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 Access

How can you make a difference?

The Security Specialist P3 is based in the Pemba Field Office, with primary responsibility for northern Mozambique and additional advisory and surge support responsibilities across the country. The position reports primarily to the Representative for overall supervision, while also reporting to the Chief of Field Office in the Pemba Field Office on day-to-day matters related to Field Office operations.

Job Purpose

Join our team as a Security Specialist in Pemba, Mozambique, and help enable UNICEF’s programmes to reach children and communities in a complex and evolving security environment. In this role, you will provide timely security risk analysis, practical operational advice, access support and incident management to safeguard UNICEF personnel, premises and assets, while supporting safe, principled and continuous programme delivery in northern Mozambique and, when required, across the country.

Roles & Responsibilities

1. Security Risk Management and Planning: You will advise UNICEF leadership on security responsibilities, support security risk management processes, maintain key security documentation and help ensure compliance with relevant UN and UNICEF security policies and procedures.

2. Security Services: You will monitor the security situation, provide operational security support for UNICEF activities, lead incident response and preparedness actions, and help ensure staff are informed, trained and equipped to operate safely.

3. Programmatic Security Information Analysis: You will provide analysis on security dynamics, access constraints and contextual developments to support programme planning, implementation and decision making in hard-to-reach and high-risk areas.

4. Security Networking and Partnership Building: You will maintain effective coordination with UNDSS, UN agencies, authorities, NGO partners and other security actors to strengthen information sharing, humanitarian access and operational continuity.

5. Innovation, Knowledge Management and Capacity Building: You will promote practical tools, learning and capacity building initiatives that strengthen security preparedness, inclusive training and knowledge sharing across UNICEF and partner teams.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  Security Specialist P3_Job Description.pdf

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

Minimum requirements

• Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Criminology, Political Science, Public Administration, International Development, Security Studies, International Relations, Risk Management, Security Risk Management, Conflict Analysis, Intelligence Analysis, Diplomatic Studies, Conflict and Security and any other related fields is required.
• Work Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in Security, Security Risk Management, Security Operations, Incident Response, Access Management, Humanitarian Security, Security Analysis and any other related fields is required.
• Skills: Demonstrated experience in decision-making, change management, risk planning, security documentation, security reporting, and security training, with the ability to support effective security risk management and operational resilience is required.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables

• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in UN security, international security, humanitarian emergencies, conflict-affected environments, and humanitarian negotiations, with prior professional experience in Mozambique, is highly desirable.
• 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
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

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 candidates 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 male and female 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.

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.