Internal & External: Social Policy Specialist – Inclusive Recovery, P-3, FT, Programme Group, NYHQ

Contract

This is a P-3 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 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 140,639 USD and 184,155 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.

Note: UNICEF Headquarter (HQ) offices in New York (NY) and Geneva are currently undergoing organizational changes which may lead to changing location for some of the HQ positions currently based in NY and Geneva. If a position that you are offered is currently linked to a HQ office in NY or Geneva, it may change to a different location later during your appointment. If you are selected for a position based in a NY or Geneva HQ office, you may commence duties remotely until identification of the new location is finalized. If reassigned or relocated to a NY or Geneva HQ office before your office moves to a new location, you may be expected to relocate to a new location again. For more detailed information, please reach out to your immediate hiring office.

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.

The post sits within the Social Policy and Social Protection Programme team in UNICEF HQ, and reports to the Chief of the Public Finance and Local Governance Unit (PFLG), with secondary supervisor the Chief of Programmes, UNDP Finance Sector Hub. The Social Policy team and Social Protection Programme contributes to UNICEF’s strategic results on child poverty, social protection, public finance and local governance. The post will support the implementation of UNICEF’s Inclusive Recovery Roadmap, and Strategic Results on Financing for Development including increasing the proportion of government spending on social sectors, and equity of public social spending. It has a shared responsibility for co-ordination of one of the principal components of a global joint initiative of UNICEF and UNDP on financing. Under this initiative (the “Flagship”), UNICEF collaborates with UNDP’s Financial Sector Hub (FSH) and UNDP regional and country specialists to advance joint solutions to leverage finance for SDGs, within the overall umbrella of Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs). The post will l act as joint support for UNICEF and UNDP staff , as well as inter-divisional and cross regional co-ordination within UNICEF and between UNICEF and UNDP. The post supports GA 5 Strategic Plan results on reducing child poverty through enhanced public finance management for children.

For every child, hope……

Under the general guidance of the supervisor, you are responsible for supporting global co-ordination, regional and country level implementation of commitments to align and leverage public finance towards a sustainable and inclusive recovery, implemented jointly with UN partners. You are responsible for day to day co-ordination of communication and implementation between UNICEF and UNDP at HQ and regional levels, co-ordination between Social Policy and other divisions and units within UNICEF including regional components, monitoring and reporting on progress, support to advocacy, communication and resource mobilization. You will also provide some direct technical support to regional and country offices, while facilitating access to additional technical assistance from other internal and external resources. You will support the advocacy and communication and evidence and knowledge management, and partnerships change strategies for Goal Area 5 of the Strategic Plan.

How can you make a difference?

Under the guidance of the Chief of Public Finance and Local Governance and Chief of Programmes, UNDP Finance Sector Hub, you will be responsible for the following functions:

1. Co-ordinating implementation of the public finance component of the UNICEF-UNDP joint initiative on financing

• Co-ordinates implementation of activities at global and regional levels under the joint initiative between UNICEF and UNDP, in line with the workplan and to meet agreed milestones.
• Ensures regular communication on the progress and status of implementation at global level, and between global, regional and country levels. Identifies and reports on corrective management action required.
• Collates and compiles inputs to global reporting on the joint initiative for senior management of UNICEF and UNDP, to reflect progress towards results on development of INFFs, alignment and leveraging of public resources towards the SDGs at regional and global level, and reports on related global and regional results as necessary
• Provides inputs and prepares materials for high level events and meetings such as the Financing for Development Forum, the High-Level Political Forum, and UN General Assembly, as needed. Provides inputs for related UN and UNICEF processes and management meetings as required.

2. Technical Advice for Regional and Country Offices

• Supports the establishment and maintenance of a technical assistance facility for the initiative, to enable regions and country offices to access technical advice on Integrated National Finance Frameworks and public finance approaches under the initiative. Advises and co-ordinates technical assistance requests from regional and country offices for support to activities under the joint initiative. Monitors and reports on use of the technical assistance facility.
• Provides and facilitates ad hoc technical advice directly to regional and country offices from UNICEF and UNDP HQ staff resources

3. Evidence Generation and Knowledge management

• Supports the establishment of a monitoring mechanism to track the results of efforts to align and leverage public financial resources with SDG priorities under the joint initiative. Supports regional and country offices to update information on progress in aligning and leveraging resources and produces regular analysis of the data for management.
• Collects examples of good practice in aligning and leveraging government budgets towards the results of the joint initiative, and synthesizes lessons for internal and external audiences
• Maintains a repository of good practice examples, and facilitates sharing and dissemination through global and regional channels

4. Advocacy and partnerships

• Supports the development of advocacy positions and messaging in connection with the joint initiative and the mobilization of resources at global and regional level to support public investment in the SDGs (such as through ODA, concessional finance, or debt relief).
• Co-ordinates and supports advocacy and partnership meetings, events, webinars etc. to ensure the visibility of the initiative and results with a range of partners including UN agencies, bilateral and multilateral partners, NGOs and civil society, and the private sector
• Maintains a smooth partnership between UNICEF and UNDP under the joint initiative, ensuring clear communication and expectations, and raising any partnership challenges to a higher level as needed

5. UNICEF Programme Management

• Supports UNICEF programme management, workplanning, budgets and annual reporting on the outputs of the PFLG unit and Social Policy team
• Provides inputs for reporting on UNICEF’s Strategic Plan implementation, review processes, and contributes to the Annual Results Report and other routine and strategic reporting processes as needed.

To qualify as a champion for every child, the candidate must have…

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum five (5) years of relevant professional work experience is required, including working with multi-level partnerships, preferably at a global or regional level.
• Knowledge of public finance, particularly of social sectors.
• Knowledge of private and innovative finance is considered an asset.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as a strong asset.
• Fluency in English 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…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability.

For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEF’s Entitlements’ page*. If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online* Salary Estimate Calculator

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

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, 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.

“UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”