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 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,

With over 850 indigenous languages and one of the most ethnically diverse populations, widespread poverty, and gender inequality make it hard for many children to realize their rights. In Papua New Guinea, UNICEF’s works effectively both ‘upstream’ (with governments) and ‘downstream’ (at the grassroots level) to carry out its mission through a programme of cooperation jointly developed with the government guides our work in the country.

How can you make a difference? 

Background

UNICEF Papua New Guinea, in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), is addressing the climate crisis and its impact on children by enhancing climate resilience in social services and infrastructure. The programme aims to deliver climate-smart social infrastructure and expand access to net-zero, climate-smart social services through gender-responsive and inclusive low-carbon development pathways. These efforts seek to reduce climate vulnerabilities in targeted areas and ensure that children in Papua New Guinea benefit—both directly and indirectly—from improved climate policies, climate finance, access to climate justice, strengthened legal frameworks, and enhanced institutional capacities.

By providing Climate-Smart Social Services and Infrastructure, the programme tackles the most pressing dimensions of climate vulnerability affecting children, thereby strengthening their resilience and adaptive capacity to environmental shocks while promoting long-term sustainability. The initiative also supports the Government of Papua New Guinea in building climate resilience across the education health, nutrition, and child protection sectors, with a strong focus on inclusive service delivery, risk-informed infrastructure, and community empowerment.

To ensure effective implementation and coordination, UNICEF is seeking to engage a consultant to serve as a Programme Coordinator for this programme. Under the direct supervision of the Programme Manager, the Programme Coordinator will play a central role in coordinating across UNICEF programme sections—ensuring that activities are strategically aligned, efficiently implemented, and adequately monitored. This cross-sectoral coordination is critical to integrating climate resilience into all relevant components of UNICEF’s programming.

The Programme Coordinator will also support implementation oversight, stakeholder engagement, and progress reporting, working closely with relevant government counterparts, implementing partners, and UNICEF teams in Port Moresby and targeted programme areas.

Key Taks and Responsibilities:

1. Programme Management Support

• Provide day-to-day assistance to the Programme Manager in tracking the implementation of KOICA programme activities.
• Liaise with implementing partners to help identify and address bottlenecks or risks.
• Support budget monitoring to ensure expenditures aligned with approved workplans and             delivery targets.
• Assist in follow-up on action points and contribute to quality assurance across sector workplans,         results frameworks, and timelines.
• Support the development of communication and visibility materials showcasing programme               results and community impact.
• Support to coordinate visibility and communications efforts, in close collaboration with UNICEF               Communications and external partners.

2. Stakeholder Coordination and Partnership Management

• Support coordination of the programme activities across all relevant UNICEF programme      sections (WASH, Health, Nutrition, Education, and Child Protection).
• Facilitate internal coordination to ensure integrated and coherent programme delivery.
• Assist in organizing and documenting coordination meetings, check-ins, and engagements with            government counterparts, implementing partners, and other stakeholders.
• Provide logistical and administrative support for committee meetings, technical working groups,        joint monitoring missions, and capacity-building activities.

3. Documentation and Reporting

• Maintain and regularly update key programme tools (e.g., implementation matrix, risk tracking       log).
• Document technical meetings, field missions, and coordination discussions, and ensure timely   delivery of high-quality minutes and action points.
• Assist in preparing internal briefing notes, donor updates, and other reporting materials.
• Support the compilation and drafting of donor report inputs across sectors, in collaboration with      the Programme Manager.

As a champion for every child, qualifications are…….

• University degree (Bachelors or higher) in Social Sciences, International Development, development studies, climate/environmental policy, public administration, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in programme coordination, programme management or social sector programming.

• Demonstrated track record in the area of coordination, project or product management,          communication and outreach,  experience in inter-sectoral coordination and multi-stakeholder        engagement.
• Proven skills in communication, networking, strategic thinking, advocacy, negotiation, and ability     to relate this to innovation and  young people.
• Familiarity with UNICEF programmes and donor-funded development initiatives, preferably in the Pacific or PNG context.
• Excellent communication, report writing, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently, under pressure, and manage competing priorities.
• Fluency in English.
• Right to work in Papua New Guinea.

Required qualifications and experience for the consultants/institutions

For every Child, you demonstrate… our core values of Commitment, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability. 

This position is a short-term assignment and doesn’t give rise to a long-term permanent post with the organization.

Applicants are required to include in their applications a financial proposal which includes a lumpsum amount for consultancy fees, local transportation, and other miscellaneous costs. Breakdown or details of the fee will be much appreciated.

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.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply.

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.

UNICEF does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, or orientation). 

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