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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 Health

UNICEF is a core partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) which aims to eradicate polio worldwide, such that no child ever again suffers from paralytic poliomyelitis. To date, global incidence of polio has decreased by 99.9% since GPEI’s inception and an estimated 16 million people today are walking who would otherwise have been paralyzed by the disease, and more than 1.5 million people are alive, whose lives would otherwise have been lost. Now the task remains to tackle polio in its last few strongholds and to get rid of the final 0.1% of polio cases. By reaching the most underserved communities with polio vaccine, UNICEF is realizing the rights of the most excluded children and preventing girls and boys from being paralyzed. Within the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), UNICEF maintains, our core responsibilities in vaccine procurement/management, social mobilization and community engagement, and a leading role in the areas of strategy development, strategic oversight, resource mobilization, financial management, and global communications.

How can you make a difference?

Under the close supervision and guidance of the Programme Specialist (Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation), as the Programme Assistant you will provide administrative, procedural, and operational support to the Polio Eradication Programme at Headquarters. As part of a pooled Programme Assistant function, the incumbent supports multiple workstreams and teams across the programme, including colleagues based in Nairobi and New York. The Programme Assistant carries out a range of administrative and operational tasks as follows:

Administrative and office support: Assist with correspondence, presentations, research, meeting scheduling, calendar management, minute taking, records management, office supplies and equipment, and general office administration.

Travel and event coordination: Coordinate travel arrangements, including travel authorizations, itineraries, visas, security and medical clearances, accommodation and transportation, and provide logistical support for meetings, conferences, capacity development activities and official visits.

Consultancy and contract administration: Facilitate consultant, vendor and partner contracting processes, prepare and process documentation, upload TORs in VISION, and support consultancy assessments in coordination with operations colleagues.

Financial and budget support: Process invoices, maintain financial records, monitor commitments and expenditures, and support Annual Work Plan (AWP) budget preparation and monitoring.

Programme support: Maintain programme records and monitoring documents, process programme transactions in VISION, ensure programme coding aligns with AWPs, support programme implementation and financial monitoring, and maintain records for the Polio Eradication Programme workstreams.

Cross-functional support: Provide administrative and operational support across programme workstreams and undertake additional tasks to ensure efficient team operations.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  Classified Job Descriptions - Programme Assistant.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Completion of secondary education is required. 
• Work Experience: A minimum of five years of progressively responsible administrative or clerical work experience is required.
• Skills:
  • Demonstrated skills in project management, collaboration, problem solving, and digital dexterity.
  • Good knowledge of IT tools including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, ERP (VISION) and SharePoint is required.
• Language Requirements: Knowledge of English language at a Proficient/Fluent level is required.

Desirables:

1. Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language.
2. Supplemental technical or university courses related to the work of the organization are an asset.
3. Experience in facilitating the processing of contracts for consultants, vendors and external partners that support delivery programme is desirable.
4. Experience in arranging travel using online booking tools to set up itineraries, request visas, security and medical clearances, hotel bookings and ground transportation as an asset.
5. Excellent understanding of contractual regulations and processes in UNICEF or the UN system desirable.
6. Experience providing administrative and operational support in a fast-paced, multi-team or programme environment is an asset desirable.
7. Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 

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

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

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 are conditional on the selected candidates’ willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel.Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

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, eligible and suitable candidates 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.

In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.

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.

Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

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.