This is a re-advertisement, candidates who have already applied do not need to re-apply.

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 Future

UNICEF’s evaluation function is largely decentralized. It includes senior-level regional evaluation advisers and multi-country evaluation specialists based in its five regions, as well as dedicated country-level evaluation focal points who provide full- or part-time support to evaluation efforts. The function conducts a diverse portfolio of independent, credible, and impartial evaluations, including corporate thematic, institutional effectiveness, humanitarian, country-led, and impact evaluations. These efforts ensure that UNICEF systematically uses evaluation evidence to enhance its effectiveness and deliver better results for children.

This P4 Evaluation Specialist (Impact Evaluation & AI/Machine Learning) position is based in UNICEF's Evaluation Office (EO) and reports to the Senior Evaluation Specialist/Chief of Section (P5) within the Global programme effectiveness and impact evaluation portfolio. Impact evaluation specialists within the team provide specialized technical expertise to ensure high-quality, agile evaluation delivery and timely support for emerging needs globally and from decentralized offices. They strengthen advanced impact evaluation methodologies, including through use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and through partnerships with public and private sector actors at global and decentralized levels.

In 2023, the EO launched the UNICEF Evaluation of Impact Strategy and Action Framework 2022–2025, establishing institutional priorities for a strategic approach to generating and using evidence of the impacts of UNICEF-supported interventions, including evidence of their cost-effectiveness. The Impact Catalyst Fund (ICF) serves as the strategy's main incentive mechanism. Currently, two thematic windows and nine impact evaluations are underway with country offices, with two additional thematic windows proposed for 2026-2029.

In parallel to these developments, the evaluation function has made a commitment to expand its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in its evaluations, including in its impact evaluations. It is anticipated that internal capacity in AI and ML will need to develop further in the years ahead while external expertise will also need to be procured.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direction, guidance, and supervision of the Senior Evaluation Specialist / Chief of the Programme and Impact Evaluation portfolio, the Evaluation Specialist (Impact Evaluation & AI/Machine Learning) is responsible for implementing UNICEF’s Impact Evaluation Strategy. This role focuses on expanding the use of rigorous impact evaluations (e.g., randomized controlled trials) across a wide range of programmatic and cross-thematic areas.

The Evaluation Specialist will lead the technical planning and execution of multi-country impact evaluation portfolios, offering hands-on expertise in impact evaluation design (including e.g. sampling calculations, inter-class correlations), econometric data analysis, and report writing. S/He will also provide technical support and quality assurance for decentralized impact evaluations, promote the expansion of impact evaluation coverage across UNICEF programmes, and support learning and capacity development for UNICEF staff and partners. An essential aspect of the role involves integrating AI and machine learning into evaluation workflows.

The incumbent will contribute to broader evidence generation and utilization efforts, including resource mobilization, dissemination of evaluation findings both internally and externally, and fostering trusted relationships with staff from Centers of Excellence and other key stakeholders.

This highly technically specialized post will help facilitate the Evaluation Office’s transition to a new business model, one that employs in-house production of evaluative evidence to ensure the highest standards of relevance, timeliness, quality, and credibility.

 Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1. Evaluation Design and Technical Leadership
2. Data Innovation and AI/Machine learning Integration
3. Quality Assurance and Standardization
4. Strategic Partnerships and Portfolio Development
5. Dissemination and Learning

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: JD - Evaluation Specialist (Impact Evaluation and AIMachine Learning)_P4.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Economics, Statistics, Public Policy, Development Studies, or related field entailing strong quantitative training is required.
  A Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in a relevant area combined with 2 additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. This is applicable to internal (FT, Continuing and Permanent) staff only.
• Work Experience: 8 years of conducting rigorous impact evaluations using experimental and quasi-experimental designs, including for the last 3 years is required. 5+ years (most recent) applying advanced statistical methods, AI and machine learning to the analysis of social sector programs using longitudinal, multi-level datasets is required. Proven ability to work with internal and external stakeholders at multiple levels, including providing technical support and capacity building and establishing/managing external partnerships including budget monitoring and execution is required. Proven track record producing user-centered outputs, including peer-reviewed journals, that contribute to awareness, knowledge valuing and use of Impact Evaluation is required.
• Skills: R, Stata, Python, Survey CTO, KoBo, LLM, Data Visualization
• 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.
• PhD in Economics, Statistics, Public Policy, Development Studies, or related fields entailing strong quantitative training is an asset.
• Specialized training in impact evaluation methods and methodologies (experimental designs, including randomized controlled trials, and quasi-experimental designs) and in causal inference is desirable.
• Formal training in qualitative methodologies is an asset.
• Thematic expertise in a programmatic area associated with UNICEF work, such as Education, Health, Nutrition, Social Policy, Child Protection and WASH is desirable.
• Impact Evaluation experience in fragile and humanitarian settings is desirable.
• Experience managing multi-country impact evaluation portfolios in development and humanitarian contexts is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in mixed methods analysis that enhance the practical utility and uptake of IE, including qualitative analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, GIS analysis, dosage and fidelity measurement, and other relevant tools is an asset.
• Experience in dashboard development, real-time data systems, and GIS data is desirable.
• Causal machine learning methods (causal forests, double/debiased ML, synthetic controls), natural language processing for survey data and administrative record is 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

The 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 may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

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.

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.