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For every child, hope

UNICEF Ukraine

Join the Social Policy Team at UNICEF Ukraine!

How can you make a difference?

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, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Job organizational context:

The Social Policy Officer GJP is to be used in a UNICEF country office. This position will be an important part of UNICEF’s Humanitarian Cash Transfer (HCT) team, and will also act as the Deputy Lead/Head of the HCT programme/team when needed.

In 2022, humanitarian partners provided multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to almost six million people for more than 1.2 billion USD, which was the largest scale-up of humanitarian cash transfer programming in history, highlighting the use of MPCA as a standard basic assistance humanitarian response modality in the Ukrainian context. As per the 2024 Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), an estimated 14.6 million people were in need, including almost 3 million children and 3.6 million internally displaced people, whereas 1.9 million people were targeted with MPCA for a total appeal of 643 million USD.

The UNICEF Ukraine Humanitarian Cash Transfer programme provides cash assistance to vulnerable, affected households with children in the frontline to help meet their basic needs, ensure minimum living standards and prevent the adoption of negative coping strategies. From 2022 to 2024, UNICEF has provided humanitarian cash transfers to more than 350,000 households supporting 1.5 million people, including close to 1 million children in Ukraine.

Purpose for the job:

Under the general guidance of the Programme Specialist – Cash Transfers (which is the Lead of the Cash Transfer team), the Social Policy Officer (Cash Transfers) will be an important part of the Humanitarian Cash Transfer (HCT) team. This position will support and contribute to the following tasks (including, but not limited to): a) outreach, communication and registration of beneficiaries for cash assistance, b) training of implementing partners, c) AAP and grievance redressal, d) monitoring, e) coordination both on national and sub-national level (including with the Cash Working Group as relevant), f) engaging with technical focal points at Ministry of Social Policy, and g) donor reporting and resource mobilization. It is assumed that this position will also act as the Deputy Lead of the HCT team when needed. The Social Policy Officer (Cash Transfers) will work in close collaboration with other members of the cash transfer team, the emergency team and field offices, and relevant programme and cross-cutting sections, along with external partners and stakeholders.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities (this is a generic job profile, but this position is fully dedicated to the implementation of cash transfer programming): 

1. Improving data on child poverty & vulnerability for increased use for policy and programme action, including to inform and adjust cash transfer programmes.

• Supports the collection, analysis and user-friendly presentation of data on multidimensional and monetary child poverty, including strengthening national capacity to collect routinely, report and use data for policy decision-making.
• Provides timely, regular data-driven analysis for effective prioritization, planning, and development; facilitates results-based management for planning, adjusting, and scaling-up specific social policy initiatives to reduce child poverty.
• Analyzes the macroeconomic context and its impact on social development, emerging issues and social policy concerns, as well as implications for children, and proposes and promotes appropriate responses in respect of such issues and concerns, including government resource allocation policies and the effect of social welfare policies on the rights of children

2. Strengthening social protection coverage and impact for children, especially through the provision of cash assistance.

• Supports the development of social protection policies, legislation and programmes with attention to increasing coverage of and impact on children, with special attention the most marginalized.  Identifies, generates and presents evidence to support this goal in collaboration with partners.
• Supports strengthening of integrated social protection systems, providing technical support to partners to improve the design of cash transfers and child grants and improve linkages with other social protection interventions such as health insurance, public works and social care services as well as complementary services and intervention related to nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation, child protection and HIV.
• Supports improved monitoring and research around social protection impact on child outcomes, and use of data and research findings for strengthening programme results.

3. Improving use of public financial resources for children

• Undertakes budget analysis to inform UNICEF’s advocacy and technical assistance to Ministries of Finance, planning commissions and social sector ministries to improve equitable allocations for essential services for children.  Works with sector colleagues to build capacity to undertake costing and cost effectiveness analysis on priority interventions to help inform policy decisions on child-focused investments.
• Supports the identification of policy options for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive social protection interventions.
• Undertakes and builds capacity of partners for improved monitoring and tracking of public expenditure to support transparency, accountability and effective financial flows for essential service delivery, including through support to district level planning, budgeting and public financial management as well as facilitating community participation

4. Strengthening capacity of local governments to plan, budget, consult on and monitor child-focused social services.

• Where national decentralization processes are taking place, collaborates with central and local authorities to improve policies, planning, budgeting, consultation and accountability processes so that decisions and child-focused service delivery more closely respond to the needs of local communities.
• Collaborates with the central and local authorities to strengthen capacity on quality data collection, analysis for policy development, planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring of essential social services, with emphasis on community participation and accountability.

