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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.

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For every child, the right to a Future

The vision of Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) within the new UNICEF Syria Country Programme is to strengthen community systems and resilience by empowering communities, families, adolescents, and children to actively participate in shaping and restoring their own development outcomes. This includes enhancing the knowledge and capacity of both rights holders and duty bearers, promoting meaningful community participation in identifying challenges and co-creating solutions, increasing demand for and utilization of essential social services, addressing harmful social norms and negative coping mechanisms, and fostering positive changes in knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours that contribute to improved well-being for children and their families in Syria.

To advance this vision, SBC will work in close collaboration with all programmes and relevant partners to integrate behavioural and social insights into programme design, implementation, and monitoring. Through evidence-based approaches, SBC will support efforts to address behavioural, social, and normative barriers that affect children's access to services and outcomes, while ensuring alignment with national recovery and development priorities.

The Country Programme will implement both sectoral and cross-sectoral SBC interventions through a twin-track approach that combines strengthening community engagement, participation, accountability, and local systems with the generation and use of behavioural and social data. This approach will support the identification of priority issues, inform adaptive programming, and contribute to sustainable improvements in service uptake, social cohesion, and outcomes for children and communities across Syria.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Field Office, Deir-ez-Zor FO, and under the technical guidance of the Chief of SBC Section from the Country Office, and in close coordination with Sectoral and Cross-Sectoral Specialists and Officers, you will contribute to and be responsible for the design, management, monitoring, and evaluation of evidence-based, inclusive, and innovative SBC strategies in support of the country programme.

As the Social & Behavior Change Officer, you will support the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of evidence-based Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) strategies that contribute to improved outcomes for children, adolescents, and communities in Syria. Working under the supervision of the Chief of Field Office and in close collaboration with programme sections, government counterparts, and implementing partners, you will promote the integration of behavioural and social insights into both development and humanitarian programming.

You will contribute to strengthening community engagement, participation, accountability, and resilience through the use of research, evidence, and innovative approaches to address social and behavioural barriers affecting children’s well-being and access to services.

Key accountabilities include Research, Data and Evidence Generation; Design and Implementation of SBC Strategies and Interventions; Advocacy, Partnership Building and Resource Mobilization; and Capacity Development and Knowledge Management.

Through these functions, you will support UNICEF’s mandate to advance child rights and achieve sustainable, equitable results for children and families.If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File TOR SBC NOB (DEZ FO).pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: A university degree (Bachelor's or higher) in a social and behavioral science, including sociology, anthropology, communication studies/communication for development, psychology and/or or any other science specialization or related field is required.

Work Experience: A minimum of two years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: social development programme planning, communication for development or social and behaviour change, public advocacy or another related area.
Key skills include SBC programming, community engagement, behavioural insights, research and analysis, stakeholder coordination, and monitoring and evaluation.
Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

Desirables:

Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
Relevant experience in a UNICEF/ UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
Relevant experience in Deir-ez-Zor Governorate, particularly in development, fragile settings, and humanitarian contexts, 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.

CEF 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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of misconduct.

UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable. Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these 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, 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.

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member's original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

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 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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Social & Behavior Change Officer (NO-2), TA(364 days), #00138677, Deir-ez-Zor - Syria, MENA