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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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to HOPE!

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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to HOPE! 

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Social policy and social protection: communications and advocacy Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station:  Programme/ Social Policy and Social Protection

Duration: September 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ/ Remote 

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: 

The purpose of the consultancy is to support the Social Policy and Social Protection section with communications and advocacy content creation and outreach. This includes supporting dialogue, learning and advocacy on shock responsive as well as inclusive & gender responsive social protection, as well as support managing an active Global Coalition to End Child Poverty, conducting outreach to member organizations, finding synergies between the individual work of the different organizations and providing more visibility to the work of the whole Social Policy network.

Scope of Work:

UNICEF´s Social Policy and Social Protection section is seeking a consultant to support with the following key communications and advocacy related activities:

Partnerships:

•           Maintain active relationships with the relevant teams of UNICEF Division of Global Communication and Advocacy (DGCA) to develop and implement a communications/advocacy plan for representation of Social Policy Work in the external domain

•           Work closely with global social policy network (regional, country offices, DAPM, OoR) to effectively, collectively communicate and advocate on social policy issues

•           Active outreach to regional social policy and communications teams for coherent social policy communications and advocacy

•           Active outreach to other programme groups, for cross fertilization of communications and advocacy

•           Support the social policy specialist with communication opportunities with external partners and initiatives e.g.: International Budget Partnership, Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection, USP2030, UNDP, World Bank, ILO, Save the Children, etc.

Support with coordination, planning and guidance, support the social policy specialist to:

•           Plan, conceptualize and organize communication events around UNICEF’s social policy agenda.

•           Produce an advocacy plan for the social policy section, outlining key moments and activities

•           Ensure the Social Policy section is made aware of UNICEF’s global communications and advocacy agenda and opportunities and is able to contribute in a timely manner

•           Develop and keep updated key messages on all four components of Social Policy agenda, and ensure these are shared with DGCA and regional Communications leads

•           Develop guidance on communicating Social Policy to be shared to regional and country office social policy and communications staff

Media and social policy content creation, support the social policy specialist:

•           Identify media visibility opportunities, in collaboration with UNICEF media team

•           and/or support the day-to-day conceptualization, planning, coordination, execution and digital content creation, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of digital initiatives and integrated advocacy campaigns for key audiences

•           Maintain an active social policy X account, through curating, producing and posting contents

•           Track and report progress on communication activities, including through social media and web analytics

•           Draft blog posts on key social policy issues

•           Create and disseminate social media visuals, infographics and graphic designs with key social policy related data, and produce videos (including working with multimedia production companies, writing scripts, editing videos)

•           Produce communication, advocacy and social media packs (social media posts, media assets, FAQs, fact sheets, background notes, etc.) for flagship publications and key events on social policy

•           Outreach with DGCA to ensure key social policy messages are posted on global UNICEF social media accounts. Participate in publication committee and coordination with DGCA

•           Support the production of human interest stories

•           Maintain and update social policy web pages on unicef.org

•           Actively engage with DGCA for ideas on increased engagement on social policy external pages, including developing explainers for key topics.

•           Supporting internal communications through Viva Engage, SharePoint and others, linking with UNICEF’s internal communications team

o          Any other tasks as needed in support of external social policy communication and advocacy

Child poverty support/Global Coalition to End Child Poverty:

•           Support knowledge products for the Coalition, including producing and disseminating bi-monthly child poverty newsletters

•           Manage Coalition social media channel and website

•           Support the implementation of the child poverty advocacy strategy, including supporting global and regional campaigns to dispel stigma and negative perceptions around poverty, developing effective communications on policy options, developing a convincing child poverty and inequality narrative/campaign for advocacy

Communication and Advocacy support for key global events:

•           The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80)

•           The Second World Summit for Social Development, from 4 to 6 November 2025

•           Support communications around the launch of the State of the World Children report, November 20th. 

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

UNGA communications support

• Develop social media package for social policy messaging, including for X and LinkedIn, during UNGA 

September 15th 2025

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty communications support

• Communications support around World Social Summit
• Support communication efforts  with the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty and UNICEF Social Policy network.         

October 30th 2025

World Social Summit support

G20 communications support

State of the World’s Children report support     

• Social media package developed
• Support the social policy specialist with communications outreach to South Africa CO and Regional Office

November 30th 2025

2026 social policy communications planning     

• Social media package, including for X and LinkedIN, with highlights from the year produced and integrated into the content calendar.    

December 15th 2025

Social Policy communications SharePoint         

• UNICEF Social Policy and Social Protection Communications and Advocacy SharePoint page updated.  

December 31st 2025

UNICEF’s new strategic plan communications support  

• 2 blog posts drafted     

January 30th 2026

Child Poverty newsletter          

• 2 Global Coalition to End Child Poverty newsletter produced, designed and disseminated.

February 28th 2026

Annual report communications support 

• Identify country examples of successful communications and advocacy, to include in annual report

March 31st 2026

Qualifications

(1) Education

A University Master’s degree in journalism, public relations, communications, development economics, public policy, or closely related field.

(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

•           Exceptional drafting and communications skills (written and oral)

•           Experience developing social media packages

•           Knowledge of areas of work (child poverty/social protection/ public finance for children / local governance – urban issues)

•           A minimum of 5 years work experience in communications

•           Knowledge and experience with SharePoint and/or other Web based KM platforms desirable

•           Fluency in English, & another UN language preferred

Competencies

•           Strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills

•           Excellent written and verbal communication in English.

•           Proven ability to work under tight deadlines and drive for results

Language Proficiency:

Fluency in English, & another UN language preferred

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.

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 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 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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.

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.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, are encourage to apply are encouraged to apply.

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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (if applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract.

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.