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 voice

UNICEF became operational in Greece in early 2016 as an outposted team from the Regional Office of Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) to respond to the significant influx of refugee and migrant children and their families at that time. Following several years of engagement with national stakeholders, UNICEF and the Government of Greece made a decision in January 2020 to formalize the agency’s presence in the country as a full-fledged Country Office. The office falls under the auspices of the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia located in Geneva, which supports the work of 22 Country Offices within its geographical scope, reporting in turn to global headquarters in New York. Within the framework of a mandate for all children in Greece, UNICEF and Greece are now working to address the needs of all vulnerable, marginalized and left-behind children in the country.

In the context of the Country Programme for Greece (2022-2026) approved by the UNICEF Executive Board in February 2022, UNICEF and the Government of Greece have agreed on national targets for children, concerning child rights monitoring, social policy, health, education, child protection and youth employability. Regarding the Health and Nutrition agenda, and within the context of the National Action Plan on Public Health (2021-2025) and the National Prevention Programme ‘’Spyros Doxiades’’, UNICEF is scaling up programming to address the high prevalence of childhood obesity and promote child and family health.

Child Participation is spelled out in different articles of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (Art. 12, 15, 31). It is both a right and a process in which children become active contributors rather than passive recipients of adult protection and care. Meaningful child participation involves much more than consulting with children: it requires a commitment to recognize children as active agents on their own lives and to support them develop the skills and competences needed to participate in decision-making processes related to their community, social, cultural, economic  and democratic life, according to their evolving capacities.  In this context, participation and engagement of children and youth is fostered by UNICEF as a key strategy across Programmes.

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision and guidance of the Youth & Adolescent Development Officer, the Project Associate (Youth Engagement) supports the respective sections by carrying out a range of programme support functions to help develop, implement and monitor the country programme, ensuring effective and timely delivery that is consistent with UNICEF rules and regulations.

The Project Associate (Youth Engagement) works in close collaboration with a range of staff in the CO, external partners and agency counterparts in support of programme design and delivery. S/He provides regular feedback on the status of projects through monitoring milestones and advises on improvements to keep activities on track.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Support the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of youth engagement strategies and tools.
• Support the organization of youth consultations, focus group discussions and other participatory events that generate meaningful opportunities for young people to express their views and take action in support of children’s rights.
• Assist in the set up of a Child and Youth Advisory Board for UNICEF Greece CO.
• Provide support to the implementation and strategic growth of Youth Advocates programme, ensuring integration with organizational priorities.
• Support youth advocates and members of the Child and Youth Advisory Board in preparation for their active participation to public events.
• Support the organization of capacity-building activities, workshops and trainings aiming to enhance the capacity of young people to effectively participate in decision-making.
• Adhere to principles of child/youth participation and safeguarding in the development/implementation of all CO activities, campaigns, communication products and platforms.
• Assist in the content development and dissemination of communication and sensitization material with and for youth as part of campaigns and advocacy priorities.
• Prepare monitoring and reporting information for supervisor and team on agreed performance indicators to drive more efficient management and accountability for results.
• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to Education, Social Sciences, Anthropology, International Relations, Communication or Human Rights.

• Work Experience: A minimum of six years of relevant work experience in programme implementation, support and monitoring for youth engagement and youth-led action programs and initiatives or another related field.

*A bachelor’s degree from a recognized academic institution in a relevant field may replace three years of related work experience.

• Skills :Strong communication skills and the ability to adapt his/her communication style to different audiences.• Strong organizational, planning and prioritizing skills and abilities.

  • High sense of confidentiality, initiative and good judgment.

  • Ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds and ages.

  • High attention to detail.

  • Experience using MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other UNICEF software such as SharePoint.

  • Strong digital skills and experience in creating content for social media.

  • Knowledge of child safeguarding and ethics of working with children and youth.

• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Greek is required

Desirables

• Direct work experience with youth organizations, young people and/or youth-led action; experience with adolescent participation and civic engagement highly desirable.
• Prior experience in management of digital platforms and creation of social media content for youth audiences is an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as 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…

(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 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 measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, 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.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

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.

UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

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.