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 a Calling

How can you make a difference?

The UNICEF Gulf Area Office (GAO) works to advance children's rights and strengthen strategic partnerships with Gulf governments and institutions. In line with national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals, GAO combines policy engagement and technical cooperation in high-income-country contexts with partnerships that leverage Gulf leadership, expertise and financing for children regionally and globally.  

Grounded in the recent multifunctional review (“the Reset”), GAO is strategically repositioning itself as a globally influential hub — building deep trust and technical credibility and harnessing the resources and ambition of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to maximize impact for children domestically, regionally and globally. This post support that positioning.

From September to December 2026, UNICEF's Gulf Area Office (GAO) will manage an intensive schedule of major events, high-level partnership meetings and donor-reporting requirements. The Temporary Appointment will provide dedicated strategic advisory, executive communications, reporting and quality-assurance support to the GAO Director throughout this period. 

Key functions:

1) Strategic planning and positioning  

2) Executive communications and external engagement  

3) Evidence-based donor reporting and quality assurance  

4) Knowledge management and institutional learning  

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  ToR_TA_P4_CommsSpecialist_GAO.docx

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, International Relations, Political Science, Marketing or another relevant field. A first university degree combined with two additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
  
  
• Work Experience:

A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic communications, advocacy, executive communications or a related field.

Demonstrated experience supporting senior leadership through speeches, briefing notes, talking points and other executive communications for major international events and high-level meetings.

Experience working with governments, development partners and other high-level stakeholders, and experience reviewing or producing high-quality donor reports and partnership materials.

• Skills: To be considered for this role, candidates are required to have expertise in strategic communications planning, speech writing, editorial and quality assurance processes, and the ability to deliver high-quality outputs independently within tight deadlines. Strong strategic communication planning, speechwriting, editorial and quality-assurance skills, with the ability to deliver high-quality outputs independently within tight deadlines.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required, with excellent drafting and editing skills.

Desirables:

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
• Experience working with multicultural and multidisciplinary teams; knowledge of the Gulf region is desirable.
• Field work experience is desirable.
• Background/familiarity with emergency situations is desirable.
• 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 [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] 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.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.

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.