Current vacancies

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Youth Innovation Consultant
Section/Division/Duty Station: GenU, Programme Group, NYHQ
Duration: 01 Jan 2026 – 31 Dec 2026
Home/ Office Based: NYHQ / Remote

About UNICEF 
If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND
Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

Generation Unlimited (GenU)
Generation Unlimited is a global multi-sector partnership launched in 2018, dedicated to ensuring that every young person is in education, learning, training, or employment by 2030. By mobilizing resources and engaging partners from public, private, and youth sectors, GenU addresses the global youth skills and employment crisis. It supports country-level initiatives and drives global solutions to improve education, skills development, and youth employability, with a focus on equity and innovation.

Yoma Initiative
As a GenU innovative pilot solution, Yoma empowers young people by providing pathways for skills development, social impact, and livelihoods. Yoma creates a dynamic ecosystem where youth navigate structured opportunities, build skills, and connect to economic prospects. The initiative focuses on reaching marginalized youth and offers diverse programs that facilitate the transition from learning to earning. By integrating partners from across sectors, Yoma aims to create a sustainable environment for young people to thrive and secure meaningful futures.

Role Overview:

Youth Innovation Consultant
The Youth Innovation Consultant will guide the strategic direction, assessment, and refinement of Yoma’s innovation pilots and ecosystem-level strategies. The consultant will receive input from partners such as SAP, Accenture, Standard Chartered, Capgemini, Goodwall, and others and will use that input, alongside UNICEF’s input, to ensure each pilot is grounded in youth-centered design, innovation principles, and continuous feedback loops.
The consultant will assess progress, identify barriers and opportunities, and generate evidence-based recommendations to strengthen the learning-to-earning pipeline across regions and countries including Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and the Philippines. The role includes shaping cross-cutting strategies such as AI innovation, green economy pathways, digital skills development, youth employment pipelines, and youth engagement models, ensuring alignment with Yoma’s long-term vision and GenU’s global priorities. The consultant will translate insights into practical guidance for scaling, replication, and ecosystem strengthening.

Scope of Work:

The consultant’s role involves producing pilot-specific reports and strategic analyses that assess innovation quality, youth engagement, implementation progress, and overall impact across the Yoma ecosystem. Each assessment will generate insights into how different approaches support the learning-to-earning journey, documenting lessons learned, identifying enablers and barriers, and outlining opportunities for adaptation or scale. The consultant will also provide strategic guidance in emerging areas such as AI-enabled employability/livelihoods and green economy pathways, ensuring that pilots remain responsive to youth needs and evolving market trends. The consultant will synthesize findings across pilots to create a coherent understanding of what works, what requires refinement, and how the ecosystem can be strengthened. By the end of the implementation period, the consultant will deliver clear, actionable recommendations that inform future interventions and enhance Yoma’s role in empowering young people globally.

Terms of Reference / Key Delivera

bles:

Estimated travel cost and daily subsistence should be included in financial proposal.

Qualifications
Education: Master’s degree in a relevant field such as International Development, Social Innovation, Public Policy, Environmental Studies, or Business Administration.

Work Experience/Knowledge/Expertise/Skills Required *
● Professional Experience: At least 4 years of experience leading or supporting youth-focused innovation projects, particularly in areas such as digital skills development, green economy roles, or entrepreneurship.
● Ecosystem Strategy and Systems Thinking: Expertise in designing, managing, scaling, and/or operating within large-scale skilling and employment ecosystems with sustainable, impactful outcomes.
● Youth-Centered Program Development and Innovation: Experience developing, implementing, and iterating programs focused on youth engagement, skills development, and entrepreneurship, integrating continuous feedback to ensure relevance and impact.
● Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships and Policy Engagement: Proven ability to cultivate and manage partnerships across public, private, and non-profit sectors while collaborating effectively on policy initiatives aligned with strategic goals.
● Agile Project Management and Remote Coordination: Proficiency in managing projects using agile methodologies, including iterative design and prototyping, with the ability to coordinate stakeholders across geographies remotely.
● Data Analytics and Monitoring for Impact: Skilled in data analysis tools for assessing and tracking program outcomes and using data-driven insights to guide decision-making and enhance program performance.
● International Development: Experience working with international organizations (e.g., UNICEF, World Bank) or similar institutions on multi-country programs.
● Ecosystem and Partnership Management: Proven track record in managing partnerships with public, private, and non-profit stakeholders, aligning efforts to drive impact and innovation across sectors.
● Agile Project Management and Remote Work Proficiency: Experience using agile methodologies (e.g., iterative development, rapid prototyping) to manage complex projects remotely across time zones and geographies.
● Data Analysis and Monitoring Skills: Proficiency in using data analytics and visualization tools (e.g. R, Python, STATA, Tableau) to monitor program outcomes and support data-informed decision-making.
● Global South Experience and Cross-Cultural Communication: Extensive work experience in the Global South, particularly in Africa, with the ability to work effectively in cross-cultural environments.
● Fluency in English (written and spoken); additional language skills in French or African languages are an asset.

Requirements:
Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and
- Upload copy of academic credentials
- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
o the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
o travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
o Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
o Indicate your availability
- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.
U.S. Visa information:
With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here
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:
Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.