Social and Economic Policy Manager - P4 Florence, Italy

Florence

Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
Location: Florence
Grade: Mid level - P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
- Political Affairs
- Legal - Broad
- Economics
- Private Fundraising and Partnerships
- Managerial positions
Closing Date: Closed

We are seeking to hire a qualified candidate who will lead the team behind the Flagship Innocenti Report Cards series and Innocenti’s child poverty and family policy analysis.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Research

Job organizational context

The Office of Research-Innocenti (OoR-Innocenti) is the dedicated research office of UNICEF. It undertakes and commissions research on emerging or current issues of relevance for children in order to inform the strategic directions, policies and programmes of UNICEF and its partners. The Office identifies research gaps, brings together existing researchers, and supports or undertakes research and data collection to address critical questions and to inform global debates.

Worldwide, over 1 billion children live in poverty, a condition that is estimated to contribute to the deaths of 22,000 children each day. Even in the world’s most economically-developed countries, and despite multiple policy and programmatic interventions, child poverty risks remain stubbornly high. Related to this, child well-being outcomes are evolving unequally within and across countries everywhere, leading to weakened child rights and opportunities, and substantial costs to these children and the communities and countries in which they live.

Responding to the challenge of child poverty, in all its forms, is at the core of UNICEF’s work. In different contexts, UNICEF seeks to (1) advocate for policies and programmes to address child poverty and improve well-being, to (2) develop evidence and research to inform and promote progressive policy action/reform to reduce child poverty, or (3) is accountable for making a difference through anti-poverty programmes and interventions. In each role, and to advance results for children, rigorous analyses and evidence is needed for advocacy and decision-making, often in politicized contexts, and often in settings with unique resource and capacity constraints.

Specifically, robust information and evidence remain a critical focus of UNICEF’s work to help guide the organization to (1) strengthen its advocacy for comprehensive and lasting response to child poverty and for improving the living standards and life chances of all children, and also to (2) tackle underlying causes of poverty and vulnerability to poverty and poor child well-being outcomes through evidence-informed policy and programmatic action.

Research and credible evidence remains important within the UNICEF Strategic Plan for 2018-2021 and the Sustainable Development Goals. UNICEF needs to further strengthen its research and policy analysis of child poverty and child well-being, a contribution that will be crucial in advancing results for the world’s most vulnerable children.

Purpose of the post

The Office aims to strengthen its capacity to deliver high-quality research and policy analysis of child poverty and child well-being. The scope of work will cover a variety of contexts including research in high- middle- and low-income countries, humanitarian settings, using a mix of methods, quantitative and qualitative, including comparative analyses.

The post holder will be expected to use rigorous research methods and analysis to fill identified knowledge gaps where child rights concerns are high and where UNICEF needs a stronger evidence base for programming, policy dialogue, and advocacy.

This post will coordinate research and evidence on child poverty and child well-being within the Office of Research and provide research support and facilitate implementation of research of relevance to policy and programming. The post-holder will work with colleagues in the Office of Research, Programme Division (PD), Division of Data, Research and Policy (DRP), Regional and Country offices, as well as, other parts of UNICEF, to build on and expand existing research, and to develop new ones.

As part of the role, the incumbent will foster and develop relevant evidence partnerships and collaborative networks with diverse stakeholders both within UNICEF and outside, including with academic partners, policy actors and funders, and other UN agencies.

The position will report to the Chief of Social Policy and Economic Analysis Research (P5, #6759).

Summary of key functions/accountabilities

Coordinate and implement the programme of child poverty and child well-being research, in the Social Policy and Economic Analysis Unit, in support of UNICEF’s overall priorities, and aligned to on-going and planned work within the Office of Research-Innocenti, PD, DRP, and other parts of UNICEF, producing evidence that is relevant to programmes and policy.

