Current vacancies

UNICEF, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, works together with partners in 190 countries and territories to promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child.

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, HOPE!

Vacancy Announcement: Innovation Consultant

Consultancy Title: GenU Cross-sectoral Communications Specialist - Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Generation Unlimited (YPA) Secretariat

Duration: August 1, 2025 to January 31, 2027

Home/Office Based: 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. UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. 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.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Under the direct supervision of the Innovation Manager (Generation Unlimited), with overall guidance from the Deputy Director, Partnerships and in collaboration with the partnerships team, the consultant provide expertise to support the overall project manager (Innovation Manager) for the implementation of Engaging Kenyan Youth in Agriculture and Nutrition (EKYAN) and expansion under the Global Youth Agriculture Network (GYAN) into other geographies.

GYAN & EKYAN

The Global Youth Agriculture Network (GYAN) is predicated on GenU’s vision and mission of enabling young people with skills that prepare them for future jobs, connecting them with employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in agriculture, and promoting entrepreneurship as a mindset. The pilot programme leverages the power of technology and provides young people with the skills, mentorship, and resources to build an agribusiness and to provide extension services to small holder farmers.

The Engaging Kenyan Youth in Agriculture and Nutrition (EKYAN) programme, which is currently being implemented in Kenya, serves as a localized example of GYAN. EKYAN provides young people, especially women, with the necessary market-driven skills and on-the-job learning for employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in agribusiness, while building regenerative agriculture models that promote circular economies in predominantly rural areas.  This will produce a pipeline of young people (10-24) who will grow with knowledge and passion for agriculture and agribusiness, and who will be provided with the skills needed and on-the-job learning opportunities to take advantage of employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the agriculture sector. Each Agripreneur provides extension services to approximately a cohort of smallholder farmers for free, leveraging a digital platform and toolkit. All activities build on centers of excellence leveraging school infrastructure. 

Programme objective & impact:

1. Incubating Businesses and Livelihoods

2. Improving Farmers’ Economic Livelihoods in a Climate-Smart Manner

3. Training Young People in Agrifood Systems

4. Engaging Marginalized Groups

5. Creating Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

6. Leverage technology

7. Fostering Food Systems Education and Nutrition Awareness 

From 2025 to 2028, the programme will be expanded nation-wide in Kenya and scaled to at least 3 additional countries. 

Scope of Work: 

The consultant will be responsible to:

Advise on the strategic approach and implementation of EKYAN, including guidance on how to:

- Review technical LTA proposals and deliver a consolidated assessment report. 

- Develop a project expansion plan covering four countries in two regions, aligned with UNICEF COs and ROs.

- Establish governance structures, including a Steering Committee and thematic working groups.

- Consolidate lessons from curriculum and training implementation and recommend adaptations for scale-up.

- Draft two fundraising proposals with UNICEF partners.

- Map and engage key stakeholders with tailored engagement strategies.

- Monitor monthly progress and provide improvement recommendations.

-  Advise on youth engagement strategies for inclusive programme participation.

-  Create a communications and MERL framework to guide scale-up into two countries.

- Identify and develop concepts for two events showcasing EKYAN.

- Update the youth stories booklet with at least 10 new livelihood impact stories.

-  Advise on Yoma platform integration for digital credentialing and scaling.

-  Conduct a mid-year assessment and facilitate a stakeholder workshop.

- Recommend wrap-around services (e.g., finance access, peer exchange) to support mentorship.

-  Analyze Yoma integration outcomes and suggest improvements.

- Develop case studies highlighting EKYAN’s impact and growth.

- Produce a comprehensive EKYAN playbook based on programme insights.

- Research cross-sectoral applications of the EKYAN model.

- Prepare the final project reports, assess results and identify lessons for future scale-up. 

Terms of Reference / Deliverables  

1. Review technical LTA proposals and develop a consolidated assessment report      Assessment report including consolidation of feedback of review panel members        

15 Aug 2025

2. Develop project expansion plan including assessment of 4 countries in two different regions in alignment with UNICEF RO/COs    

Inception report analyzed with clear recommendations for strengthening project design and execution.   

