Social & Behavior Change Specialist, (P-3), Mexico City, Mexico, #136794, [Temp. Appointment: 364 days]

Job no: 592597
Position type: Temporary Appointment
Location: Mexico
Division/Equivalent: Latin America and Caribbean Regional Off
School/Unit: Mexico
Department/Office: Mexico City, Mexico
Categories: Social and Behavior Change

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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 results

Social & Behaviour Change (SBC) is a cross‑cutting programme strategy in UNICEF that applies behavioral and social sciences to address individual, community, and structural determinants of change in both development and humanitarian contexts.

In UNICEF Mexico’s Country Programme 2026–2031, SBC has been identified as a key strategy to achieve results for children at scale, with a particular focus on the most marginalized children and adolescents.

For more information related to the work of our office in Mexico, please visit our website: UNICEF Mexico, our commitments for a six‑year term for children: A good six-year term for children: Un buen sexenio para la niñez or read our Annual Report 2024 - UNICEF México. 

How can you make a difference? 

Reporting to the Deputy Representative, the Social & Behaviour Change Specialist (P‑3) provides technical leadership and operational support for the development and implementation of evidence‑based SBC strategies across programme sectors and field offices.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Leading SBC situation analyses and formative research to inform programming
  • Designing and implementing evidence‑based SBC strategies in close collaboration with programme sections
  • Strengthening community engagement, social listening, and feedback mechanisms
  • Building capacity of government counterparts, partners, and UNICEF staff on SBC approaches
  • Supervising SBC personnel, consultants, and vendors
  • Supporting advocacy, partnerships, and resource mobilization related to SBC

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Terms of Reference: Download File TORs_SBC Specialist P3 TA 2026.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

  • Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s or PhD) in Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or a related fields.
  • Work Experience:
    • Minimum five years of professional experience in social development planning, SBC, C4D, advocacy or social sciences research.
      • Two years of additional relevant work experience that was gained after obtaining a bachelor’s degree may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree (master's degree).
    • Supervisory experience.
  • Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Spanish.

Desirables:

  • Experience working with SBC strategies in the Latin American context
  • Experience within the UN system, particularly with UNICEF
  • Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian context

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 

(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 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 from indigenous background 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.

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.

UNICEF shall facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates selected for positions at the international category.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

This is an INTERNATIONAL POSITION. Please note that national candidates from Mexico cannot be considered. 

Advertised: Central Standard Time (Mexico)
Application close: Central Standard Time (Mexico)

Apply now

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