5.  Strengthened advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive social policy

• Supports correct and compelling use of data and evidence on the situation of children and coverage and impact of child focused services – in support of the social policy programme and the country programme overall.
• Establishes effective partnerships with the Government, bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies to support sustained and proactive commitment to the Convention of the Rights of the Child and to achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Identifies other critical partners, promotes awareness and builds capacity of partners, and actively facilitates effective collaboration within the UN family.

6. UNICEF Programme Management

• Helps manage and coordinate technical support around child poverty, social protection, public finance and governance ensuring it is well planned, monitored, and implemented in a timely fashion so as to adequately support scale-up and delivery. Ensures risk analysis and risk mitigation are embedded into overall management of the support, in close consultation with UNICEF programme sections, Cooperating Partners, and governments.
• Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the country programme. Ensures that the social planning project enhances policy dialogue, planning, supervision, technical advice, management, training, research and support; and that the monitoring and evaluation component strengthens monitoring and evaluation of the social sectors and provides support to sectoral and decentralized information systems.

7.  Cash Transfer Programming

• Support in the planning, design, implementation, and monitoring of the various cash transfer programmes, including multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA), cash-for-winterization assistance, other types of sectoral-based cash, and complementary social protection programming in form of ‘top-ups’.
• This will include the following tasks (including, but not limited to): a) outreach, communication and registration of beneficiaries for cash assistance, b) training of implementing partners, c) AAP and grievance redressal, d) monitoring, e) coordination both on national and sub-national level (including with the Cash Working Group as relevant), f) engaging with technical focal points at Ministry of Social Policy, and g) donor reporting and resource mobilization.
• It is assumed that this position will also act as the Deputy Lead/Head of the cash transfer team/programme (when needed).
• The Social Policy Officer (Cash Transfers) will work in close collaboration with other members of the cash transfer team, the emergency team and field offices, and relevant programme and cross-cutting sections, along with external partners and stakeholders.

Impact of Results

The Social Policy Officer (Cash Transfers) will support the design, implementation, and monitoring of the various cash transfer programmes implemented by UNICEF Ukraine, including multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA), cash-for-winterization assistance, and complementary social protection programming in form of ‘top-ups’. It is also assumed that this position will act as the Deputy Lead/Head of the HCT team (when needed). The Social Policy Officer (Cash Transfers) will be an integral part of the Humanitarian Cash Transfer (HCT) team and will positively contribute to the provision of much-needed cash assistance to vulnerable households with children in need of basic assistance, seasonal and complementary sectoral cash support.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of two years of relevant professional experience is required.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and Ukrainian is required.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.
• Experience in cash transfer programming is considered as a strong asset.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as a strong asset.
• Background and/or familiarity with emergency is considered as a strong asset.
• Experience in coordination with relevant cash actors and working groups – either on national or sub-national level – is considered as an asset.
• Experience in collaborating with the Ministry of Social Policy is considered an asset.
• Experience in other aspects of cash transfer programming – such as AAP, monitoring, and resource mobilization – is considered as an asset.
• Knowledge of another official language or a local language is 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. For this position, eligible and suitable people with disability 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.

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.

Eligible staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent contracts applying to IP TA positions in a duty station designated as L2/L3, may be able to retain a lien and their fixed-term entitlements, subject to approval by their Head of Office. The conditions of the temporary assignment will vary depending on the status of their post and relocation entitlements may be limited as per the relevant policies.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

This position is based in Kyiv and the incumbent will be expected to work on-site. However, depending on the security conditions and advisory, s/he will be required to relocate within Ukraine.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements