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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 Champion

This position is located in UNICEF’s Evaluation Office (EO) in Rome, which serves as steward of UNICEF’s evaluation function, steering the development and implementation of evaluation policy, strategy and systems, including evaluation quality assurance processes. The Director of Evaluation reports on the evaluation function to UNICEF’s Executive Board in an annual report that includes information on selected evaluations. The Evaluation Office focuses on promoting an enabling environment for evaluation and providing ready access to evaluation information. It also commissions independent corporate evaluations, usually conducted in collaboration with external consultants, and undertakes evaluation capacity development within and outside the organization.

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the Director of Evaluation, the Executive Associate is accountable for procedural communications, operations, and administrative support services, as well as specialized administrative functions, to ensure the smooth running of the supervisor’s day-to-day activities, the Evaluation Office, and the evaluation function more broadly. The Executive Associate also represents the supervisor, initiating, following up on, and resolving administrative requests.

Purpose of Position and Key Functions:

• Communications Support:
  • On behalf of the supervisor, manage incoming and outgoing correspondence, e-mails and telephone calls.
  • Communicate sensitive information to higher-level managers.
  • Provide routine information about the work of the Evaluation Office.
  • Draft responses to written inquiries on routine questions.
  • Coordinate responses to sensitive inquiries.
  • Follow up on established deadlines and ensure timely submissions by staff of reports, correspondence and other documents.\
• Administrative Support:
  • Maintain the supervisor’s calendar and arrange meetings.
  • Organize official travel on behalf of the supervisor.
  • Prepare briefing materials for official trips or meetings.
  • Prepare documentation for the supervisor’s signature, reviewing for style, factual and grammatical accuracy.
• Operations Support:
  • Support capacity development activities and conferences by making logistical arrangements, through engaging facilitators, caterers and hosts.
  • Maintain and update a system which monitors the absence of staff.
  • Support management of administrative supplies, office equipment, and updating the inventory of items.
• Budget Monitoring Support: 
  • Provide support on budget revision/preparation, implementation status, determination of the position of funding utilization, operational, and financial closure.
  • Monitor budgets and financial expenditures of the section, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations, keeping the supervisor informed and advised on actions for decision/follow up.
  • Prepare and maintain records, documents and control plans for the monitoring of programme implementation.
  • Carry out transactions in VISION about grants for their section, such as registering grant allotments and tracking expiring programme grants.
• Procurement Support:
  • Guide managers in the process of PCA/SSAs in line with the policies and guidance issued by FRG, SD and DHR.
  • Facilitate the processing of contracts for consultants and external partners that provide a service to the section. This includes preparing and filing documents, completing required forms and templates, uploading the Terms of Reference to VISION, and making necessary logistical arrangements.
  • Maintain up-to-date vendor lists, partners, and consultant rosters.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  JD_Executive Associate G-6 (2) (1).pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the field of work.
• Work Experience: A minimum of six (6) years of relevant administrative, executive support, or clerical experience.
• Skills: 
  • The successful candidate will demonstrate strong project management, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, along with confidence in using digital tools and adapting to new technologies.
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, is required.
  • Organizational, planning and prioritizing skills and abilities.
  • High sense of confidentiality, initiative and good judgment.
• Language Requirements: Knowledge of English at a proficient level is required.

Desirables:

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is considered an asset.
• Knowledge of Italian language at a proficient level is considered an asset.
• Previous relevant experience in UN or UNICEF is considered an asset.
• Thorough knowledge of UNICEF's organizational structure, administrative policies and procedures.
• Prior experience in working with senior officials or in front office set up is considered an asset.
• Education or experience in progamme planning, monitoring, or evaluation is considered an asset
• Proficiency in SharePoint is considered an asset.
• 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 are conditional on the selected candidate's willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

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.

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.

At the time of application, candidates must possess Italian citizenship or be nationals of EU/Schengen countries or in possession of a valid work permit. Temporary and/or sponsored visas are not accepted. Applicants must be holders of acceptable permits already at the time of application. Applicants with non-EU citizenship must attach copies of their valid Italian work permits, otherwise their application will not be considered. Please note that General Service (GS) staff are locally recruited staff and candidates are personally responsible for any travel and accommodation arrangements.

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.