Chief Advocacy, P5, Division of Global Communication and Advocacy, New York HQ, USA, Post Number 86982, Fixed-Term

Contract

This is a P-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 10 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 208,877 USD and 261,770 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

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, a Champion.

Under the supervision of the Deputy Director of the Division of Global Communication and Advocacy (GCA), you will provide strategic leadership and effective management of Advocacy Section to establish UNICEF as the leading advocate for children and their rights across the world.

In particular, you will guide and manage large teams within the Advocacy Section in GCA to ensure the development, implementation and monitoring of advocacy strategies to support the achievement of organizational priorities.

You will establish a systematic approach to identify issues of strategic importance and advocacy opportunities and partnerships for UNICEF, ensuring effective co-ordination of GCA in support of global priorities, in line with UNICEFs Strategic Plan (2022-2025) and its Advocacy and Communication Change Strategy.

Emphasizing team building, you will promote the alignment of functions and capacities for an agile, effective, and efficient advocacy team. You will also maintain working relations with key stakeholders in the organization - including HQ divisions, Regional and Country Offices and National Committees (NatComs) - to leverage and maximize the impact of organizational assets to promote children’s issues on the global agenda.

How can you make a difference?

Key functions and accountabilities will include the following:

• Lead the development and implementation of advocacy strategies in support of UNICEF global advocacy priorities, (GAPs) with a focus on innovation.
• Convene UNICEF divisions, teams and offices to ensure a strategic, aligned approach to global advocacy.
• Lead UNICEF’s global advocacy capacity building programme to ensure staff at all levels in Country Offices, Regional Offices, National Committees and Headquarters have the knowledge, skills and confidence to do effective advocacy. Lead the development of strategic advocacy partnerships, including with influencers in civil society and social movements, to increase UNICEF’s impact and mobilize resources for advocacy.
• Oversee the development of coherent and compelling advocacy and campaign narratives, and the delivery of creative campaign tactics.
• Provide strategic direction and leadership for the Advocacy Section and of the Division of Global Communication and Advocacy, as a member of the Division’s leadership team.
• Manage budget, monitoring and evaluation and other operational responsibilities associated with successful performance of the Advocacy Section. These elements include participation in strategic meetings and reporting accountability to GCA senior management.

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

Education

Advanced university degree in political science, international development, public policy, public administration, economics, social sciences, international relations or related areas, or a University degree along with 2 additional years of experience.

Experience

• Ten years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in advocacy/ campaigning in an international development or human rights context is required, with at least two years at the international level.
• Knowledge of international development, humanitarian issues and children’s rights.
• Proven track record in leading the development and implementation of advocacy strategies, with clear theories of change, specific, measurable and timebound objectives, and performance indicators, which achieved or contributed to tangible policy change.
• Demonstrated experience in design and management of programmes/projects, including budget management and monitoring and evaluation of results.
• Extensive experience managing and overseeing teams of senior technical professionals, including in high pressure environments.
• Experience in building and maintaining a network of advocacy stakeholders, and in working with advocacy coalitions.
• Proven ability to present complex policy ideas in succinct, engaging ways through campaign narratives and creative tactics.
• Proven record of resource mobilization.
• Proven co-ordination, organizational and interpersonal skills that motivate and mobilize staff and stakeholders across different organizational units to collectively drive for results.
• Capacity to drive change across the organization promoting innovation
• Strong abilities to communicate and persuade both in internal and external environments on strategic organizational priorities.
• Experience managing a multicultural team is an asset.

Experience working in a developing and emergency environment is an asset.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN 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: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

The functional competencies required for this post are:

• Build and maintains partnerships (III)
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (III)
• Drive to achieve results for impact (III)
• Innovates and embraces change (III)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (III)
• Thinks and acts strategically (III)
• Works collaboratively with others (III)
• Nurtures, leads and manages people (III)

The additional specific desired competencies for this role are:

• Advocacy
• Strategy and innovation
• Planning, monitoring and evaluation
• Management and oversight
• Resource mobilization
• Communication

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

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 benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 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.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions.

Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.