Current vacancies

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, Protection

Scope of the work:

Since 2017, UNICEF has been working with local authorities and National Ombudsperson for childhood and adolescence, to support the UASC protection system in performing its own duties, establishing a model of support including legal advice and mediation, advice on pedagogical approaches and on supporting vulnerable children – including survivors of violence – managing the child-guardian relationship and cultural diversity, and facilitating the connections with services and public authorities. In the past years, UNICEF has worked on piloting a foster care model in line with guidelines issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies through which UASC, including refugees and migrant children, can access foster care within families and in the hosting community. The model is based on coordination between local institutions, CSOs and reception facilities.

During an assessment conducted in 2024, the local authorities in Sicily expressed the need for an increased support to the foster care system which, despite the progressive strengthening, still requires additional efforts for its consolidation and its expansion to be able to respond to the increasing need.

Considering all the above, the consultant will work in close collaboration with the local Juvenile Court, Municipalities and Regional Ombudsperson to:

• Support Catania Municipality in the design and implementation of interventions in the context of the Child Guarantee;
• Lead capacity-building activities targeting Juvenile Courts in Sicily and Municipal social workforce on foster care and UASC specific needs;
• Support Catania Juvenile Court in the appointment of voluntary guardians and institutional dialogue with the Regional Ombudsperson for Childhood for their recruitment and training

How can you make a difference?  

Work location: Home-based in Sicily (Italy) with travel to field locations

To apply:

Applicants are invited to: 

1. Complete their UNICEF profile;
2. Submit a financial proposal with a daily fee in EUR. Applications without fees will not be considered.

- Payment schedule: The consultant will be paid based on satisfactory and timely submission of deliverables.

- Duration: (72 working days for 6 months)- March 2025– September 2025 (Possibility of extension based on funding availability).

Travel: Travels are foreseen for trainings and local missions.  The Consultant will travel to field locations in Sicily. The Consultant will be responsible for organizing their travel. Travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed. The maximum amount allocated for travel will be EUR 2,000.

• • All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/ Individual Contractors apply.
  • All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
  • The consultant is responsible for his/her for travel arrangements. The most economic and direct route is authorized.
  • Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of mission upon submission of the invoice together with the supporting documentation.
  • The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSafe certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.
  • Consultants are required to comply with locally applicable security measures, including obtaining security clearance from the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) prior to any official travel, including in instances, whereby travel is arranged by the consultant and no Travel Authorization is raised in system. If applicable, the consultant will also need to reserve accommodation in pre-approved hotels/guest houses only, as per local DSS security advisory.

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

• Bachelor degree in Psychology, Pedagogical sciences, Social Sciences, Law, Political Sciences or other related disciplines.

Work experience required:

• At least 5 years of professional experience with refugees and migrants or vulnerable children
• At least 5 years of professional experience in the field of protection
• Proven experience of work with local authorities in Sicily.

Knowledge required:

• Proven knowledge of the national context with regards to reception, protection and inclusion of migrant and refugee children, including foster care system.

Skills required:

• Ability to work through networking and partnership.

Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships.

Language required:

• Fluency in Italian
• Intermediate English (B2)

Desirable:

• At least 5-year work experience in Catania territorial district
• At least 3-year work experience with local authorities operating in Catania territorial district

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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. 

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.