UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
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, a future
How can you make a difference?
Join UNICEF in Shaping a Healthier, Safer World for Every Child
- Are you passionate about turning science into action and global partnerships into impact? At UNICEF, we are leading a bold, transformative effort to protect children’s health from the often-invisible threats of environmental degradation and toxic exposures—starting with one of the most pervasive yet overlooked crises: lead poisoning.
- UNICEF’s Strategic Plan has placed climate change and environmental health at the core of our programming. Through our Healthy Environments for Healthy Children (HEHC) framework, we are working in over 30 countries to tackle environmental threats—most urgently, the devastating effects of lead exposure, which silently harms 1 in 3 children globally and is responsible for up to 1.5 million deaths annually.
- In response, UNICEF and a coalition of global leaders launched the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future in 2024—the first global, public-private alliance dedicated to ending childhood lead poisoning by 2040. This is not business as usual. It’s a collaborative, country-driven movement that unites governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector to eliminate lead from consumer products, reform unsafe industrial practices, and enforce strong public health protections.
- As Secretariat of the Partnership, UNICEF is building the architecture to support change—hosting a central knowledge hub, guiding coordinated action, and mobilizing a network of partners and champions across the globe. We’re committed to solutions that are measurable, scalable, and grounded in the best available science, including the “Five Actions to End Childhood Lead Poisoning.”
- This is your opportunity to be part of something bigger. Whether you’re a public health professional, policy strategist, technical expert, or passionate advocate, you will be joining a team that’s not only addressing a silent crisis but also rewriting the future for millions of children.
- Come help us end one of the most preventable threats to child development. Be part of the global push for a lead-free future—because every child deserves to grow up safe, healthy, and full of potential.
Join our team to help end one of the most overlooked yet devastating threats to child health—lead poisoning. As the Senior Programme Specialist for Lead (Pb) Knowledge Generation and Use, you will lead the development and dissemination of technical resources and tools, including the Toolkit to End Childhood Lead Poisoning. You’ll host a global knowledge hub, maintain up-to-date data and country profiles, and ensure practical guidance reaches those who need it most.
You’ll provide technical guidance and quality assurance, support country-level engagement, and collaborate with governments, researchers, and partners. Your work will drive policy, shape strategic investments, and foster global collaboration through the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future. By turning complex data into accessible, actionable resources, you’ll play a vital role in accelerating country-led action—ensuring that every child has the chance to grow up in a safe, lead-free environment.
To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…
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- Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Environment, Environmental Applied Engineering, Environmental Science/Health, Public Health , Environmental Health Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Public Health (specializing in environmental or occupational health), Health Policy and Management and any other related fields.
- Work Experience: At least 10 years of relevant work experience in Programme, Environmental health, Monitoring, evaluation, and learning, Research and data analysis, Knowledge management, Environmental health partnerships, Public health policy, Public Finance, Budget Analysis.
- Skills: Data analysis, Knowledge management, Monitoring and evaluation, Technical writing, Toolkit development, Policy guidance
- Language Requirements : Fluency in English is required.
- Desirables
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- Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language
- lead exposure mitigation, Environmental protection, Knowledge brokering, Partnership , Coordination, Capacity building
- Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergencies.
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 is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will 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.
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's active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. 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.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
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.
