Contract Duration- 9 months

Working arrangement: Combination of on-site (Kyiv, Ukraine) and remote work

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 UNICEF Ukraine website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Education

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) opened its office in Kyiv in 1997. Over the years, UNICEF has supported the Government of Ukraine in developing health, water and sanitation, education and protection programmes for children.

UNICEF has been providing life-saving support to children and families affected by the war in Ukraine. UNICEF works to fulfill the core commitments for children in humanitarian action, including access to education, psychosocial support, water and sanitation, mine risk education, maternal and child health.

Welcome to UNICEF Ukraine - YouTube

                                                         TERMS OF REFERENCE

The purpose of the assignment is to support UNICEF Ukraine Country Office in transitioning the diversion to services model for adolescents in alleged conflict with the law from a conceptual and design stage to initial piloting across a number of selected Oblasts. The consultant will be expected to use the established legal, institutional and methodological basis to support with planning out and implementing the diversion to services mechanism by introducing practical tools, SoPs and procedures for consistent application across selected pilot sites. The consultant’s work will include facilitating discussions across key stakeholders, development of policy documents, strategies, operational plans and protocols for coordinated implementation. The key purpose of the consultancy is to facilitate preparation and stress-testing of the model prior to its pilot implementation; to ensure implementation of legally sound, robust and feasible model, which is based on relevant international standards, practices of other states and is child-centered. The consultant will aim to strengthen inter-agency cooperation and agency-level capabilities for fast, effective and quality decision-making in line with the diversion trajectory. Finally, the consultant will strengthen human and institutional capabilities of UNICEF’s implementing partner to plan, implement, assess the impact and expand the diversion mechanism. The ultimate purpose of the assignment is to ensure that diversion to services model is operational and scalable across Ukraine to be available to all children in alleged conflict with the law.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  External ToR TMC0002549.pdf

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master’s degree in law, public policy, governance or sociology.

• Work Experience:
  • • At least 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in justice for children, child protection, or justice system reform
    • Demonstrated experience in designing and/or implementing juvenile diversion, or other alternatives to detention programmes;
    • Proven track record in supporting legal and institutional reform processes, including development of operational tools, procedures and interagency coordination mechanisms;
    • Experience in pilot design, testing, and operationalization of new policies, models or programmes, preferably in complex or transition contexts;
    • Prior experience working with international organizations (preferably UNICEF or UN system) and government counterparts;
    • Experience in Eastern Europe, preferably Ukraine, is a strong asset;
    • Demonstrated experience in capacity building, training development, and facilitation of multi-stakeholder consultations.
• Language Requirements:
  • • Fluency in English (required);
    • Understanding of Ukrainian is desirable.
• Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:
  • • In-depth knowledge of international child rights standards, including the CRC and other relevant UN guidelines on justice for children;
    • Expertise in developing operational tools and methodologies (e.g. assessment tools, case management systems, SOPs, training materials);
    • Strong understanding of interagency coordination mechanisms across justice, social protection and child protection systems;
    • Demonstrated ability to translate policy and legal frameworks into practical implementation tools;
    • Experience in risk analysis, programme design, and pilot testing;
    • Excellent analytical, writing and reporting skills;
    • Strong facilitation, communication and stakeholder engagement skills, including ability to work with high-level government counterparts;
    • Ability to work independently and deliver high-quality outputs within tight timelines.

Desirables:

• • • Prior experience supporting diversion to services or similar models integrating justice and social services;
    • Familiarity with Ukrainian legal and institutional context, related to justice for children and probation;
    • Experience in conflict-affected or humanitarian contexts;
    • Knowledge of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems in justice or child protection programmes;
    • Experience in mentoring and professional supervision models for practitioners;
    • Previous involvement in UNICEF programmes or similar child-focused initiatives.

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 (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial proposal TMC0002549rev.docx

Remarks:  

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.