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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. 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 Voice

In recent years UNICEF has increased its focus on young people. The UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2022−2025 recognizes the whole spectrum of young people, including young adults or youth over 18, and includes in its Change Strategies “supporting young people and children as agents of change.” Taking its cue from the strategic plan, the Global Communication and Advocacy Strategy (GCAS) asserts the important role that young people can play in the successful realization of UNICEF’s mandate, and outlines the need to listen to, co-create and collaborate with young people and create meaningful engagement opportunities for them to make a difference. Being important drivers of change, children and young people are essential partners and contributors to both the development and implementation of UNICEF’s Strategic Plan 2022 2025. With a new and ambitious SP, UNICEF intends to be deliberate and committed in fully involving children and young people in creating the solutions to accelerate the realization of the SDGs and driving change forward

At the global level, UNICEF has promoted advocacy and campaigning with young people on strategic opportunities and on specific topics like violence and climate change, with positive results. Investment in U-Report and Voices of Youth has enabled millions of children and young people to engage in a way that is simple and appealing to them. Many countries have similarly invested in local platforms, both digital and in-person, offering young people numerous ways to get involved. UNICEF has also been investing to ensure that children and young people are consulted on matters that affect them and that their views underlie our advocacy. UNICEF has pivoted its communication strategy towards youth-oriented and youth-produced content, as well as working with youth influencers on emerging platforms.

Within the Division of Global Advocacy and Communication (DGCA), the Youth Engagement Section is the team that leads the engagement of young people in advocacy and communication. It carries out the planning, implementation, and monitoring of youth engagement strategies and related initiatives, working in close collaboration with other youth-oriented teams in the HQ. The portfolio of the Youth Engagement Section has grown significantly with the integration of U-report in 2020.

The Chief of Youth Engagement Section leads the work of this team and reports to the GCA Deputy Director GCA, who is at Level D1.

How can you make a difference? 

Many young people are looking for way to engage on the issues they care about and to contribute towards positive change. If UNICEF succeeds in engaging them in our advocacy and campaigning, we will not only deliver results for children and contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, but also nurture a generation of lifelong supporters of children’s rights.

The main purpose of this job is to ensure that UNICEF has a proactive and strategic approach to the engagement of young people in advocacy and communication at global level and that from HQ it adequately supports youth engagement capacities and initiatives at regional and global level.

The incumbent is responsible for leading the work of Youth Engagement Section. This includes strategic planning and oversight of the youth engagement workplans contributing to divisional and organizational priorities, strategic engagement and capacity building for effective youth engagement of UNICEF offices across the globe, developing and overseeing the strategy development and implementation of U-report and Voices of Youth, leadership and oversight of World Children’s Day initiative, management and leadership of the Section’s staff and fundraising for the activities of youth engagement and other related GCA activities.

Responsibilities of this post also include networking and close coordination with teams within and outside UNICEF active in youth engagement (PD, National Committees, Regional Offices, County Offices, civil society partners, donors and other relevant actors) and contribution to the work of GCA Leadership Team.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1. Lead the Youth Engagement Section team of DGCA (Management, Oversight and Operations):

• Provide strategic direction and leadership for the Youth Engagement Section and provide advisory support as part of the Division’s senior management team for planning, strategizing and harmonizing processes and strength the advance and campaign skill of an integrated team to deliver on the above mandate.
• Ensure supportive environment for and optimal approach to human resources in the section, through recruitment and development of highly skilled team members embodying CRITA values.
• Ensure optimal approach to financial and other resources in the section, maximize the benefits of available resources.
• Lead the development and ensure optimal implementation, monitoring and reporting on the workplans of the Section, ensure course-correcting whenever needed.
• Promote and nurture positive results-oriented relations between Youth Engagement section and other sections of DGCA, as well as other relevant internal and external actors.

