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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 a Future

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

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, an advocate

Under the general guidance of UNICEF’s PPR Washington, DC Office Director (North America and IFIs Pillar), Senior Advisor/Team Lead, and under the direct supervision of Public Partnerships Specialist, the Public Partnership Officer will support the Pillar team to position UNICEF as a partner of choice for the US Government, and deliver on UNICEF programmatic cooperation with the US Government. The position will also perform functions as requested in support of UNICEF’s liaison with key stakeholders in Washington DC and New York and will work closely with UNICEF Headquarter Divisions and UNICEF Field Offices. 

PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT:  

The Public Partnerships Officer (P2) will support UNICEF’s engagement and partnership management matters with the U.S. Government, with a particular focus on strengthening results, outcomes, and financial reporting associated with US-funded humanitarian programming including emergency nutrition activities. 

The North America+ and IFI Pillar supports UNICEF’s work by managing partnerships and resource mobilization with institutions of the Government of the United States, Canada, Israel and International Financial Institutions (IFIs). This post will be a part of the North America+ team working on partnerships with the U.S. Government (USG), which are amongst UNICEF’s most complex and multi-faceted external partnerships.

This Public Partnership Officer (TA) shall support UNICEF’s North America+ team in producing high-caliber quality outputs for key stakeholders on a range of humanitarian and global nutrition programmes (together with other internal teams), supporting financial reporting in close collaboration with UNICEF’s Division of Financial and Administrative Management (DFAM),  and advancing knowledge exchange, resource mobilization, partnership and grants management elements. The incumbent’s efforts will contribute to enhancing UNICEF’s programme of delivery along with partnership and resource mobilization efforts for UNICEF action globally. The incumbent will have a formal reporting line into a P3.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Support high-quality and adaptive engagement, communication, and results-focused grant management approaches to maintain UNICEF’s position as a partner of choice for the USG. Duties include:

• Provide comprehensive support in management of UNICEF-USG grant agreements, with specific emphasis on supporting US Government’s humanitarian response and emergency nutrition programming.
• Design and implement internal tracking and coordination systems to ensure deadlines being met and cohesive approach is followed across all relevant internal teams working on inputs to designated awards.
• Upload and manage regular financial reports to donor portals, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with donor formats and requirements. Support DFAM grants management unit team with data and support for ensuring financial reporting inputs align with award requirements.
• Engage frequently and directly with COs/ROs, headquarters teams, and donor grant management teams and facilitate related information flows. Support negotiation efforts related to design and implementation of grants and efforts to ensure compliance with negotiated agreements. Ensure that critical deadlines and requirements are met.
• Coordinate with all relevant teams (in particular EMOPS, Supply Division, Centers of Excellence, and RO + CO teams) to consolidate inputs and resolve discrepancies in programmatic reporting.
• Support the review and submission of funding proposals, clearance of agreements.
• Support the preparations of briefing/background notes, attend meetings with key USG stakeholders and ensure follow-up in support of UNICEF management.
• Support PPR’s US Government knowledge management activities, helping to ensure partner information and materials are maintained, updated, and filed; guided other team members to implement knowledge management protocols to ensure consistency and ease of reference. Provide contribution and partnership-related updates and information to internal and external partners as necessary.
• Other duties as assigned, including but not limited to supporting planning and logistics for UNICEF HQ or country/regional office leadership to participate in high-level engagements with U.S. Government officials; conducting research on prospective new partnership engagements for UNICEF and providing related analysis and outreach to support exploration of such opportunities.

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

Minimum requirements

1. Education: Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in International Business Relations, Business Administration, Political Science, Education, International Development, Health, English or writing, Economics or International Business, Communications or related fields.
2. Work Experience: 2 years of relevant work experience in Communication, Government, Programme Management, Public Affairs, Economics or Finance, Health, Education, Government, Resource Mobilization, External Relations, Office Management, Customer Relations or other relevant areas. 
3. Skills: International Relations, Public Affairs, Resource Mobilization, Programme Management, International Development.
4. Language Requirements: Proficiency in English is required.

Desirables

1. Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
2. Experience in the following areas will be considered an advantage: working with the US Government, donor financial reporting, humanitarian nutrition programs, grants management systems, coordinating across headquarters and field offices, supporting high level engagements with government officials, Washington DC policy stakeholder relations, knowledge management.
3. 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 [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.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.