UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

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 Results

Strategic office context:

UNICEF’s Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division (PFP) drives UNICEF’s engagement with the private sector through global support in Rome, regional support through Regional Support Centres (RSCs) and units supporting seven Regional Offices, and through a network of 33 UNICEF National Committees. The Public Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Division (PPR) drives UNICEF’s engagement with the public sector – governments, bilaterals, multilaterals, and international finance institutions. The PFP BRIDGE Team enables both private and public sector colleagues to raise funds from donors and to develop game changing partnerships. The BRIDGE Team achieves this in three ways. First, by developing a range of fundraising publications targeted at numerous audiences including business, philanthropists, government, bilaterals, and foundations. These publications are written and presented in a professional and high-quality manner, using expert knowledge of both programmes and fundraising, and designed to be visually appealing and easily understandable by prospective donors and partners. Second, the BRIDGE Team leads capacity building on UNICEF’s programmes and operations for private and public sector colleagues and teams. This involves developing and delivering training content that is built on the foundations of the fundraising content. And third, looking at the system and the enabling environment for quality partnerships through quality reporting, programme visits, and application of Rights and Results Programming.

How can you make a difference?

This position sits within UNICEF PFP’s BRIDGE Team and plays a key role in strengthening fundraising and partnership outcomes by leading the development of strategic content, capacity-building initiatives, and knowledge management solutions. It brings together programme and partnership expertise to help UNICEF secure high-value support and build impactful private and public sector partnerships.

Main tasks:

“Products”: Lead the operations for the development of fundraising and partnerships content
“People”: Lead capacity building on programmes and the intersection with fundraising
“Systems”: Support partnership system optimization and team enablement

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: Download File TOR Programme Specialist P3- TA Rome.pdf

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements

Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: communications, social sciences, marketing, public relations, business administration and management, or any other relevant subject. Alternatively, a first-level university degree in a relevant field in combination with an additional 2 years of qualifying and relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in private and public sector engagement/fundraising is required, including at least two (2) years of experience in development programming.
- Demonstrated experience managing and coordinating complex, multi-stakeholder processes and projects is required. Experience in developing highly engaging capacity building initiatives and learning products for diverse audiences, is required.
- Experience and solid understanding of audience interests across public and private sectors, is required.
- Proven experience conceptualizing and developing fundraising content, learning initiatives, or knowledge products that address stakeholder needs and organizational priorities, is required.
Skills: Strategic thinking, storytelling for fundraising, audience analysis and segmentation, stakeholder engagement, planning and organization skills.
Language Requirements: Proficiency in English is required.

Desirables

Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
Experience within UNICEF or the broader UN system, including knowledge of UNICEF programmes and operations, regional or country office experience, and sustainability in the UN context, is desirable. Experience in ESG reporting is an asset.
Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

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 are conditional on the selected candidates willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

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.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

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.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver 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 resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Programme Specialist (P-3), TA, 364 days, #00138404 Private Fund Raising and Partnerships, Rome, Italy