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 safety

How can you make a difference?

More than 150 UNICEF Country Offices across all regions support partners on strengthening child protection systems and social service workforce. The COs regularly request technical assistance from the Global Programme Division (GPD). The requests include support for mapping and assessments and diagnostics, costing of child protection services, ratio and costing of social service workforce development, development and adaptation of tools and methodologies, development of terms of reference and support to consultant selection, review of technical and consultancy products, identification and sharing of good practices, advocacy for public financing/investment in CPSSand SSW, programme positioning and messaging, development of learning and training materials, technical convening and forums, partnership engagement and support to global, regional and country level initiatives.

While GPD has the relevant global technical expertise, the volume and diversity of Country Office requests require additional capacity to timely cover all requests with quality. The GPD technical lead must balance highvolume country technical assistance with global thought leadership, development of global products, engagement with major partners and donors, and regional and global convening. Additional dedicated support will enable more timely and contextually relevant technical assistance while maintaining coherence with global UNICEF approaches.

UNICEF therefore seeks two consultants to complement the GPD technical function and provide timely, highquality technical assistance on child protection systems strengthening (CPSS) and social service workforce strengthening (SSWS) to Country Offices with a primary but non-exclusive focus in (1) Africa and (2) Asia and Europe. The consultants will work closely with the GPD technical lead, relevant time-zone child protection senior advisers, while contributing to consistency of UNICEF's global positioning, standards, tools and technical approaches.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: Consultancy CO TA Time Zones.pdf

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

Minimum requirements: |(Qualifications/Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills)

Education: Masters in Social work, law, social development, international development, social science, and other related disciplines

Work Experience:

A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in child protection focusing on child protection systems and social service workforce strengthening across humanitarian and development programming including with UN agencies.
Demonstrated expertise in national child protection systems strengthening and social service workforce strengthening, policy development, and systems-based approaches in humanitarian and development contexts
Proven experience providing technical assistance and strategic support to countries.
Extensive experience in knowledge management, evidence generation, donor reporting, development of learning products, and programme documentation.
Demonstrated experience supporting resource mobilization efforts, development of technical proposals, donor engagement, and preparation of strategic reports, briefs, guidance notes, and advocacy products.
Proven experience organizing and facilitating regional or global workshops, learning events, technical exchanges, webinars, and communities of practice
Experience on public Finance for Child Protection

Language Requirements: Proficiency in English is essential. Knowledge of another UN language/s, especially French for the Africa time zone consultant, highly desirable
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:

Excellent analytical, writing, editing, and synthesis skills, with demonstrated ability to produce highquality technical guidance, policy briefs, learning products, donor reports, and knowledge products for diverse audiences.
Strong understanding of child protection systems strengthening, child protection system benchmarks, social service workforce strengthening.
Sound knowledge of UNICEF child protection frameworks, and international standards relating to child protection
Strong presentation, facilitation, and publicspeaking skills, including experience delivering global and regional learning events and technical workshops
Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship-management skills, including the ability to work effectively with governments, UN agencies, donors, academic institutions, NGOs, and civil society partners

Desirables:

Previous experience working at UNICEF and/or UN agencies.
Experience supporting global or regional programmes on child protection systems strengthening and social service workforce strengthening
Experience developing guidance, tools, learning products, and evidence syntheses related to child protection systems strengthening, social service workforce strengthening, and CPSS measurement, ratio and costing of SSW.
Ability to cover the time zones of focus

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 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 reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. 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.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
Cover letter
A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) Financial proposal CPSS and SSW TA Support.docx
A detailed technical proposal: Applicants should submit a brief technical proposal (maximum 5 pages) outlining:

Understanding of the assignment and key CPSS and SSWS technical assistance requirements.
Proposed approach and methodology for delivering timely, high-quality technical assistance to Country Offices.
Relevant experience in CPSS, SSWS, systems strengthening, financing/costing, and technical quality assurancе.
Approach to knowledge management, documentation of good practices, learning and capacity development.
Experience supporting regional/global technical convening, partnerships, advocacy.
Proposed workplan and approach to coordination with GPD, time-zone senior advisers and Country Offices.
Two to three examples of relevant previous assignments demonstrating the applicant's technical expertise and experience.

Remarks: If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not downloadable on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers.

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.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Consultants – Support to GPD and Time zone for delivering on TA on CPSS and SSW (remote for 14.5 months)