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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, the right to Hope

The People and Culture Specialist (P-3) supports UNICEF’s Senior Leadership Support (SLS) Team in advancing the organization’s strategic people and culture agenda. The role focuses on strengthening talent management and succession planning for senior leadership, particularly Deputy Representatives, and ensuring transparent, equitable HR processes. The Specialist acts as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing expert guidance on recruitment, performance management, and career development in alignment with UNICEF’s people and culture policies.

Key responsibilities include partnering with the Office of the Executive Director (OED), the Ethics Office, and other divisions to deliver effective HR solutions; managing senior-level recruitment and assessment processes; supporting leadership rotation and reassignment exercises; and contributing to data-driven decision-making and policy development. The incumbent promotes diversity, inclusion, and organizational integrity while fostering collaboration across global HR networks to attract, retain, and develop high-caliber leadership talent that drives UNICEF’s mission for every child.

How can you make a difference?

We’re seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking People and Culture Specialist who thrives in fast-paced environments and brings creativity, agility, adaptability, and impact to everything they do. This role requires a confident collaborator who can seamlessly engage with individuals and senior leadership across both field offices and headquarters, while delivering results with agility and grace under pressure.

Key responsibilities include:

1. Business Partnering

• Provide accurate and timely advice to clients from Office of the Executive Director (OED), Office of the Secretary of the Executive Board (OSEB), and the Ethics Office on people and culture processes and policies, ensuring the highest level of client-orientation.
• Support OED, OSEB, and Ethics Office on various talent management, recruitment career development, and performance management activities.
• Act as People and Culture Representative for the assigned roles included in the Global Referencing Recruitment Exercise.
• Proactively advise clients on the resolution of People and Culture issues ensuring equitable and transparent solutions that protect both the staff and organization’s interests in accordance with policies, regulations and procedures.
• Promote equity, transparency, and consistency in the selection and placement of staff.
• Promote the organizational goals and targets for gender equity and cultural diversity.

2. Succession Planning and Talent Acquisition

• Proactively collaborate with other team members in the Senior Leadership Support team to ensure consistency and help fulfill team goals.
• Provide dedicated support to recruitment activities for Senior Leadership positions — including job classification, talent sourcing, candidate assessment, and coordination in selection processes — in delivering efficient and high-quality client services aimed at attracting, retaining, and motivating top-calibre talent.
• Analyze existing talent pipelines from the learning and talent management perspective, providing pro-active, candid, consistent, relevant, and comprehensive advice and guidance that contributes to growth, development, and employee satisfaction.
• When assigned casework in the relevant area on either a routine or non-routine basis, analyze issues and interpret established people and culture guidelines to recommend solutions and further actions required.
• Collaborate effectively with other sections and centers of expertise within the Division of People and Culture to provide coherent solutions for clients.
• Proactively advise clients on the resolution of people and culture issues ensuring equitable and transparent solutions that protect both the staff and organization’s interests.
• Support and assist in managing leadership talent pipelines, for the Leadership Talent Group and Deputy Representative Talent Group.

3. Strategic People and Culture 

• Contribute to the formulation and implementation of corporate HR strategies specifically related to attracting, retaining, and developing high-caliber senior field leaders.
• Build partnerships with HQ Divisions, ROs, and COs to continuously improve talent management activities.
• Provide input into policy and system reviews, drawing on lessons learned and feedback from field-facing HR support.

4. Knowledge sharing and Data Analytics 

• Contribute to the communication plan of the Senior Leadership Support Team. Contribute to providing regular updates on issues related to team’s activities.
• Collect, interpret and analyze people and culture data to help inform decision making on HR processes and strategies.
• Support the development and implementation of data collection systems to optimize data quality.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  134653 P3 TA People and Culture Specialist SLS October 2025.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced University (Master’s) Degree in Human Resource Management, Business Management, International Relations, Psychology, or related social science field.
• Work Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in People and Culture management, with an international setting or large corporation is required.
• Skills: 
  - Prior experience in Talent Management and HRBP role is highly desirable
  - Demonstrated ability to maintain discretion, tact, and confidentiality.
  - Proficiency in organizational and HR information technology systems and tools.
  - Project management skills and ability to meet tight deadlines, and manage competing priorities
  - Strong communication skills in diverse organizational settings.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.  

Desirables:

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
  Stakeholder Engagement, Recruitment, HRBP, HR Information technology, Policy application, project management
• 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 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 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.

UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reduction. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member's original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.