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

UNICEF’s Caribbean Mult-Country Office (MCO) serves twelve English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. As part of UNICEF's Future Focus Initiative, the Caribbean MCO brings together policy influence, technical expertise and strategic partnerships to advance results for children across the region through one integrated programme, one management structure and a shared pool of resources. The Multi-Country Programme 2027-2031 focuses on three shared outcomes: equitable access to primary health care, learning and skills; protection of children from all forms of violence; and child poverty reduction and resilience strengthening.

Children across the Caribbean face interconnected challenges including learning losses, mental health concerns, violence, child poverty and increasing exposure to climate-related disasters. Despite many countries being classified as upper-middle or high income, significant inequalities persist, particularly for vulnerable children, adolescents, indigenous communities and those living in remote areas. Small island developing states also face fiscal constraints and heightened vulnerability to economic and climate shocks, requiring stronger regional cooperation and system-based solutions.

The Caribbean MCO’s management strategy is governed by four principles that together translate the new business model into concrete ways of working:

Impact-driven: technical expertise is organized in shared multi-country working groups rather than replicated in each country, with enabling functions aligned around UNICEF’s strongest comparative advantages.
Effective and agile: parallel country ecosystems are replaced by harmonized systems and flexible cross-country staffing, keeping management lean and decisions close to implementation.
Grounded: regional scale is balanced with national depth through country-specific workplans, Heads of Office in each duty station, and matrix management that anchors authority and accountability at country level.
People-centered: structural and managerial choices are guided by staff wellbeing, transparency and inclusion, with clear role definitions, meaningful consultation, and continuous investment in learning and development.

The operational expression of this model is the working group model. Rather than replicating similar roles across four separate country offices, technical and operational expertise is organized into 16 thematic and functional working groups, each distributed across different duty stations and each serving the full 12-country MCO — not just its host location. Roles are designed around three organizing principles: shared regional service, meaning every specialist contributes to the wider MCO; complementary expertise, meaning team capabilities reinforce each other rather than repeating the same profile in multiple places; and agile presence, meaning the workforce can be rapidly deployed across countries through travel, surge support or remote modalities in line with evolving needs and priorities. This working group model is the foundation of a fundamentally new way of working for UNICEF in the Caribbean: depth replaces duplication, and shared capacity replaces fragmented country-by-country coverage

How can you make a difference?

The Planning and Monitoring Specialist reports to the Deputy Representative (Programme coordinator) under the MCO Programme Coordination working group, supervising the Planning and Monitoring Officer (Reporting), NOA, located in Belize, the Planning and Monitoring Officer (Reporting), NOB, located in Guyana and the G7 Senior Planning Associate in Suriname. This Coordination working group acts as the strategic backbone for managing all phases of the multi-country programme cycle — from design to delivery of results — ensuring that the Caribbean MCO operates as “one programme” across 12 countries. It provides integrated coordination on planning, budgeting, implementation, HACT assurance, monitoring and reporting, so that programme resources are aligned with funding realities and managed with strong value-for-money and compliance with UNICEF standards.

This position provides specialized technical expertise in programme planning, work planning processes, and planning quality assurance across the Caribbean MCO, contributing to the MCOwide PMR function. At NOC level Planning & Monitoring Specialist contributes to multi-country planning frameworks, and leads Annual Work Plan design and coordination, and the integration of equity and results-based management principles into planning cycles — supporting coherent, evidence-informed programme planning across the 12-country platform. Key monitoring activities are also part of this role including situation monitoring and assessment, programme performance monitoring and planning and Monitoring Capacity Building as well as networking and partnership building, innovation, knowledge management and capacity building.

The Planning and Monitoring Specialist provides professional technical and operational guidance throughout the planning and monitoring process, preparing, executing, managing and implementing a variety of technical and administrative tasks to contribute to planning,
implementation, oversight and reporting to ensure that programmes are carried out and monitored according to national and field office plan, including according to agreed quality criteria and schedule.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

Setting standards for programme development, planning and performance Monitoring
Situation Monitoring and Assessment
Programme Performance Monitoring
Networking and partnership building:
Innovation, knowledge management, Planning and Monitoring capacity building

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: NOC P&M Specialist Jamaica.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: Advanced university degree in economics, social sciences, statistics, psychology, or other social science fields is required

Work Experience:

A minimum of five years of professional work experience in programme development and implementation including monitoring
of programme implementation and results activities is required.
Experience with development and implementation of analytical and measurement frameworks is required.
Experience with developing programme monitoring framework is required.
Demonstrated experience supervising teams is required
Developing country work experience is desired.
Active involvement in a humanitarian crisis response programme preferred is desired.
Experience in data management and statistical analysis using statistical software like R, SPSS, Stata, and data visualization tools
like Power BI and others, is an asset

Technical Knowledge and Skills: Specific Technical Knowledge & Competencies Required:
• Knowledge of programme monitoring
• Emerging international good practice in monitoring partnerships.
Common Technical Knowledge Required (for the job group):
• Professional technical knowledge/expertise in monitoring, demography, statistics, and data management.
• Professional technical knowledge/expertise in methodology of monitoring, analysis, including theories, standards and models, quantitative/qualitative/mixed methods.
• Professional technical knowledge/expertise in programme monitoring, data analysis, and reporting.
• Gender equality and diversity awareness
Technical Knowledge to be Acquired/Enhanced:
• Professional/technical knowledge/expertise in Team Management, Coaching & Training.
• Mastery of UNICEF’s planning, monitoring, data policies and procedures.
• Latest programme monitoring theory, methodology, technology and tools.
• Understanding of UN Mission and system, current key UN topics; and International Code of Conduct.
• Understanding of UNICEF Mission Statement and UNICEF Guiding Principles.
• UNICEF policies, strategies promoting and supporting gender equality and diversity
• UNICEF strategic framework for partnerships and collaborative relationships.

Other Skills required:

Ability to influence and maintain partnerships in close coordination with diverse stakeholders across countries.
Strong coordination and communication skills, with the ability to provide coherent guidance across multiple reporting relationships and geographic contexts.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and local language of duty station is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Desirables:

Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

Eligibility Requirements:

Candidates applying for National Officer positions must hold the nationality of the duty station country where the position is located, except for UNICEF internal candidates, holding a fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointment and are legally authorized to work in that country, independently of UNICEF appointment, and as per the UNICEF Staff Selection Procedure.

UNICEF internal candidates must hold and upload a valid CARICOM Skills Certificate when applying to positions located in a CARICOM Member State outside of their country of nationality and are accountable for taking the respective steps for the verification of the certificate in the Duty Station, immediately upon arrival to the new Duty Station if selected for the position, in accordance with applicable immigration and employment requirements of the respective Country.

Note: While the Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean serves 12 English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries, the selected candidate will be based in the duty station indicated for this position and is expected to perform their duties from that location, consistent with organizational policies and operational requirements.

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.

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,candidates that meet all the requirements and are legally allowed to work in the respective Duty Station 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.

UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of visa or work authorizations 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.

Planning & Monitoring Specialist (Reporting), NOC, FT, #138552, Kingston, Jamaica, Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean