The Executive Specialist plays a central strategic, analytical and coordination role within the PPR Global Director's Office. The incumbent supports the Global Director by ensuring effective management of information flows, facilitating decision-making processes, strengthening coordination across the Division and with external partners, and helping translate emerging issues, partnership priorities and operational developments into timely action. The role contributes directly to enhancing the Global Director's capacity to lead, influence and position UNICEF within the broader UN system and global public partnerships landscape.In the Global Director’s Office, the Executive Specialist supports the Director’s leadership across PPR’s income, influence, insight and stewardship functions by ensuring that public partnership priorities, donor intelligence, political developments, divisional actions and senior-level engagements are effectively synthesized, coordinated and translated into timely decisions and follow-up.

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 a Future

The Public Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Division (PPR) leads UNICEF's efforts to secure quality public sector income for children, promote international development and humanitarian resources for child-focused outcomes, and facilitate UNICEF's intergovernmental and interagency engagement to champion child rights. The Division delivers through income, influence, insights and stewardship by maintaining and expanding flexible resources from public sector partners; leading UNICEF's engagement with those partners globally; generating strategic insights and analytics on public partnerships; undertaking evidence-based influence and engagement; and providing global strategic direction, guidance and oversight of the public partnerships function.

The Executive Specialist plays a central strategic, analytical and coordination role within the PPR Global Director's Office. The incumbent supports the Global Director by ensuring effective management of information flows, facilitating decision-making processes, strengthening coordination across the Division and with external partners, and helping translate emerging issues, partnership priorities and operational developments into timely action. The role contributes directly to enhancing the Global Director's capacity to lead, influence and position UNICEF within the broader UN system and global public partnerships landscape.

In the Global Director’s Office, the Executive Specialist supports the Director’s leadership across PPR’s income, influence, insight and stewardship functions by ensuring that public partnership priorities, donor intelligence, political developments, divisional actions and senior-level engagements are effectively synthesized, coordinated and translated into timely decisions and follow-up.

1. Strategic executive coordination of the Global Director's Office

  • Coordinate the effective functioning of the Global Director's Office by managing priority workflows, overseeing scheduling processes in collaboration with the Executive Associate, and ensuring efficient tracking of key deliverables, correspondence and documentation.
  • Manage the flow of information to the Global Director, identifying priority issues requiring attention, synthesizing inputs and facilitating timely decision-making.
  • Ensure timely organization, quality assurance and follow-up of high-level meetings, briefing materials and internal communications, in close collaboration with relevant PPR colleagues and the Executive Associate.
  • Monitor decisions and action points arising from senior-level meetings and engagements, ensuring accountability and timely implementation by relevant stakeholders.
  • Maintain and continuously enhance Front Office knowledge management systems to support strategic coordination between the Global Director, Pillar Directors, Team Leads and the broader Division.

2. Knowledge management and divisional coordination

  • Lead internal communication and information-sharing processes across PPR to ensure alignment, coherence and transparency of priorities and actions.
  • Oversee and optimize coordination tools, including calendars, shared platforms, trackers and dashboards, to support efficient planning, monitoring and reporting.
  • Coordinate the preparation, consolidation and dissemination of intra- and inter-divisional updates, strategic inputs and follow-up on key decisions and action points.
  • Strengthen systems for collecting, organizing and disseminating partner intelligence, contact information, engagement history and follow-up actions to support coherent resource mobilization, influence and stewardship efforts across PPR.
  • Engage regularly with Pillar Directors and Team Leads to ensure timely provision of accurate, relevant and decision-ready information.
  • Maintain and improve systems for tracking donor engagement and divisional priorities, ensuring data accuracy, accessibility and strategic use.

3. Strategic engagement and stewardship of partnerships

  • Coordinate the preparation of high-quality materials and ensure logistical readiness for high-level engagements, meetings and strategic briefings involving senior leadership.
  • Draft and consolidate substantive background notes, briefing packages, talking points and other executive materials for the Global Director and senior leadership, incorporating analytical insights and ensuring alignment with UNICEF priorities.
  • Manage and enhance the high-level donor engagement tracking system, ensuring systematic monitoring of interactions, commitments and follow-up actions.
  • Provide analytical and coordination support to strengthen donor stewardship efforts and ensure consistent messaging and positioning across engagements.
  • Contribute to ensuring that partnership engagements are strategically aligned with divisional priorities and effectively followed through.

4. Analytical and advisory support for leadership decision-making

  • Identify, synthesize and escalate emerging issues, risks, opportunities and cross-cutting priorities requiring the Global Director's attention.
  • Prepare concise analysis and decision notes to support leadership engagement, divisional planning and external positioning.
  • Facilitate cross-divisional alignment on priority initiatives, ensuring that relevant teams are engaged and that decisions are translated into clear actions and timelines.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  JD - Executive Specialist, P-3.pdf

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have… 

  • Minimum requirements

    Education    : An advanced university degree (Master's or higher) is required in International Relations, Political Science, Public Administration, Communications/Media or another relevant technical field is required.
  • Work Experience: A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in external relations, public affairs, partnership management, executive coordination, strategic planning, communications or international development cooperation is required, preferably within the UN system, a government institution, NGO or other international organization.
  • Skills: Excellent communication, drafting and editing skills are essential. Strong analytical, synthesis and judgement. Ability to act with discretion, diplomacy, integrity and confidentiality. Strong judgement, discretion and political sensitivity, particularly in handling confidential information and senior-level interactions. Proven ability in planning, organizing and time-management. Ability to manage competing and urgent priorities under pressure. Proactive and results-oriented work style with limited supervision. Ability to coordinate across teams and levels of seniority, including with Pillar Directors, Team Leads, Regional Offices, Country Offices and other HQ divisions. Ability to work effectively in multicultural teams and establish harmonious working relationships. Good knowledge of Al tools, office software, collaboration platforms, trackers and knowledge-management tools.
  • Language Requirements: Fluency in English (written & verbal) is required.

Desirables

  1. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.
  2. Prior experience working in coordination, planning, analytical support or an executive office and field experience is an asset.
  3. 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 are conditional on the selected candidates’ willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel.

Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

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 candidates 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.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.

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.

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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.