Chief Planning and Monitoring, P-4, Pacific Multi-Country Office, Suva, Fiji, Fixed Term Appointment

Overview

Provide leadership in planning, monitoring, budgeting, and reporting processes.

You have:

• Masters or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Social Science, Statistics, Management, Planning Development, Social Development, Monitoring and Evaluation and any other related fields.
• At least 8 years of relevant work experience in Programme Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Donor Relations, Resource Mobilization and any other related fields.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile setting and humanitarian contexts.
• Experience in multi-country programming would be an asset.

Contract

This is a P-4 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 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 123,264 USD and 158,924 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 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.

In the Pacific we work in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, an area comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria.

The Pacific Multi-Country Office is the oldest and largest MCO in UNICEF. As such it is a model for the new MCOs being established. All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations. UNICEF’s programme focuses on advancing children’s rights and wellbeing through integrated efforts in health, nutrition, education, child protection, climate resilience, and social policy—addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing small island developing states, including vulnerability to climate change, geographic isolation, and service delivery constraints.

Through the MCO approach, staff contribute to meaningful, system-level change—supporting governments and communities to strengthen essential services, improve equity for the most vulnerable children, and build resilience across generations. With nearly 40 per cent of the region’s population under 18, the impact of UNICEF’s work is both immediate and long-term, shaping healthier, safer, and more inclusive futures for children across the Pacific.

Explore the different areas of our work here: UNICEF Pacific Islands and in the short video: Work for UNICEF in the Pacific.mp4

Living in Suva, the vibrant capital of Fiji, offers a unique blend of professional opportunity and quality of life while still being in a development context. Set along a lush tropical coastline, Suva is a diverse and welcoming city known for its rich Pacific cultures, lively markets, and strong sense of community. Residents enjoy easy access to natural beauty—from rainforest hikes to nearby islands—while benefiting from modern amenities, international schools, and a growing café and arts scene. The city’s role as a regional hub also means exposure to a dynamic mix of cultures and ideas from across the Pacific.

How can you make a difference****?

The post provides professional technical, operational and administrative leadership throughout the planning, monitoring, programme budgeting and reporting processes that a multi-country office requires in order to ensure technical oversight on programme planning; effectively and efficiently prepare, manage and implement a variety of technical tasks, ensure quality reporting of results and maintain solid donor relations.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1. Setting Standards for Programme performance planning and monitoring
2. Monitoring Budget and Expenditure
3. HACT Assurance and risk management
4. Networking and partnership building
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: 122508 Chief Planning and Monitoring P-4 Suva.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

1. Education: Masters or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Social Science, Statistics, Management, Planning Development, Social Development, Monitoring and Evaluation and any other related fields. A Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in a relevant area combined with 2 additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
2. Work Experience: At least 8 years of relevant work experience in Programme Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Donor Relations, Resource Mobilization and any other related fields. Work experience across different regions, including UMIC and LMIC contexts is required.
3. Skills: Leadership, Strategic Planning, Performance Monitoring, Risk Assessment, Partnership Development, Knowledge Management.
4. Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Desirable:

• Emergency Programming and Preparedness Programming
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile setting and humanitarian contexts.
• Work experience in the Pacific is highly desirable, particularly in Small Islands Development settings
• Experience in multi-country programming would be an asset.
• Prior experience in working with UN teams on the development of UNSDCF, CIPs and other UN planning milestones.

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

The 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

(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. 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 male and female 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.

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.

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.

Internal and external candidates are welcome to apply.

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.

Potential interview questions