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 Future

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy, and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

How can you make a difference?

Within the limits of delegated authority, under direct supervision of the Representative, you will: 1) provide planning, coordination, management and monitoring support to the Office of the Representative by following up on key corporate responsibilities;

2) support the Representative, members of the Senior Management Team (SMT) including Programme Coordination, Operations and Field Operations, and the Country Management Team in the monitoring of key programmatic and management processes and results and support the efficient and effective functioning of the Nigeria Country Office. Ensure the effective functioning of the office of the Representative;

3) efficiently manages the high-volume work of the Representative’s office and other SMT members by proactively and strategically establishing priorities, monitoring and tracking priority actions and key decisions, and coordinating and guiding the work of others. Coordinates the Representative’s activities, with a view to striking the right balance among competing demands and priorities;

4) Maintain efficient and smooth liaison with the Regional Office (RO) and Headquarters (HQ) and keep them timely informed of issues under the responsibility of the Representative. Coordinate actions and liaise with the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator’s Office and other UN agencies when needed.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

In close consultation with section and field office chiefs, undertake and/or coordinate research and consultations to prepare substantive position papers, documentation on programmes, etc. to situate UNICEF’s work in the country. Summarize and analyze information obtained and when necessary, clarifies information from technical focal points.
Support the representative in the review, oversight and support towards the implementation of UNICEF overall programmes, advocacy and outreach.
Coordinate the Representative’s office in all critical aspects of work in close collaboration with the Deputy Representative and the Chief of Operations and Chief of Field Operations. Develops, introduces and maintains work flows and tools to streamline the high volume of work of the representative’s office and to enable proactive and strategic identification of priority actions. Prioritize issues for the representative including planning, coordination and quality assurance.
Keep abreast of the main issues facing the Nigeria country office, identify internal and external issues that require the Representative's attention, and assist in formulating options as to how those matters might be handled. Ensure appropriate follow-up as directed. Maintain records and track the status of the Representative’s action items.
Secretariat and coordinator of the SMT and Country Office Management Team (CMT), responsible for monitoring of actions and the follow-up mechanisms. Participate in meetings with task teams and external visitors as requested by the representative. Prepare summaries, conclusions and action points on such meetings, as requested. Coordinates and /or monitors follow-up actions.
Oversee and ensure the smooth flow of relevant information within the office of Representative and to RO and HQ through daily consultations with the Representative.
Ensure timely preparation of substantive materials in consultation with relevant sections and field offices, including background papers, speeches and briefing notes for meetings with Governments, senior UN Agency and NGO personnel, the diplomatic corps, as well as internal, inter-agency and donor meetings and missions, participate in such travel and meetings as required, reporting on outcomes and following up on actions decided, within given deadlines. . . Request, collate and consolidate inputs for relevant reports and briefing notes. Organize and draft responses and provide editorial and substantive input as necessary in correspondence submitted for the signature of the Representative. Finalize and provide quality assurance.
Support the development, effective and efficient implementation and monitoring of the Country Programme Management Plan and Annual Management Plan. Assist the Representative and other Senior Managers in ensuring that the office complies with the preparation and implementation of key internal management documents and exercises, such as the CPMP, AMPs, PBR, and Management Retreats.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File JD-Programme Specialist P3 108799 Abuja.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Social Sciences, International Relations, Government, Public Administration, Public Policy, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or another relevant technical field.
Work Experience: A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in either programme management, planning, monitoring or evaluation is required.
Skills: Strong planning, coordination, management, and prioritization capabilities are required.
Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
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
(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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of serious 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 female 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), FT, #108799, Abuja, Nigeria - WCAR