2.  Lead and promote a strategic, ambitious and forward-looking approach to youth engagement in UNICEF:

• Lead the development and guide the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of global Youth Engagement Strategy and related initiatives
• Lead the strategic reflection on the role and vision for Youth Engagement in advancing the objectives of UNICEF’s Strategic Plan and other strategic documents.
• Support the operationalization of this vision for Youth Engagement across UNICEF, challenge the organization when needed to evolve its approach to youth engagement and become a truly child and youth powered organization.
• Support the areas of advocacy work of UNICEF particularly relevant to youth
• Oversee the development of a risk assessment approach for the youth engagement strategy development process, as well as corresponding protocols and mitigation measures.
• Establish and nurture internal and external networks of collaboration advancing the youth engagement agenda and the broader UNICEF goals to which high-quality youth engagement is contributing
• Closely and proactively collaborate with other sections in DGCA, other HQ divisions, ROs, COs and National Committees to ensure UNICEF maximizes its impact through well-aligned youth engagement initiatives.
• Support UNICEF’s regional and national offices through capacity building activities in different areas of youth engagement and related initiatives.
• Support fundraising efforts contributing to youth engagement agenda and related initiatives.
• Collaborate with relevant actors outside of UNICEF to advance the youth engagement agenda, with particular focus on youth-led organizations and youth advocates.

3. Lead the engagement of young people in advocacy, communication, and digital platforms

• Serve as the lead for the U-Report Global Platform.
• Develop and implement strategies to involve young people in advocacy priorities.
• Oversee the Global Youth Advocates Programme.

4.  Strategize and coordinate with communication teams to engage young people in content creation and co-creation:

•  Lead World Children's Day, UNICEF's flagship campaign.

5. Others:

• Contribute to the work of DGCA Leadership team.
• Assist with other duties assigned by the supervisor.

Impact of Results:

The efficiency and efficacy of support provided by the incumbent:

- Robust youth engagement strategies are developed implemented, monitored, and evaluated.
- The Youth Engagement team drives the development of global plans and priorities, building partnerships and capacity at all levels to improve youth engagement in advocacy and communication. Achieving these goals will significantly contribute to the well-being of children.
- Increased capacity by UNICEF to engage young people as advocates and champions for children’s rights through flagship campaigns and platforms.
- Strategic, innovative, effective and engaging and risk-informed campaigns with increased and robust participation of young people, ultimately helping to achieve key advocacy objectives for the organization.
- A positive brand image among young people, laying the groundwork for sustained supporter engagement.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Advanced university degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, International Relations, International Development, social sciences, or another related field.
• Minimum ten (10) years progressively responsible professional work experience in the areas focusing on or related to strategic engagement with youth, at least three (3) of which should be in an international setting.
• Knowledge of children’s rights.
• Experience in leading the development and implementation of youth engagement strategies, with clear theories of change, specific, measurable and timebound objectives, and performance indicators.
• Experience in global campaigning with young people
• Experience in children's participation in international fora
• Knowledge of child safeguarding and ethics of working with children and youth
• Understanding of digital platforms.
• Experience in building and maintaining a network of youth stakeholders, experience in partnerships and in working with youth coalitions.
• Experience in line management is a requirement, along with a proven commitment to diverse and inclusive recruiting process.
• Demonstrated experience in design and management of projects, including budget management and monitoring and evaluation of results.
• Capacity to drive change across the organization promoting innovation.
• Strong abilities to communicate and persuade both in internal and external environments on strategic organizational priorities.
• Experience in advocacy at the international level is an asset.
• Experience managing a multicultural team is an asset.
• Experience in training and facilitation is an asset.
• Experience working in a developing and emergency environment is an asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency. [Please do not remove this desirable; it should be present in all advertisements]

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (2)
Works collaboratively with others (2)
Builds and maintains partnership (2)
Innovates and embraces change (2)
Thinks and acts strategically (2)
Drive to achieve results for impact (2)
Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

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 from programme countries 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.