Social Policy Specialist, NO-3, Fixed-Term, Kyiv, Ukraine (for Nationals of Ukraine only)

Contract

This is a NO-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-3 contracts.

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, Hope

Under the general supervision and guidance of the Chief Social Policy, the Social Policy Specialist (Inclusive Social Protection) engages in social protection dialogue for programme development, advocating for increased public resource allocation and improving linkages between social protection and humanitarian cash transfers and essential social services to support the UNICEF Ukraine country office to continue working towards the realization of children’s rights. Specifically, the Social Policy Specialist (Inclusive Social Protection) models approaches, conducts analyses, adapts or designs new programmes where possible, and advocates for gender-transformative, disability-inclusive and shock-responsive social protection programmes and systems.

How can you make a difference?

The Social Policy Specialist is responsible for the following functions:

1. Inclusive social protection

2. Cross-cutting social policy areas

Specifically, the Social Policy Specialist (Inclusive Social Protection) performs the following:

Inclusive social protection

• Advocates for inclusion and equity-driven particularly as it relates to gender, disability and shocks by advocating and promoting policies that address specific vulnerabilities tied to multifaceted aspects of poverty and the contribution social protection has on reducing exclusion.
• Works closely with colleagues across UNICEF to ensure a coherent agenda on inclusive social protection, engaging with cross-sectoral and thematic areas such as adolescence and humanitarian response.
• Together with health, education, child protection, water and sanitation and other substantive sections, identifies the most suitable strategies to develop social protection services for the most marginalized and at-risk children and adolescents supporting inclusion and preventing institutionalization. This includes contributing to the development of inclusive, gender-transformative systems that respond to women’s and caregivers needs.
• Designs, updates, reviews, adjusts, implements and evaluates specific programmes and instruments that contribute to gender-responsive / transformative, disability-inclusive and shock-responsive social protection systems.

Cross-cutting social policy areas

• Establishes effective partnerships with the government, bilateral and multilateral donors, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies to support sustained and proactive commitment to the Convention of the Rights of the Child, achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals and strengthen UNICEF’s leading positioning for their implementation as they relate to inclusive, gender-transformative social protection.
• Analyzes national context, including key socio-economic trends, and their impact on social development, emerging issues and concerns. Uses evidence and data to help the country office predict, prepare for and mitigate risks and adjust programming course.
• Supports the correct and compelling use of data and evidence including on the situation of children, and coverage and impact of child-focused services, in support of the social protection programme and the country programme overall.
• Develops approaches to identify social and behavioural change needs and undertakes interventions for the meaningful accountability to affected populations and community engagement.
• Monitors current technological trends, new modalities of working applicable to social protection versus current and emerging needs to assess their role and match their potential applicability to social protection for enhanced outcomes for children.

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

a) Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant field.

b) Experience:

• A minimum of five years of professional work experience in social protection policies, programmes or services including relevant experience from an inclusion lens regarding the most marginalized and at-risk is required.
• Experience in programme design, management and policy advocacy is required.
• Experience of close cooperation with government institutions in Ukraine is an asset
• Background and/or familiarity with emergencies and humanitarian contexts is considered as a strong asset.

c) Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and local language of the duty station is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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

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

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

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also be 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 medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Please note, this position is for Nationals of Ukraine only.