Youth Engagement and U-Report Officer

Volunteering Communications & PR Crisis & Emergency Response IT & Telecom

Overview

Engage youth, manage U-Report, and promote innovative youth participation.

You have:

• At least 2 years of experience in managing digital platforms.
• Demonstrated experience in advocacy, campaigning, and digital communication focused on young people.
• Experience working with a national or international NGO, United Nations, or other multilateral organization.
• Knowledge of children's rights, public policy, international development, and humanitarian issues.
• Child safeguarding and ethics of working with children and youth.
• At least 2 years of experience in an emergency duty station.
• Supporting the development and implementation of youth engagement strategies, with specific, measurable, and time-bound objectives and performance indicators.
• Skills in report writing and presentation.

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

The position of Youth Engagement and U-Report Officer is to be used in the UNICEF Somalia country office. The position fulfils a critical role in the Somalia Country Office as begins the new Country Programme 2026 - 2030. The staff member will be contributing to the overall office objectives by promoting cross sectoral youth engagement, managing the U-Report platform and maintaining its RapidPro software workspace and connected mobile messaging channels in coordination with UNICEF colleagues, RapidPro vendor and young people known as “U-Reporters.”

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Social and Behavior Change (SBC), the International United Nations Volunteer (IUNV ), the role will support Somalia U-Report in achieving the three global strategic objectives of U-Report: (i) scaling, (ii) engaging, and (iii) creating impact by undertaking the following tasks:

• Ensuring that youth are meaningfully engaged through the U-Report Platform • Utilizing the platform to integrate children and young people’s voices in UNICEF’s work and provide them with relevant information on key topics • Ensuring that data and feedback gathered from U-Report polls inform both their activities and decision making within the country office and by partners • Generating content both about U-Report and with U-Reporters • Working with Programme Sections to develop and deploy demand-driven U-Report polls • Supporting integration of social innovation and youth engagement approaches into traditional UNICEF work – across all country office sections – especially for adolescents and young people. Key activities and results for the period include, but are not limited to: • U-Report strategy development and implementation, e.g., polls, chatbots, quizzes, etc., based on strategic priorities. • Managing U-Report Activity Calendar (aligned with country and global advocacy dates and coordinated actions provided by U-Report colleagues from the Global Division of Communication and Advocacy (GDCA ) Youth Engagement and the country team). • RapidPro and messaging channel development. Maintenance of U-Report RapidPro workspace and messaging channels in coordination with SBC and Programme Sections, ensuring 24/7 availability, and signing and renewal of agreements with in-country mobile network operators (MNOs). • Safeguarding, privacy, and data protection, i.e., ensuring adherence to principles of child/youth participation and safeguarding when assisting in the development/implementation of all campaigns, communication products, and platforms. Coordinating closely with local U-Report Ethical Focal Point, Programmes, partners, and youth. Following global guidelines on safeguarding, data protection, and privacy – including adherence to the global Privacy Policy. • In emergencies, supporting emergency readiness by embedding U-Report within country response frameworks and enabling timely deployment. • Youth engagement and capacity building to ensure meaningful participation of youth including, but not limited to, participation on U-Report steering committee, advocacy, activities, volunteering, and capacity building opportunities. • Communication and advocacy, i.e., collaborating with UNICEF Somalia Sections, partners, and Global Division of Communication and Advocacy to ensure that U-Report poll results and activities are fully amplified, integrated into communication and advocacy strategies, and following U-Report brand guidelines. • Measurement and evaluation, i.e., coordinating closely across the country office to ensure U-Report activities are aligned to measurable outcomes including Global Advocacy Priorities (GAPs) and the country’s Core Specific Indicators (CSIs). • Supporting Child Protection, Participation, and Partnerships (CPPP ) and proposal development. • Knowledge management, i.e., ensuring timely development of U-Report Bulletin and other documentation activities. • Coordination with U-Report global team and community, i.e., participating in global U-Report coordinated actions and community of professionals, networking with U-Report Managers in other countries, and sharing knowledge, best practices, and knowledge materials. Accessing guidance and training from U-Report Global team. Ensuring continual U-Report upskilling within personal development plan. • Supporting other UNICEF digital platforms, i.e., coordinating with UNICEF digital platforms deployed in-country towards mutual strengthening, increasing results, and improved service delivery e.g., UNICARE.

☒ Accountability ☒ Creativity ☒ Integrity ☒ Respect for Diversity ☒ Technological Awareness ☒ Working in Teams

Demonstrated experience in:

• Advocacy, campaigning, and digital communication focused on young people. Specifically designing and managing digital engagement campaigns, developing interactive flows and chatbots, creating data dashboards and visualizations, analysing performance metrics, and supporting real-time reporting, communication, and evidence-based decision-making. • Working with mobile messaging channels and products, with at least two (2) years dedicated to managing digital platforms. • Managing RapidPro, Power BI (Business Intelligence), and social media platforms. • At least 2 years of experience in an emergency duty station. • Experience working with a national or international non-governmental organization (NGO), United Nations (UN ), or other multilateral organization. • Supporting the development and implementation of youth engagement strategies, with specific, measurable, and time-bound objectives and performance indicators. • Designing content for youth audiences and/or community moderation of youth-focused platforms. • Knowledge of children’s rights, public policy, international development, and humanitarian issues. • Child safeguarding and ethics of working with children and youth. • Supporting training and facilitation is an asset.

Skills in:

• Advocacy. • Report writing and presentation skills.

Mogadishu

International staff in Mogadishu typically reside in high-security compounds that provide 24/7 guarded access, perimeter protection, controlled movement, and secure accommodation due to the city’s volatile security context and ongoing conflict-related risks. These compounds generally offer furnished rooms or small apartments, supported by private services such as generators, water supply, sanitation, and on site maintenance, as essential utilities in Mogadishu are predominantly delivered through private providers and can be costly or inconsistent. Expatriate living arrangements include access to catering or shared dining, reliable internet, and basic medical support, though any serious health needs often require medical evacuation due to limited local healthcare capacity. Living outside secure compounds is not feasible for international personnel because of tenure insecurity and widespread forced evictions affecting many neighborhoods. Overall, living arrangements are designed to ensure safety, limit exposure, and provide essential services in a high risk operational

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Potential interview questions

Added 2 months ago - Updated 2 months ago - Source: unv.org