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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, for every child, the right to protection

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The UNICEF ROSA’s education team seeks a consultant to map, analyze, disseminate and promote the application of the best practices in relation to the use of learning and skills assessment data for improving learning and skills outcomes in South Asia, in both development and in emergency contexts. The consultant will help implementing the regional programme aiming at strengthening national capacity for improving the use of robust learning and skills assessment data for improving learning and skills outcomes. The consultant will support UNICEF’s objectives on 1) accelerating foundational learning (i.e. basic literacy and numeracy and socio-emotional skills) through upscaling the use of best practices, starting from early childhood and including digital learning solutions; 2) strengthening education and skills systems, policies, and practices; and 3) Increasing the production and use of regional and global knowledge on the best practices for improving learning and skills outcomes.

Purpose of the post:

This position is under the supervision of the Regional Advisor Social Policy within the Regional Social Policy team at UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia. The Social Policy team contributes to UNICEF’s strategic results on the reduction of child poverty, social protection and public finance. Its main aim is to support country offices. This post will support specific Goal Area 5 Strategic Plan results to improve access to inclusive social protection systems and reduction of child poverty through increasing coverage and financing of social protection systems for children.

Under the general guidance of the supervisor, the incumbent provides technical leadership on social protection systems strengthening and child poverty with a strong focus on support to country offices including operational implementation and cross-sectoral integration, as well as advocacy and evidence, leadership at the regional level to enhance the enabling environment to improve social protection for children. This covers a range of areas, including evidence generation, policy/ strategy development and implementation, expansion of inclusive social protection (including gender and disability inclusive, etc), programme design and implementation (including social cash transfers), linking social protection to other social services, programme administration and integrated delivery (including strengthening linkages with social service workforce, social protection information management systems, and aligning SRSP with any HCTs, ); and the development, strengthening and financing of social protection systems. In collaboration with country offices, the incumbent provides technical support and guidance through development of analytical tools and guidance, policy advocacy materials, and technical assistance and capacity building. In addition, the incumbent will provide technical support to the Country Offices (COs) to identify policy windows, generate dialogues, and leverage evidence-base to strengthen systems and expand coverage, and provide technical support across the in integrating social policy’s work across nutrition, gender, education, health and social behavior change. Supports the management of external partnerships at the regional level including with the World Bank, other UN agencies, and bilateral organizations to support collaborative country engagements on social protection and further international coherence.

For full job description, please see attached JD  JD - Social Policy Specialist (Social Protection).pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: Advanced university degree in economics, international development studies, social sciences, or another relevant technical field is required.

Experience:

1. A minimum of eight years of progressive, professional work experience at the national and international level in public policy, technical assistance, carrying out economic and social policy analyses in the area of social protection in developing country environments is required.
2. Experience in written analysis/documentation of public policy work required.
3. Experience in implementation and operational dimensions of relevant dimensions of social protection programmes and systems is highly desirable.
4. Excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills i s highly desirable.
5. Experience in managing and synthesizing research is desirable.
6. Experience with UNICEF and/or other organisations in economic and social analysis of programmes in developing countries for the benefit of women and children is an asset. 

Language: Fluency (oral and written) in English and another UN language preferred.

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…

(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 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 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.

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.

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.