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For every child, the right to HOPE!

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Child poverty and social protection: advocacy and knowledge management Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Social Policy and Social Protection, New York HQ

Duration: August 2025 – February 2026

Home/ Office Based: REMOTE 

BACKGROUND 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: 

The purpose of the consultancy is to support the Child Poverty and Social Protection team in the Social Policy section with outreach and advocacy approaches on child poverty and social protection, through a variety of policy advocacy and knowledge management initiatives. This includes supporting dialogue, learning and advocacy on shock-responsive as well as inclusive and gender responsive social protection, as well as supporting staff members in coordinating outreach to member organizations. 

Scope of Work:

UNICEF´s Child Poverty and Social Protection unit is seeking a consultant to support the unit with the following key advocacy-related activities:

Support the child poverty and social protection team with knowledge management and technical input:

-           Regular update of SharePoint pages with latest information

-           Provide technical input into child poverty and social protection briefs/reports

-           Support knowledge management, including documentation, organization of key products and sharing with the network, monthly updates

-           Draft materials for donor reporting to showcase achievements and document challenges.

-           Compile country reporting for annual reports

Support to coordination of the SPIAC-B working group on linking humanitarian (cash) assistance and social protection

-           Undertake activities outlined in the advocacy plan of the working group, including consolidating inputs from the working group to the High-Level Panel on social protection in fragile and conflict settings.

-           Manage knowledge management function for the working group through gathering evidence, developing knowledge products and their dissemination through webinars/podcasts, technical notes, case studies, blogs, newsletter, workshop, etc.

-           Maintain the webpage, mailing list and the virtual library/folder for the working group.

-           Ensure that the working group meetings are conducted at regular intervals and notes circulated on time.

Knowledge management and global advocacy on shock responsive social protection

-           Undertake activities to support the Social Policy and Social Protection team in strengthening UNICEF’s positioning and engagement with G20 under the South Africa Presidency, COP and other relevant opportunities.

-           Support in organizing a learning event/stock take exercise on SRSP for UNICEF colleagues in ROs/COs.

Support technical assistance on shock-responsive social protection

-           Reviewing policy briefs and learning material to distill relevant information and sharing with thematic leads on the subject and to the social policy network in UNICEF.

Implementation of the global child poverty advocacy

-           Undertake activities outlined in the advocacy plan of the working group:

1. support alliance of champion countries 2. Establish accountability mechanism for child poverty policy monitoring

-           Scope options for the establishment of a child poverty commission / commissioning of papers on the policy options to address child poverty

-           Support UNICEF’s engagement with the G20, including logistics support for G20 Social Summit

-           Support UNICEF’s advocacy engagement around the launch of the State of the World’s Children

Facilitation of the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty:

Facilitation

-           Proactive engagement with all the member organizations on a range of issues – to maintain an active Coalition

-           Support Coalition meeting, including annual meeting

-           Draft annual workplan and actively follow-up with members on activities

Advocacy and knowledge management

-           Facilitate Coalition advocacy efforts

-           Plan and execute Coalition webinars

Technical support:

-           Support various strands of research and policy analysis work of the Coalition, based on key priorities identified by the Coalition

-           Support the annual high-level Coalition child poverty side event, including International Day for Eradication of Poverty. 

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

Support to implementation of the global child poverty advocacy strategy

-           Short paper on options for the establishment of a child poverty commission / and topics commissioning of papers on the policy options to address child poverty

September 15, 20225

Support to advocacy activities related to shock responsive social protection

-           SPIAC-B webinars supported

-           SPIAC-B Webpage updated

-           SPIAC-B advocacy plan updated

-           SPIAC-B newsletter drafted

October 30, 2025

Support to G20 process World Bank report on child poverty      

-           Speaking points drafted

-           Social media communications package for external audiences for child poverty side event during social summit drafted

-           Support to finalizing WB/UNICEF analysis on child poverty in FCV contexts, including copy editing

November 30, 2025

Technical assistance on shock-responsive social protection        

-           2 policy briefs drafted

SRSP guidance document designed and finalized

December 15, 2025

Support to the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty    

-           Two high level child poverty related webinars carried out

-           First meeting of a Global Alliance of countries committed to tackling child poverty held

January 31, 2026

Annual reporting including inclusive social protection for forcibly displaced       

-           Child poverty and social protection annual reporting supported – select country case examples drafted

Global Coalition to End Child Poverty annual workplan finalized

February 28, 2026

Qualifications

(1) Education

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

(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

Work experience

•           A minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience in policy advocacy (desirable: in the areas of child poverty and social protection)

•           Knowledge and experience in coordinating inter-agency groups

•           Knowledge and experience with web-based knowledge management platforms desirable

•           Desirable knowledge of areas of work (child poverty and social protection)

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

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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.

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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.