The post-holder will be responsible for the following:

1. Coordinate and manage child poverty and child well-being research (60%)
• Develop a coherent programme of research and evidence-based policy analysis of the situation of children at risk of poverty and social exclusion in in diverse parts of the world, with particular focus on social and material deprivations, and well-being.
• Undertake synthesis and summaries of research and evidence on critical themes relevant for child poverty and child well-being policy and programming
• Plan, implement and manage research on strategic topics on child poverty and child well-being policy and programming.
• Manage staff and consultants to deliver quality research in a timely and efficient manner.
• Identify suitable research partners, organize research teams, obtain data where needed, and ensure the production of high quality, rigorous research and policy analysis.
• Develop proposals and mobilize resources to support research on child poverty and child well-being policy and programming; maintain and strengthen donor networks through routine communications and reporting.
• Lead and support publication and synthesis of research findings – including the flagship Innocenti Report Card Series, support research uptake, organize expert consultations and communicate effectively to technical, policy and lay audiences through a wide range of media.

2. Strategic engagement with UNICEF Headquarters, Regional and Country Offices (15%)
• Serve as the focal point for the Office of Research in engagement with UNICEF, PD, and DRP and maintain close relationship with Regional Offices and other parts of UNICEF.
• Support, collaborate in or coordinate research initiated or requested by UNICEF HQ Divisions and Country or Regional Offices according to agreed organizational priorities.
• Serve as a technical resource for UNICEF HQ and field offices, contributing to capacity building and providing technical inputs, evidence synthesis and guidance on research methodology and quality assurance, as needed.

3. Strategic engagement in child poverty and child well-being policy and practice networks (15%)

• Organise or maintain child poverty and child well-being policy and programming research advisory groups.
• Support and participate in networks of researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in areas of child poverty and child well-being research.
• Prepare inputs and participate in relevant conferences, workshops and meetings, including consultations with high level officials, experts and practitioners.
• Promote the exchange and brokering of knowledge, including through initiation and organization of expert workshops and conferences, and through synthesis of significant child poverty and child well-being research findings
• Effectively communicate key research outcomes and policy or programme recommendations on issues and best practice
• Serve on advisory groups for related research, and contribute to peer review in appropriate situations

4. Contribute to the Office of Research work programme and support cross-cutting research agenda (10%)
• Coordinate and manage the work on child poverty and child well-being research, developing its work plan in line with the overall priorities of the Office and UNICEF.
• Contribute to office-wide strategic thinking on research and other priorities and their implementation.
• Participate in and/facilitate interdisciplinary research through involvement in selected cross functional teams and consultations, including Annual Results report and participation in office seminars
• Develop joint proposals and contribute to fundraising for child poverty and child well-being research and evidence.
• Act as a resource person for key UNICEF meetings and advocacy activities as requested by the manager.

Act as a resource person for key UNICEF meetings and advocacy activities as requested by the manager.

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

Education: Advanced university degree in development-related disciplines such as Security Studies, Public Policy, Development Studies, Public Health, or related Social Sciences, with a strong focus on child poverty and well-being issues and analysis, including both qualitative and quantitative methods. A Ph.D with research experience highly desirable.

Experience: A minimum of eight years of experience in child poverty and child well-being research in an academic or research institution, NGO, government or the development sector, with developing country research experience;
• Experience with a diversity of research methodologies for policy and programme analysis highly desirable;
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing research projects in developed and developing country contexts, with experience in both quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis;
• Demonstrated ability to forge and manage collaborations with programme and research colleagues, and work collaboratively in teams across a variety of projects, and comfortable working in a multidisciplinary environment;
• Experience with fundraising and resource mobilization for research;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Staff supervision and management experience is an asset;
• Demonstrated commitment and ability to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment and commitment to UNICEF and its vision.

Language: Fluency in English required; ability to work in a second UN working language desirable.

For every Child, you demonstrate UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The competencies required for this post are….

Core competencies

Drive for results (2)
Working with people (2)
Communication (3)

Functional Competencies:

Leading and supervising (3)

Formulating strategies/concepts (2)
Analyzing (3)
Relating and networking (3)
Deciding and initiating action (2)
Applying Technical Expertise (3)
Planning and Organizing (3)

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

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

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

This vacancy is now closed.
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