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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 Opportunity

How can you make a difference?

Under the general guidance of the Chief of Field Office, the Social Policy Specialist serves as UNICEF's lead advisor on child poverty, social protection, public finance for children, governance and local systems strengthening in Assam. The incumbent provides technical support for the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of social policy programmes and related advocacy initiatives, with a strong focus on upstream engagement, policy advocacy, systems strengthening and strategic partnerships.

In the context of Assam's recurrent climate shocks, including floods, erosion and displacement, the position supports evidence-informed decision-making and policy and systems reforms that improve outcomes for children, particularly those affected by poverty, exclusion, climate vulnerability and disaster risk. The incumbent works closely with government, civil society and development partners and collaborates across programme sectors to advance integrated and sustainable results for children, applying UNICEF's Convene, Converge and Catalyze approach.

Key functions and accountabilities:

Improving data on child poverty & vulnerability for increased use for policy and programme action.
Strengthening social protection coverage and impact for children.
Improving use of public financial resources for children.
Strengthening capacity of local governments to plan, budget, consult on and monitor child-focused social services.
Strengthened advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive social policy.
UNICEF Programme Management.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File Job Description Social Policy Specialist.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.
Work experience: A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in public finance or a related field is required.
Skills: Demonstrated skills in data analysis, policy analysis, budget analysis, capacity building, partnership management, and programme management.
Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

Experience working in a developing country is considered a strong asset.
Background and/or familiarity with emergency contexts is considered a strong asset.
Demonstrated knowledge of India's fiscal federalism framework and governance structure is an asset.
Demonstrated experience in child poverty analysis, social protection or social policy, and/or financing for children, including the use of quantitative and qualitative data to inform policy dialogue and programme design, is an asset.
Good analytical skills with proven experience in budget analysis, public finance for social sectors or expenditure tracking, particularly to promote equitable investments for children, is an asset.
Experience providing technical assistance and capacity building to government counterparts at national and/or sub-national levels, including in planning, budgeting, monitoring and use of evidence for decision-making, is an asset.
Proven ability to work effectively with multi-stakeholder partnerships, including government institutions, UN agencies, donors, civil society and development partners, is an asset.
Familiarity with results-based management, programme monitoring and evaluation, and the use of evidence to improve programme performance, scale up interventions and support advocacy efforts, is an asset.
Language: 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 and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

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

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.

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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to staying and delivering 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 the resilience of communities and the capacity of national authorities.

Visa residence requirements: UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

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.

National officer positions require candidates with local knowledge, established networks, and the ability to engage effectively with Government partners.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. Eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply. 

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/.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Social Policy Specialist, NO-3, FT, #104076, Guwahati, India, APR (Open for Indian Nationals)