Policy Specialist (Social Protection), P-4, Social Inclusion Policy, PD, New York HQ, #103429

Supporting global efforts to reduce child poverty and discrimination against children through improved policy environments and systems for disadvantaged children. UNICEF will assist countries in understanding the patterns and drivers of child poverty and exclusion and in developing effective responses. UNICEF will continue supporting scaling up of child sensitive social protection systems, including improving access to child care and parenting support.

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

For every child, a future

Supporting global efforts to reduce child poverty and discrimination against children through improved policy environments and systems for disadvantaged children. UNICEF will assist countries in understanding the patterns and drivers of child poverty and exclusion and in developing effective responses. UNICEF will continue supporting scaling up of child sensitive social protection systems, including improving access to child care and parenting support. UNICEF will promote legislation, policies and budgets that reflect equity principles and promote children’s rights. UNICEF will support further measures to address discrimination, improve accountability and empower the most disadvantaged families to demand and access essential services. These actions will help address the multidimensional aspects of child poverty and contribute to reducing vulnerability, building resilience to external shocks and enhancing humanitarian responses. For further details please visit us here

How can you make a difference?

You will develop analytical tools, knowledge and partnerships in UNICEF’s work in Social Protection in humanitarian, fragile and risk-prone contexts, and its contribution to UNICEF’s work on resilience, through providing and facilitating technical support, capacity building, knowledge management, global guidance and partnerships.

This will involve:

• Provide technical support in a variety of ways, including review of key documents (TORs, draft reports, assessments etc) training, technical advice in response to inquiries, field missions and short term surge deployment
• Based on ongoing technical support, consultation with staff, review of existing resources, and learning emerging practices in UNICEF, identify and develop key guidance and resources needed to support UNICEF work on social protection in humanitarian, fragile and risk-prone contexts.
• Document and analyse UNICEF practices to improve programmatic and policy work, foster staff exchanges and learning through webinars, and develop case studies to distill lessons learned and good practices, identify implementation challenges and results, as well as, identify gaps in terms of policy and programmatic work.
• Support management in their engagement in high level discussion on social protection, widen UNICEF’s networking including identifying critical assessment and appropriate pursuing opportunities for new partnership with bilateral, multilayered civil society partners.
• Engage and lead organization information gathering, including through Country Office annual reports, SMQs, RAM and mappings and incorporate inputs, writing to relevant reporting processes on social protection

To qualify as a Champion for every Child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Economics, International development studies Social sciences, or other related fields is required.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience, at the national and international level, in public policy and technical assistance.
• Proven experience in supporting national protection programmes in humanitarian, fragile and risk-prone context is considered a critical aspect for this role.
• Prior experience in written analysis/documentation of public policy work is required.
• Prior experience in working with UNICEF,UN or other international organizations on social protection is highly desirable.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Our core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

This position is classified as “rotational” which means the incumbent is expected to rotate to another duty station upon completion of their tour of duty,

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

Remarks: This is a project funded post with funds available for one (1) year, with the possibility of extension.