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.

Purpose of Assignment:

The GPD Gender Equality team provides strategic leadership and guidance on UGEAP 2026-29, working closely with our network of staff to support UNICEF to deliver on its commitments in the UGEAP and Strategic Plan 2026-2029 – including targeting commitments to adolescent girls in each sectoral area and through multisectoral, at-scale programming for adolescent girls. The gender team oversees global initiatives including and supporting a large portfolio country programmes, under the POWER4Girls umbrella initiative, working to promote adolescent girls’ wellbeing, empowerment and leadership through multisectoral models, particularly on skills, protection and health. Our priority in 2026-2029 is to focus on scaling up and sustainable financing of the ‘best buys’ in proven policy solutions and programme solutions that advance UNICEF’s targets for tangible changes in adolescent girls’ lives . A key aspect of this is to be able to measure changes in adolescent girls leadership, agency and decision making more concretely.

In alignment with UNICEF’s Gender Equality Action Plan, UNICEF’s Adolescent Girls’ Programme Strategy, and UNICEF’s Strategic Plan ‘adolescent girls accelerator’ commitments, UNICEF is seeking a consultant to support the adolescent girls’ agenda. Specifically, this consultancy will focus on:

- Need and deliverable based support on research and evidence synthesis of UNICEF adolescent girls programming and research

- Identify knowledge and evidence gaps across adolescent girls priority areas to guide UNICEF research priorities

- Work with a core team on support to COs for research, evidence methodology testing, review and quality oversight

- On demand technical support to COs identified by ROs/HQ rolling out any evidence or measurement product related to adolescent girls.

- 2 working briefs on ‘what works’ on topics related to adolescent girls.

- Technical support to new workstream on adolescent boys and advice on U report poll design

- Guidance and support on any other evidence pieces related to work on gender equality in adolescence.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy's scope of work and expected deliverables, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  TMC0002126 ToR.pdf

Minimum requirements: Qualifications/Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills

• Education:

• Advance University degree (Masters) in the social sciences (i.e. sociology, demography, psychology, political science, social policy or economics), public health, public policy, public administration, international development, or in an area relevant to UNICEF’s sectoral work (e.g. Health, Nutrition, WASH, Education, Child Protection, Social Inclusion, HIV/AIDs, etc.).
• Academic credentials in gender and/or adolescence.

• Work Experience:

• Minimum eight years of relevant professional experience and demonstrated track record of having undertaken and led substantive programming and research on gender/adolescent girls and development in key issue areas that are the focus of UNICEF’s Gender Action Plan 2026-2029.
• Experience of practice-based research
• Experience of capacity building and technical support to teams in carrying out evidence pieces

• Skills:

• Strong experience in designing research and evidence practices and rolling out surveys
• Proven experience drafting quality research outputs for different stakeholders and audiences is required.
• Experience working in a development setting, managing programmes and / or research is required.
• Demonstrated excellence in writing and verbal communication;

• Language Requirements: Excellent English oral and written skills; proficiency in another UN language (Spanish, French or Arabic) desirable.

Desirables:

• Experience with qualitative and/or quant data collection methods and analysis techniques highly desirable.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Familiarity/ background with emergency contexts is considered as an asset.
• Experience with proposal writing is considered as an asset

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 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, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal  TMC0002126 Financial proposal template.docx

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.