Youth Engagement Specialist (Youth Engagement and Partnerships) P3, Istanbul, Turkey

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 108,316 USD and 141,831 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, vision

The Adolescent Development Specialist reports to the Regional Advisor for guidance and general supervision. This role provides support to country office colleagues and internal and external partners and stakeholders throughout the programming processes by providing technical, administrative and operational support to ensure that adolescent development and participation and child rights established under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, international treaties/framework and UN intergovernmental bodies, are integrated in UNICEF’s advocacy, policies, programmes and humanitarian work.

The Specialist contributes to achievement of concrete and sustainable results on adolescent development related programmes/projects according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM) and UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework, particularly with regard to youth engagement and partnerships with civil society, governments, and other UN agencies.

How can you make a difference?

1. Support to programmes development and planning
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
4. Networking and partnership building
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

Support to programmes development and planning

• Update the situation analysis by conducting assessments to establish evidence-based data for UNICEF advocacy and development of policies, framework and programmes to promote adolescent development and participation in the country and for monitoring results on related programmes/projects.
• Assess national/regional/international development priorities to identify opportunities and courses of action to enhance the delivery of services and achieve objectives on adolescent development and participation in the country.
• Participate throughout the process of CO programme formulation, planning and preparation to provide input, advice and operational support on the integration of policies and frameworks that promote adolescent development and participation and to ensure that crosscutting issues such as gender, disabilities, the rights of minority and marginalized groups are considered and integrated within the country programmes and projects.
• Establish specific goals, objectives, strategies and implementation plans for the adolescent development programmes/projects using results-based planning terminology and methodology (RBM). Prepare relevant documentations for programme review and approval.
• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss methodologies and to assess national priorities/competencies to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results.

Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results

• Plan and/or collaborate with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators and other UNICEF/UN system indicators and measurements to assess and strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of sustainable results on adolescent development programmes and projects.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results.
• Prepare/assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths/weaknesses in programme and management, identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.
• Actively monitor adolescent development programmes/projects through field visits, surveys and/or exchange of information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks, and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.
• Monitor and verify the optimum/appropriate use of programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability, integrity and ensuring timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
• Prepare regular/mandated programme/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.

Technical and operational support to programme implementation

• Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and country office partners/donors on policies, practices and methodologies on adolescent development and participation to support programme management, implementation and delivery of results.
• Participate in programme meetings including programme development and contingency planning to provide technical and operational information, advice and support.
• Draft relevant policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials for management use, information and/or consideration.

Networking and partnership building

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders and global partners/allies/donors/academia through active networking, advocacy and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results on adolescent development and participation initiatives.
• Prepare communication and information materials for programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances and to ensure that adolescent development and participation programmes and initiatives are adequately resourced and supported.
• Participate and/or represent UNICEF in appropriate inter-agency (UNCT) discussions and planning on adolescent development related issues to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNDAF planning and preparation of programmes/projects ensuring organizational position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the UNDAF process in development planning and agenda setting including emergency preparedness.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Apply/introduce innovative approaches and good practices on adolescent development and participation to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Keep abreast, research, benchmark and implement best practices on adolescent development and participation. Assess, institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programmes and projects.
• Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders to promote sustainable results on related programmes/projects.

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

• • An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, economics, psychology, sociology, or another relevant technical field. Demonstrated experience in design and management of projects, including budget management and monitoring and evaluation of results.
  • A minimum of five years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education and adolescent development is required.
  • Experience working in a middle and high income country is considered as an asset, with multi-country management of humanitarian projects.
  • Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
  • Relevant experience in education in emergencies including coordination.
  • Fluency in English is required and knowledge of Russian is a strong asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

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.

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 committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, 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:

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 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 visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.