Ongoing Recruitment at United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the following positions below:

1.) Social & Behavior Change Specialist, NOC

Job No: 564621
Job Locations: Bauchi, Kaduna and Sokoto
Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment
Level: NO-3
Categories: Social and Behavior Change

How Can You Make a Difference?

• The Social & Behavior Change Specialist reports to the head of section or Deputy Representative for general guidance and supervision.
• The Specialist provides technical and operational support for developing a systematic, planned and evidence-based strategy and process for S&BC as an integral part of programme development, planning and implementation.
• Through communication and engagement, as well as the empowerment and participation of stakeholders, communities, children, civil society partners, and government counterparts, s/he promotes measurable behavioral and social change/mobilization.
• This subsequently contributes to the achievement of sustainable and concrete results in improving children’s rights, survival and well-being in the country.

Summary of Key Functions / Accountabilities

• Support to strategy design and development of S&BC activities
• Advocacy, networking and partnership building
• Implementation of S&BC activities
• Technical and operational support
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

Key Functions / Accountabilities
Support to strategy design and development of S&BC activities

• Conduct and/or participate in comprehensive S&BC situation analysis of social, cultural, economic and political issues in the country/region, including through national/subnational working groups or committees. Assess/synthesize qualitative and quantitative information, data and evidence to support the establishment of comprehensive and evidence-based information for developing and planning the S&BC component of the Country Programme of Cooperation (and UNDAF).
• Participate in country programme planning and reviews to contribute to discussions on the underlying and contextual issues to be addressed (e.g. policies, gender/children inequality, cultural/social behavior etc) to ensure the successful and sustainable delivery of programme results and provide technical recommendations on approaches, strategies and plans of action for S&BC to promote behavioral and social change.
• Prepare or provide quality assurance on materials and related documentation for S&BC strategies and plans (as a component of the CO and/or UNDAF Programmes) to ensure optimum impact, scale and sustainability of achievements/results.
• Collaborate/consult with a wide range of partners and stakeholders to ensure synergy, integration, coherence, and harmonization of S&BC activities with UNICEF MTSP, CO global communications and advocacy activities and UN System development activities and initiatives at the CO level, including in humanitarian response.

Implementation of S&BC activities:

• Collaborate with, advice and/or consult internal partners and external partners to design S&BC strategies, including formulation, production and testing materials to organize S&BC events and activities to ensure engagement and participation of key audiences and maximum outreach and impact on behavioral and social change, including in humanitarian response.
• Confirm/verify the technical quality, consistency and relevancy of communications strategies, including materials that are developed, produced and disseminated to target audiences (e.g. individuals, communities, government officials, partners, media etc).
• Recommend appropriate multiple media formats (e.g. print, digital/social media, TV/Radio, Web, community networks, etc.). Oversee the production and implementation of multi-media initiatives for compliance with targets and plans that integrate the latest evidence.
• Identify, establish and maintain active interaction/relations with media, academia and other strategic partners to communicate/advocate UNICEF’s competencies and achievements to ensure their engagement, interests and support in promoting social/political engagement for political action on children’s rights, and measurable changes in social and behavioral outcomes.
• Conduct and/or participate in M & E and Evaluation exercises, including country programme previews, meetings and mid-term/annual reviews to assess/report on the efficacy/outcome of S&BC on UNICEF and CO Strategic Plans/Goals.
• Carry out S&BC advocacy activities with/for a wide range of constituents, stakeholders, partners, communities, etc. to encourage/promote engagement and dialogue, inclusion, self-determination and participation in mobilizing social, political, behavioral and cultural change to achieve sustainable programme results on children and women’s rights, equity and wellbeing. Develop/select materials and other communication tools for S&BC events.
• Recommend timely action to ensure the achievement of results as planned and allocated.  Integrate/disseminate lessons learned in development planning and improvements.

Technical and operational support:

• Collaborate with internal CO, RO and/or RO colleagues to contribute to the development of strategies, approaches, policies and the planning of S&BC social and resource mobilization initiatives in support of programmes/projects implementation and delivery of results, including the humanitarian response.
• Participate in CO strategic discussions to collaborate on policy and agenda setting for S&BC advocacy and investments and related external relations and resource mobilization initiatives.
• Participate in budget planning and management of programme funds and prepare financial plan for S&BC initiatives. Monitor/track the use of resources as planned and verify compliance with organizational guidelines, rules and regulations and standards of ethics and transparency.

Advocacy, networking and partnership building:

• Identify, build and maintain partnerships through networking and proactive collaboration with strategic partners, e.g academia, social networks; celebrities, journalist, media, all sectors/levels of (socially aware) society and critical audiences to reinforce cooperation and/or pursue opportunities for S&BC advocacy to promote UNICEF mission and goals for child rights, social equity and inclusiveness.
• Collaborate with internal global/regional communication partners to harmonize, link and/or coordinate messaging and use of multiple media and communication platforms to enhance S&BC outreach, including in humanitarian contexts.
• Participate in organizational and/or inter-agency (UNCT; National UN Social & Behavior Change Roundtable) discussions and planning to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues in the UNDAF planning and preparation of S&BC advocacy and resource mobilization initiatives, including emergencies.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Implement innovative practices, approaches and latest technology on multiple media and social/digital platforms and networks for S&BC that are appropriate/available for the CO context and audience.
• Institutionalize/share best practices and knowledge learned/products with global/local partners and stakeholders to build the capacity of practitioners and disseminate these products to key audiences, including donors and partners.
• Organize/implement capacity-building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders/partners (government and non-government) in S&BC planning, implementation and evaluation in support of programmes/projects, including in humanitarian settings.

Qualifications
Education:

• An advanced University Degree in one of the following fields is required: Social And Behavioral Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Education, Communication, Public Relations or another relevant technical field.

Experience:

• A minimum of five years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required:  social development programme planning, Social & Behavior Change, public advocacy or another related area.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

• UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies:  Builds and maintains partnerships (II); Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (II); Drive to achieve results for impact (II); Innovates and embraces change (II); Manages ambiguity and complexity (II); Thinks and acts strategically (II) Works collaboratively with others (II) Nurtures, leads and manages people (I

The functional competencies required for this post are:

• Leading and supervising (I)
• Formulating strategies and concepts (II)
• Analyzing (III)
• Applying technical expertise ((III)

Application Closing Date: 16th August, 2023.

Click here to apply online

2.) Social & Behavior Change Officer, NOB

Job No: 564677
Job Location: Sokoto
Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment
Level: NO-2
Categories: Social and Behavior Change

How Can You Make a Aifference?

• The Social & Behavior Change Officer reports to the Chief S&BC/S&BC Specialist for supervision and guidance.
• The Officer provides technical and operational support to the S&BC Specialist and internal colleagues by administering, implementing, monitoring and/or evaluating a variety of S&BC initiatives and activities to promote community engagement and participation, and measureable behavioral and social change/mobilization, requiring the application of technical and theoretical skills and thorough knowledge of organizational goals, rules, regulations, policies and procedures to complete tasks.

Summary of Key Functions / Accountabilities

• Support to strategy design and development of S&BC activities
• Support to implementation of S&BC activities
• Advocacy, networking and partnership building
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

Key Functions / Accountabilities
Support to strategy design and development of S&BC activities:

• Research and/or participate in conducting comprehensive S&BC situation analysis of social, communication, cultural, economic and political issues in the country/region. Collect and synthesize qualitative and quantitative information and data to support the establishment of comprehensive and evidence-based information for developing and planning the S&BC component of the Country Programme of Cooperation (and UNDAF).
• Collect, synthesize, draft and/or organize materials and related documentation for evidence-based S&BC strategies and plans (as a component of the CO and/or UNDAF Programmes) to ensure optimum impact, scale and sustainability of achievements/results.
• Assess, select and/or recommend appropriate information and materials for S&BC initiatives verifying accuracy and quality for dissemination.
• Monitor and assess the impact of S&BC strategies and activities on the CO and UNICEF goals to achieve measurable behavioral and social change resulting in improving children’s rights and wellbeing. Submit qualitative report/synthesis of results for development planning and improvement.

Support to the implementation of S&BC activities:

• Collaborate and/or consult with internal and external partners to provide operational and technical support to research, develop, and produce evidence-based strategies and test, produce and use quality S&BC materials, organize events and activities to ensure community engagement and participation, and maximize outreach and impact on behavioral and social change.
• Follow up and monitor the production of S&BC materials to ensure the technical quality, consistency and relevancy of communications materials that are developed, produced and disseminated to target audiences (e.g. individuals, communities, government officials, partners, media etc).
• Provide technical, administrative and logistical support and background materials to carry out S&BC strategies and activities and recommend operational strategies, approaches, plans, methods and procedures to ensure community engagement and participation and optimum outreach and impact.
• Assess and recommend potential contacts, networks, resources and tools to support maximum impact and outreach of S&BC initiatives.
• Collect, assess and organize information for budget planning and management of programme funds and prepare documentation and related materials for financial planning for S&BC initiatives. Monitor/track the use of resources as planned and verify compliance with organizational guidelines, rules and regulations and standards of ethics and transparency.

Advocacy, networking and partnership building:

• Build and maintain partnerships through networking and proactive collaboration with national and international civil society organizations, community groups, leaders and other critical partners in the community and civil society to reinforce cooperation through engagement, empowerment and self-determination and to pursue opportunities for greater advocacy to promote UNICEF mission and goals for child rights, social equity and inclusiveness.
• Collaborate with internal global/regional communication partners to harmonize, link and/or coordinate messaging to enhance S&BC outreach and contribution to programmatic outcomes.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building:

• Institutionalize/share best practices and knowledge learned/products with global/local partners and stakeholders to build the capacity of practitioners/users, and disseminate products to key audiences, including partners and donors.
• Support the organization, administration and implementation of capacity-building initiatives, including partnerships with training and academic institutions, to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders/partners across programme sectors in S&BC planning, implementation and evaluation in support of programmes/projects. Develop training materials for training activities, and revise and update them as necessary.

Qualifications
Education:

• A University Degree in one of the following fields is required: Social and Behavioral Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Education, Communication, Public Relations or another relevant technical field.

Experience:

• A minimum of two years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required:  social development programme planning, communication for development, public advocacy or another related area.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

• UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies:  Builds and maintains partnerships (II); Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (II); Drive to achieve results for impact (II); Innovates and embraces change (II); Manages ambiguity and complexity (II); Thinks and acts strategically (II) Works collaboratively with others (II) Nurtures, leads and manages people (II

The functional competencies required for this post are:

• Leading and supervising (I)
• Formulating strategies and concepts (II)
• Analyzing (III)
• Applying technical expertise ((III)

Application Closing Date: 16th August, 2023.

Click here to apply online

3.) Programme Officer

Job No: 563684
Job Location: Abuja
Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment
Categories: Health
Level: NO-1

How Can You Make a Difference?

• Under the guidance of the Health Manager immunization and systems strengthening (P5), provide professional technical assistance and support for Health and Immunization programme design, planning and implementation, management and evaluation of programme/project activities, data analysis and progress reporting, in support of programme goals and objectives.
• The programme officer will also support, Quality assurance of reports, mainstream and optimize processes and support capacity building of consultants of general staff at the National and Field Office level.

Summary of Key Functions / Accountabilities

• Effective monitoring systems administered, and analysis of Immunization cluster funds management and financial utilization trends and their implications provided for the identification of critical programme intervention point and measures; changes to programme work plans and recommendations drafted or prepared as required.
• Contribution and support provided to build and reinforce commitment and institutional capacities of the immunization staff, and national and local partners.
• Technical support and assistance provided to enhance effective communication and networking through partnership and collaboration.
• Immunization cluster programme funds are effectively monitored for optimum use.
• Programme monitoring and evaluations are effectively conducted to improve programme performance and programme status reports timely prepared.
• Technical support and assistance provided to elevate the quality of rights-based projects /programmes, and add coherence, synergy and value to the project management process by using results-based management.
• Technical contribution to and participation in effective knowledge management made to strengthen country programme management and activities with a focus on immunization including relevant data collection, analysis, and information sharing/exchanges

Qualifications
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:

• A University Degree in one of the following fields is required: Public Administration, Public Health / Nutrition, Global / International Health, Health Policy and/or Management, Environmental Health Sciences, Biostatistics, Socio-Medical, Health Education, Epidemiology, or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public administration, public health/nutrition planning and management, Health education, financial planning and management.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate:

• UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are:

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
• To view our competency framework, please visit here.
• Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

Benefits

• We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

Application Closing Date: 8th August, 2023.

Click here to apply online

Note

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).
• Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.