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 Digital opportunities

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy emphasizes the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, ensuring that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. 

Building on work across the UN with and for young people, and in line with the UN Youth Strategy, UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited (GenU) focuses on finding new ways to ensure that every young person is in school, learning, training or employment by 2030 — with a focus on those in the greatest danger of being left behind, including girls, the poorest, those with disabilities, young people on the move and those affected by conflict and natural disasters. 

This partnership brings together leaders from governments, UN agencies, the private sector, academia, international and civil society organizations, and young people to identify, co-create, resource and scale up innovative solutions that expand opportunity for young people. 

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the GenU Deputy Director, and in close collaboration with the Global Lead on Livelihoods (ESP), the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Specialist will drive and coordinate UNICEF’s livelihoods MERL agenda. The role focuses on ensuring robust systems are in place to define, capture and analyze results from livelihoods programmes and from GenU’s Public Private Youth Partnership (PPYP) approach. 

You will support stakeholders at global, regional and country levels to design and implement monitoring frameworks, and to plan and carry out evaluation and learning activities, while strengthening Regional and Country Offices’ capacity to set and update targets, monitor progress, report and use evidence for decision-making. 

This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to consolidating results at global level through agreed mechanisms, supporting evidence-based decision-making, and advancing impact for adolescents and youth at scale. 

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: JD P4 MERL Specialist TA.docx

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

Minimum requirements:

1. Education: An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in social sciences, statistics, international development or other field related to the work of the GenU.
2. Work Experience: A minimum of eight years of relevant professional work experience in designing data collection tools, data processing/cleaning, analysis, and presentation of findings in a humanitarian and/or development context.
   Proven experience in writing data-driven reports for both technical and non-technical audiences.
   Advanced knowledge of MS Excel.
3. Skills: monitoring and evaluation, data analysis and visualization, knowledge management, stakeholder coordination, reporting and communication, research and learning
4. Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

1. Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
2. Power BI, Tableau, statistical analysis tools, database management, knowledge sharing platforms, international development experience
3. Field experience with humanitarian and/or development programming. Knowledge of statistical tools and database work.
4. 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

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.