Join UNICEF Lao PDR as a Quality Assurance Associate and play a key role in strengthening compliance, internal controls, and programme quality across one of UNICEF’s largest country programmes. In this position, you will support quality assurance reviews, supply monitoring, risk management, and oversight of Programme Cooperation Agreements using UNICEF systems and eTools. Working closely with Programme and Operations teams, you will help ensure accountability, transparency, and effective delivery of results for children and women across Lao PDR. This is an excellent opportunity for a detail-oriented professional with strong analytical and compliance skills to contribute to UNICEF’s mission.
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 Support
UNICEF has been working in Lao PDR continuously since 1973. As one of the longest-serving international organizations in the country, we implement one of UNICEF’s largest country programmes worldwide, working tirelessly to promote the rights of children and women and to bring basic services - education, health, nutrition, protection, water and sanitation - to those who are most in need.
More than 70 dedicated staff members work to make positive and lasting changes for Lao PDR's most vulnerable children – and to ensure they remain a priority for the international community.
UNICEF works to promote and protect the rights of children and women in Lao PDR. More information on what we do in Lao PDR is available at https://www.unicef.org/laos/.
How can you make a difference?
UNICEF Laos is seeking a highly experienced and qualified Lao National to serve as a Quality Assurance Associate at GS-6 level, provide quality assurance, compliance oversight, and transactional review across Operations and Programme interface areas, including PCAs, PDs, grant management, and supply planning and monitoring, while ensuring adherence to UNICEF policies, internal controls, risk management standards, and effective use of corporate tools such as eTools. The position will be based at the UNICEF Country Office in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
Key functions/accountabilities include:
- Quality Assurance and Compliance
- Programme Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) and Programme Documents (PDs) Quality Assurance (including eTools)
- Internal Controls, Reporting, and Audit Support
- Process Standardization and Capacity Support
- General Support Duties within the scope of the position.
If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: 
JD - Quality Assurance Associate, G-6, TA 364 days, Vientiane, Lao People's Dem. Rep 137242.docx
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
- Education: Secondary Education in Business Administration and any other related fields. A bachelor’s degree from a recognized academic institution in a field relevant to the position may replace three years of related work experience. A master’s degree may replace an additional two years.
- Work Experience: At least 6 years of relevant work experience in Audit and Investigation, quality assurance, compliance, internal controls, risk management, grant management, supply chain management, program management, financial operations, audit support, data analysis. and any other related fields.
- Skills: Knowledge of Compliance Monitoring, Internal Controls, Risk Management, Data Analysis and Reporting, Programme and Partnership Management, Audit Support and Documentation Management, and Process Improvement and Standardization are required.
- Language Requirements: Proficiency in English is required.
Desirables:
- Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is asset.
- Experience in eTools proficiency, ERP, Quality assurance, Information systems, Business administration, Cooperation agreements, Programme Cooperation Agreements (PCAs), Programme Documents (PDs), Supply monitoring, and Internal controls are desirable.
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
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
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 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 [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] 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.
UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reductions. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).
The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member’s original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.
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.
Visa residence requirements: i.e. 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.