Programme Specialist (P-3), PG Child Protection/Migration Hub, outposted in Nairobi (Temporary Appointment 364days) # 00128448

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. 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 personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, … a better life,

UNICEF aims to be the leading advocate for children, enabled by a cohort of networked, strategic, innovative, and effective advocates who deliver change for children in every part of the world.  

As one of UNICEF’s major programmes for refugee children, the PROSPECTS partnership aims to improve prospects for forcibly displaced persons and their host communities in selected countries in Africa and the Middle East, through a paradigm shift from a humanitarian to a development approach. This post will play a key role in delivering on UNICEF’s work for inclusive social protection systems in PROSPECTS countries, along with the broader global programme and policy aims tied to PROSPECTS.

How can you make a difference?

The Programme Specialist is accountable for providing technical support, coordination, knowledge management and advocacy support to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people on the move.

The purpose of the post is to support the Migration and Displacement Hub and the Social Protection team in strengthening the organisation’s work on children’s rights in displacement contexts through evidence generation and knowledge management, capacity building, building partnerships and synergies across stakeholders, provision of technical support and policy influencing.

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

Working across 2 teams, this staff member will support UNICEF in strengthening UNICEF’s programme and policy engagement on children’s rights in displacement contexts, with a particular focus on inclusive social protection and youth engagement. S/he will work collaboratively with colleagues across different teams at UNICEF – in the Programme Group, at regional and country office, and with external partners to drive changes in policy and practice. Duties include:

Strengthening UNICEF’s work at all levels on inclusive social protection and other issues for displaced populations and host communities, with a special focus on PROSPECTS countries.

• Support the development of practical guidance and tools for inclusive social protection and other basic services for host and displaced populations
• Provide regions and country offices with high quality technical assistance on displacement issues for children.
• Support the development of country programme documents and other resources in countries impacted by displacement.

Consolidation of evidence, knowledge management and strengthening learning for children in displacement contextsUndertake activities to strengthen UNICEF’s policy influencing efforts in humanitarian and fragile contexts.

• Coordinate evidence generation and documentation of good practises on social protection and other thematic areas in displacement contexts .
• Map and maintain updated information on emerging opportunities for advocacy on inclusive social protection.
• Facilitate south-south learning and knowledge exchange to influence practice and build capacity globally on social protection in humanitarian and fragile contexts, with a particular focus on displacement contexts.
• Contribute to wider capacity building and learning plans in the Social Protection team and in the Migration and Displacement Hub.

Engaging with government counterparts, partners, other stakeholders, and UNICEF regional and country offices to influence policy for children in displacement contextsWork closely with relevant stakeholders to follow up on commitments made at the Global Refugee Forum and other intergovernmental and interagency fora on inclusive social protection and other issues for displaced children and host communities.

• Regular engagement with UNICEF staff across sectors and at HQ, regional and country office level, partners, and other external stakeholders engaged to support implementation of the PROSPECTS partnership.
• Support the establishment of a Knowledge management and Technical Assistance hub on the issue of social protection in displacement contexts, in partnership with other stakeholders.
• Provide on site analytical and documentation support to country and regional teams on topics relevant to child poverty and social protection, as required.

Support youth engagement in UNICEF’s migration and displacement programming, with particular focus on the implementation of the Youth on the Move Fellowship Programme and its scale-up and sustainability plan.

• Liaise with key HQ teams, such as DHR, ADAP, UNICEF regional and country offices hosting fellows, and external partners, such as MYCP to implement and formally lauch the Youth on the Move Fellowship Programme.
• Coordinate recruitment, training, mentorship and capacity building support activities for the Fellows and hosting offices/supervisors; Trouble-shoot logistical and other issues as they arise.
• Support the development of communications materials and assets in collaboration with GCA in order to mobilize resources and garner political support for the formal uptake and scaling of the programme within UNICEF and with external partners.

Others

• Proactively engage in team activities
• Undertake other key responsibilities as required.

The following minimum requirements:

• An advanced university degree in Public Policy, Political Science, International Relations, International Development, Public Administration, Economics, Communication and/or related field is required.
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in social protection, displacement or related fields is required.
• Building and managing complex multi stakeholder processes and networks is required.
• Experience of global and regional policy influencing on social protection in displacement contexts is an added advantage.
• At least 2 years of demonstrated experience of developing technical knowledge products and their systematic dissemination to enhance learning is desired.
• Ability to present complex policy ideas in succinct, engaging ways in written and oral communication.
• Knowledge of children’s rights, public policy, international development, migration and displacement,and humanitarian issues.
• Experience in advocacy and influencing at the international level is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is considered an asset.

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…

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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.

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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.

All selected candidates will 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.

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.

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.

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.