Current vacancies

Duration: from 01 April 2025 to 31 March 2026
Workplace: office-based
Modality: full-time

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, a fair chance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=E1xkXZs0cAQ

Purpose of the assignment
The Youth Engagement Specialist will provide technical support to UNICEF Kazakhstan in the following areas:
• Developing and scaling up UNICEF’s volunteering programme as a cross-sectoral youth engagement strategy.
• Supervising and supporting the Youth Engagement Consultant to establish and strengthen volunteers networks across Kazakhstan.
• Expanding U-Report Kazakhstan as a platform for youth-led advocacy, opinion gathering and information dissemination, youth community development and nurturing responsible and active citizenship.
• Strategic planning and stakeholder engagement to ensure youth participation in national and regional policies and advocacy efforts.

Scope of Work:
Kazakhstan has a growing youth population, with young people aged 10-24 constituting a significant portion of the country's demographics. Their participation in social, environmental, and digital initiatives is crucial for national development. UNICEF has been committed to strengthening youth engagement through volunteering programmes, U-Report Kazakhstan, and initiatives addressing climate action, education, and child online safety.
Since 2020, UNICEF Kazakhstan has launched various volunteering initiatives, including #PlasticFreeKazakhstan, #BeKind, #BeGreen, #BeSafe, Road Safety Volunteering, and Volunteering for Education. These initiatives have successfully mobilized around ten thousand youth across multiple regions, promoting skills development, climate action, and peer-to-peer education.

U-Report Kazakhstan (https://kazakhstan-ru.ureport.in/) was launched in August 2024 as a digital youth engagement platform that empowers young voices to influence policies and advocacy efforts. The platform has grown to include over 10,000 U-Reporters across 10 regions and has conducted three national polls on issues such as volunteering, health and SDGs. These insights have contributed to state youth consultations and programmatic interventions. The Country Office has launched and manages a dedicated U-Report Kazakhstan Instagram channel to promote initiative and engage U-Reporters.
To further expand and coordinate these initiatives, UNICEF Kazakhstan seeks a Youth Engagement Specialist (Consultant) who will oversee the development of UNICEF’s volunteering programme, supervise the Youth Engagement Consultant, and lead the expansion of U-Report Kazakhstan and its integration into the UNICEF volunteering programme.
The consultant will work under the supervision of Communication Specialist and in close collaboration with programme teams across sectors.

1. Strategic Coordination
• Develop and implement a comprehensive youth engagement strategy, integrating volunteering and U-Report into a unified programme, in full compliance with child safeguarding principles and ethical considerations.
• Oversee and provide strategic direction for the volunteering programme overall and in the regions: 5 regions of Kazakhstan in 2025 and in 10 regions in 2026.
• Inspire and mobilize young people for grassroots volunteer actions and advocacy, including activities such as tree planting, air quality monitoring, water education, and waste recycling (the list is not final and will be identified later).
• Establish and maintain partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, private sector stakeholders, and international organizations to support youth engagement initiatives.
• Supervise the Youth Engagement Consultant and M&E framework development, ensuring effective implementation of regional programs and U-Report expansion, and alignment with the Country Office’s M&E framework.

2. Development and Coordination of UNICEF’s Volunteering Programme
• Develop and manage UNICEF’s Volunteering Programme, ensuring scale-up, sustainability, impact, and resource mobilization.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with stakeholders and organize national forums on youth engagement and volunteering.
• Manage a volunteer database, ensuring accurate data tracking, reporting, and communication.
• Monitor and evaluate programme effectiveness and manage the budget in line with cost-effectiveness principles.

3. Overseeing the Implementation of U-Report Kazakhstan
• Develop and implement the 2025 U-Report Kazakhstan expansion plan, integrating it into the volunteering program and aligning with the new Country Programme Document (2026-2030).
• Coordinate U-Report activities, including steering committee meetings, campaigns on key youth issues, and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage U-Report Kazakhstan’s digital presence, including Instagram, ensuring alignment with polls, campaigns, and social media trends.
• Maintain partnerships and seek funding opportunities, engaging government, NGOs, private partners, and the U-Report Global Support Team to ensure sustainability and best practice implementation.
• Conduct regular reviews of global polls, launching relevant ones for Kazakhstan and contributing to UNICEF grant proposals.
• Produce and share analysis and briefs on U-Report activities, polls’ results to support advocacy and policy dialogue

 Work Assignment Overview Youth Engagement Specialist.docx

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
• Education: Master’s degree in Project Management, Communications, International Relations, International Development, or another related field. A first-level university degree with an additional two years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Experience:
- At least 5 years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in advocacy, campaigning, and communication with young people.
- Proven experience in volunteer management, youth engagement, and stakeholder coordination.
- Experience in building and maintaining partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and private sector stakeholders.
- Strong experience in managing people.
- Demonstrated expertise in project design and management, including budget oversight and monitoring and evaluation of programme results.
- Experience in training, facilitation, and capacity building for youth-led initiatives is an asset.
- Strong strategic planning and leadership skills, particularly in youth engagement, volunteering, and program implementation.
- Proven ability to build networks and coalitions, ensuring multi-sectoral cooperation.
- Knowledge of child safeguarding principles and ethical considerations when working with children and youth.
- Strong communication, networking, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
- Proven ability to work independently, take initiative, and develop innovative approaches in youth engagement.
- Fluency in both written and spoken English, Kazakh and Russian languages are required.

• Competencies:
- Competency in Youth Engagement and Volunteering (25%)
- Competency in Programme Management

Evaluation Criteria (This will be used for the Selection Report)
A) Technical Evaluation (maximum 75 Points)
- Relevant Experience and Qualifications (20%)
- Technical Skills and Knowledge (15%)
- Competency in Youth Engagement and Volunteering (25%)
- Competency in Programme Management (15%)
B) Financial Proposal (maximum of 25 Points)

For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (https://www.unicef.org/about/unicef-culture)

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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. 

Completion of the UN/UNICEF mandatory trainings is obligatory upon commencement of the contract.

All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and that UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.