Social & Behaviour Change Specialist (NO-3), FT, #00137825, Kathmandu - Nepal, APR (Open only for Nepalese Nationals)

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 a Champion

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Nepal is strengthening its Social & Behavioural Change (SBC) agenda to accelerate sustainable results for children and adolescents. Through systems strengthening for supportive public plans and policies, applied behavioural science for norms-shifting, and SBC+ ecosystem for expression and participation (Risk Communication, Community Engagement and Accountability to Affected Populations approaches), the position will help shape policies, influence social norms, promote participation, and enhance public sector capacity to deliver behaviourally informed and inclusive services.

As the Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Specialist, you will provide strategic leadership in applying behavioural science, social research, data analytics, and community engagement to address persistent inequities, strengthen systems, and improve outcomes for children. You will lead the design and implementation of innovative, evidence-driven, and multi-sectoral SBC+ strategies that influence policies, services, social norms, and individual behaviours across development and humanitarian contexts.

Working closely with government, communities, partners, and UNICEF programme teams, you will champion people-centred approaches that strengthen accountability, amplify community voices, and enhance preparedness, resilience, and recovery in the face of climate, disaster, and humanitarian challenges. You will also lead the SBC team, drive organizational learning and innovation, and support the institutionalization of sustainable SBC+ approaches within national and sub-national systems, positioning UNICEF Nepal as a leader in evidence-based Social and Behavior Change.

The key functions/accountabilities includes:

1. Providing strategic and technical leadership in applied behavioural science, ensuring robust social and behavioural evidence informs policies, systems strengthening and SBC programming across development and humanitarian contexts.

2. Serving as the technical anchor for SBC data, measurement, monitoring and learning, translating evidence into accountable, adaptive and results-oriented programming.
3. Leading the design and quality assurance of integrated, multisectoral SBC strategies, ensuring behavioural insights are effectively converted into inclusive, sustainable programme interventions.

4. Championing innovation and digital SBC approaches, leveraging technology and behavioural insights to enhance scale, efficiency and impact while managing ethical and data-related risks.

5. Strengthening community engagement, participation and accountability systems, ensuring community voices meaningfully inform programme design, implementation and adaptive management.

6. Advancing SBC through strategic advocacy, partnerships and resource mobilization, positioning SBC as a core accelerator within national systems and UNICEF programmes.

7. Building institutional and partner capacity for SBC and systems strengthening, supporting sustainability, preparedness and resilience through skills development and learning.

8. Ensuring effective operational coordination and technical oversight, including supervision of consultants and partners, to deliver coherent, high-quality SBC results across sectors.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File JD_Social & Behavior Change Specialist, NO-3, FT.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: An advanced university degree (Master's) in social and behavioural science, including sociology, anthropology, communication studies/communication for development, psychology and/or related field is required.
Work Experience:

A minimum of five (5) years of relevant progressively responsible professional experience at the national and international levels in developing, implementing, evaluating, and managing Social and Behavior Change strategies and content is required.
Demonstrated expertise in the application of social and behaviour change science, theories, research, and analysis, to all stages of the programme cycle.
Proven ability to manage social research, including quantitative, qualitative, and participatory methods for formative assessments, identifying behavioural drivers, and tracking, measurement, and evaluation of social change.
Demonstrated ability to stay current with new developments in the SBC+ field is required. Familiarity with new and emerging approaches such as behavioural insights, human-centred design and social listening is also required.
Demonstrated experience in the execution of complex priorities, processes and projects in office work plans.
At least four years' country programme experience with a multilateral development agency or national NGO in a low- or middle-income setting.
Proven ability to work with internal and external stakeholders at multiple levels, including providing technical support and capacity building and establishing/managing external partnerships.

Skills: Familiarity with Behavioural Science, Social & Behaviour Change (SBC), Strategic Leadership, Community Engagement, Social Research, Behavioural Insights, Human-Centred Design, Monitoring & Evaluation, Evidence-Based Programming, Policy Advocacy, Partnership Development, Capacity Building, Resource Mobilization, Team Leadership, Emergency & Resilience Programming, Data Analytics, and Multi-Sectoral Coordination.
Language Requirements: Proficiency in English and Nepali are required.

Desirables:

Demonstrated experience in designing, planning and implementing SBC activities informed by global, regional and national social and behavioural evidence, in coordination with multiple sectors.
Proven track record of setting strategic and policy direction and leading the development, implementation and monitoring of SBC strategies.
Demonstrated experience in monitoring programme funds and resources and ensuring compliance with organizational guidelines, rules and regulations.
Experience in fundraising, resource mobilization and partnership development to support SBC programmes and activities.
Experience leading and supervising teams to generate and apply research, data and evidence to inform SBC programme design, measurement and monitoring in both development and emergency contexts.
Proven experience developing partnerships with academia and learning institutions to deliver SBC capacity-development activities.
Relevant country-level experience, particularly in development, fragile 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

The 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
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

This position has been assessed as an elevated-risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes, as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children's data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

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; our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to including 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 people 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 promoting 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 female candidates, candidates from under-represented ethnic groups, and persons with disabilities 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.

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.

Visa residence requirements: i.e., UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and work authorization for candidates under consideration for positions in the national officer and general service categories.

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.