of Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus Type 2 (cVDPV2). By Dec  2024  Nigeria has reported a total of 116  cVDPV2 cases. To contain the outbreak, Nigeria has and will continue to implement an aggressive schedule of outbreak response activities in 2025 requiring substantive support by Government and partners. UNICEF is committed to continue working on polio eradication until the goal is reached globally. The Top Priority of 2025 for Polio Eradication is to stop the cVDPV circulation from Nigeria by June 2025 .UNICEF has been supporting the Government of Nigeria in its polio outbreak responses as the lead social and behavior change partner as well as in vaccine management support.  UNICEF Nigeria is managing more than 18,500 Volunteer Community Mobilisers (VCMs) across 12 polio high risk states to promote polio vaccination during outbreak response and improve routine immunization,. UNICEF is a key member of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), assigning key staff to the NEOC’s Strategic and Advocacy, Communication Social Mobilization (ACSM) Working Groups and the logistic working group, as well as being a permanent member of the strategy group.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose Of Assignment:

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) seeks to ensure that future generations of children will be free from the threat of polio paralysis. Achieving this goal depends on ensuring rapid and effective responses to poliovirus outbreaks in polio-free countries.  Polio eradication continues to be an organizational priority and, like COVID-19, is a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). The number of outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) has far exceeded global expectations in recent years.

To provide continued support to the Nigeria outbreak response and preparedness, UNICEF is seeking to recruit a Social and Behavior Change (SBC) -Data Specialist to ensure UNICEF’s accountability during any polio outbreak is best managed as a critical component of the global outbreak Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). With increasing outbreaks and the need to implement a timely response in multiple contexts. 

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the supervision of the Polio team lead and in coordination with Deputy GPEI Coordinator, the staff will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Build capacity of the national and state teams on data collection, analysis, and interpretation for polio SBC, gender, and misinformation management impacting outbreak response. This includes the development/update of tools and guidance, technical assistance, in-country training.
• Analyze available pre-campaign, campaign, and post-campaign data for consequential geographies and other states in alignment with the global templates and including vaccine management data;
• Design tools and guidance for gender assessments in outbreak and build the capacity of the national and state on gender assessment.
• Compile and coordinate key performance indicators for SBC.

Expected Output:

• A systematic process, guidance document, and tools developed to analyze social data from consequential geographies (Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara) and other priority states
• Tools and guidance developed for gender assessments during polio outbreaks
• Training package developed for analyzing social data in polio outbreaks
• Polio SBC surge support in country (focusing on consequential geographies) are trained on social data management for SBC
• VCM engaged in the OB response have capacities to timely report, prevent, and eventually address critical misinformation, rumors, and information gaps to ensure higher quality communication interventions before, during, and after the polio outbreak response
• Management and analysis of VCM data
• Data analysis reports for SIAs
• Quarterly KPI reports
• Monthly report of activities summarizing key outcomes (end of each month)

Expected results:

• Updated tools and guidance developed for the analysis of social data related to outbreak response
• Gender assessment tools and guidance developed available to country office
• SIA analysis reports available for campaigns conducted.
• One comprehensive training module for data management for polio outbreak response focuses on analyzing social data from various sources.
• SBC Dashboards set up

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  TOR SBC Data Specialist P-3 TA Abuja Nigeria.pdf

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

Minimum requirement

• An Advanced university degree (masters) in computer Science, statistics or Social Sciences.
• A minimum of five years progressively working in Information management, analytics, data visualization, Statistics or M&E preferably in a public health setting.
• Experience working with Open Data Kit (ODK)
• Advance knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint.
•  Familiarity with SQL, ArcGIS/QGIS/Open Street mapping
• Knowledge of Python and a front-end development framework.
• Familiarity with Kibana, Power BI or Tableau.
• Working experience in UN or other international development organizations
• Familiarity with emergency responses is considered as a strong asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.

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)

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (2)

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact (2)

(4) Innovates and embraces change (2)

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

(6) Thinks and acts strategically (2)

(7) Works collaboratively with others (2)

(8) Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2). 

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.

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.