19 Sept 2025

3. Establish project governance structures by facilitating the formation of a steering committee and thematic working groups for project expansion        

Structured report outlining the composition, roles, and responsibilities of the Steering Group and working groups for project expansion 

03 Oct 2025

4. Consolidate learnings from implementation of the curriculum and digital training materials (regenerative agriculture, agribusiness, nutrition) and provide recommendations for adaptations, localization and translation to prepare for expansion into two additional countries         

Updated curriculum framework and digital training material           

31 October 2025

5. Develop 2 fundraising proposals in collaboration with UNICEF COs, ROs and potential partners

2 Fundraising proposals including supporting material developed   

21 November 2025

6. Identify and engage stakeholders by conducting a mapping and developing tailored engagement strategies.       

Stakeholder engagement plan detailing stakeholders' roles, interests, influence levels, and engagement tactics.           

12 December 2025

7. Monitor monthly implementation progress and provide actionable recommendations for continuous improvement. 

18 Monthly reports capturing implementation status, key challenges, and improvement suggestions

31 Jan 2027

8. Advise on youth engagement strategies to ensure meaningful and inclusive participation during EKYAN scale-up.         

Strategy document outlining mechanisms for youth engagement across program phases.  

23 January 2026

9. Develop final 2025 project report      

2025 final  report including recommendations for strengthening project design and execution.     

20 February 2026

10. Conduct a comprehensive stakeholder analysis to identify key actors at national, regional, and community levels, including government agencies, youth networks, development partners, private sector actors, and civil society organizations. Develop a detailed engagement plan outlining stakeholder roles, levels of influence, interests, and tailored strategies for effective and inclusive engagement throughout the EKYAN initiative.        

Stakeholder mapping and engagement plan  

07 March 2026

11. Develop a communications and MERL framework to guide program visibility, monitoring, learning, and evaluation for expansion into 2 additional countries                              

Integrated plan covering internal and external communication, and MERL processes and tools.

20 March 2026

12. Support participation in key events by identifying and preparing concepts for two external platforms to showcase EKYAN.   

Event concept briefs outlining objectives, target audience, and thematic focus.      

17 April 2026

13. Update and expand youth stories booklet      

Updated stories booklet capturing particularly the livelihood outcomes of at least 10 additional young people           

30 April 2026

14. Advise on EKYAN’s integration with the yoma platform to enable digital recognition and scale of youth skilling and career pathways 

Integration recommendation report detailing approach, timeline, and value-add for Yoma linkage.

22 May 2026

15. Support participation in key events by identifying and preparing concepts for two external platforms to showcase EKYAN.   

Event concept briefs outlining objectives, target audience, and thematic focus.      

15 June 2026

16. Carry out mid-year assessment and organize an assessment workshop with all stakeholders involved           

Mid-year assessment and workshop report   

31 July 2026

17. Research and advise on additional wrap-around services such as access to finance, peer to peer exchange to complement ongoing mentorship  

Wrap around services and agribusiness incubation support concept note    

14 August 2026

18. Review insights and learnings from yoma integration advise on improvements                  

Learnings from yoma integration and improvement concept note   

04 September 2026

19. Develop case studies highlighting the growth, impact, and scale-up of the EKYAN initiative.      

Three case studies documenting youth impact, farmer outcomes, and institutional scale pathways.           

30 September  2026

20. Facilitate and document learning sessions by organizing at least five knowledge-sharing calls with stakeholders.  

Documentation report summarizing key insights and action points from five learning sessions.

23 October 2026

21. Develop playbook by incorporating learnings, case studies and recommendations 

Playbook for dissemination among stakeholders      

20 November 2026

22. Research, in consultation with the CO team and partners, how the school community centers and youth-centric model could be applied across other sectors

Report on how the model could be applied in other sectors  

31 December 2026

23. Assess the results of 2026, with a focus on lessons learned across the different locations  and areas for improvement for subsequent years and expansion    

Evidence and lessons learned report  

31 January 2027 

Qualifications  

(1) Education

• Advance University degree (Master’s) in International Business, International Relations, or related field

Language Proficiency:

• Fluency in English is required, strong written and verbal competency is necessary
• Working knowledge of another UN language an asset 

2) Work experience

- At least five years of experience in programme management at the cross-sections of innovation, entrepreneurship, green and youth engagement

- At least seven years of experience in managing projects across multiple geographies and sectors, including agriculture/ agribusiness is a must

- Experience planning and carrying out key events in the environmental sphere (mainly COP)

- Proven planning and M&E experience 

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. 

Remarks:  

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.