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, a bright future
How can you make a difference?
Purpose of Activity/Assignment: To provide specialized visual systems, UX, and experimental prototyping support that helps the Office of Innovation (OOI) translate complex initiatives into reusable design assets, testable concepts, and decision-making tools.
The consultant will play a critical role in strengthening the Office of Innovation’s design function by creating visual systems, rapid prototypes, AI-enabled design experiments, and modular tools that help internal teams, country offices, and partners understand, test, adapt, and scale innovation work across UNICEF.
Scope of work: The consultant will support the Office of Innovation (OOI) design function in delivering end-to-end visual design and prototyping outputs across key initiatives (including SPRINTLab, COMPASS, SPARK, Insights, Influence and other emerging priorities).
The work will combine strategic storytelling, hands-on design execution, and iterative prototyping, contributing to both internal decision-making and external engagement.
Core areas include:
- Visual systems and narrative infrastructure
- Translate complex concepts, research insights, and innovation strategies into clear, engaging narratives (presentations, reports, infographics, toolkits)
- Develop reusable storytelling templates and visual systems for OOI initiatives
- Design future scenarios, speculative concepts, and journey maps to explore emerging opportunities
- UI/UX and rapid prototyping
- Design and iterate on prototypes for digital products, services, and tools (wireframes, mock-ups, clickable demos)
- Support teams in testing and refining concepts through visual outputs
- Experience and spatial design
- Develop visual assets for exhibitions, events, workshops, and innovation spaces (physical and digital)
- Design cross-format experiences (screen, print, interactive environments)
- Data visualization and sense-making
- Translate research findings and complex datasets into accessible visual formats
- Design modular visual systems to support insight communication and decision-making
All work will be deliverable-based, supporting specific initiatives and outputs rather than ongoing staff functions.
The consultant will:
- Collaborate closely with the OOI design team and cross-functional teams (innovation, programme, partnerships)
- Participate in design processes (e.g., SPRINTs, co-creation workshops, prototyping cycles) where relevant
- Translate abstract or technical content into clear visual outputs for diverse audiences
- Ensure consistency with UNICEF branding while adapting design approaches for innovation contexts
- Manage multiple assignments simultaneously, delivering high-quality outputs within agreed timelines
Proactively identify opportunities where design can strengthen clarity, engagement, or decision-making.
If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the Terms of Reference here: 
ToR Visual UX Designer and Maker Consultant TMS.pdf
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:
Minimum requirements:
- Education: Master’s Degree in Visual Design, UX Design, Interaction Design, Graphic design
- Work experience: Minimum 12+ years of relevant experience
- Experience supporting innovation teams from problem framing to prototyping.
- Experience with Vibe coding (lovable or claude design)
- Deep understanding of interaction design
- UN experience is an asset
- Language Requirements: Excellent written communication in English; working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.
- Knowledge/Expertise/Skills: Visual design
- Strong in Adobe Suite + Figma
- Interaction design
- Human-centered design
- Prototyping
- Desirables: Prior experience with design research and facilitating for user insights. Experience managing complex creative processes for innovation co-programming. Understanding of children and youth safeguarding is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate Care
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 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 reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. 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.
Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal (Talent Management System):
Remarks: If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not visible on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers
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.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.