Contract Duration 17 Months

Working arrangement: Home Based

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.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

The purpose of this assignment is to strengthen disaster risk financing (DRF) systems for social sectors in selected Pacific Island Countries (Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu) by improving the capacity of governments and partners to mobilize and deliver financial resources effectively to protect children and essential services during shocks. The consultancy will support UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Office (MCO) to enhance its role as a strategic partner in DRF by working closely with Ministries of Finance and line ministries responsible for education, health & nutrition, child protection, WASH, and social protection to strengthen the integration of social sectors within DRF frameworks. This includes assessing and improving shock-responsive delivery systems (“money-out”), identifying systemic bottlenecks, and providing targeted technical support and initial capacity-building to ensure that financial resources translate into timely and effective support for children. The assignment will further contribute to elevating the role of social sectors within national DRF approaches, ensuring that financing mechanisms explicitly account for the protection of essential services and the needs of children in disaster contexts. In parallel, the consultancy will facilitate engagement with key regional and international partners, including PCRIC, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), to align UNICEF’s work with broader DRF initiatives and promote coordinated, multi-sectoral approaches. Finally, the consultancy will contribute to the development of donor-ready proposals and a UNICEF DRF roadmap, ensuring that country-level engagement and systems improvements are translated into actionable strategies, strengthened partnerships, and resource mobilization opportunities to better protect children from disaster impacts.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: TMC0003608 External ToR.pdf

Minimum requirements:

Education: Master’s degree in the following; Economics Disaster Risk Financing / Disaster Risk Management

Public Policy or Public Financial Management Climate Change or Development Studies or a related field

Work Experience: Minimum 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in disaster risk financing (DRF), disaster risk management, public finance, or related areas

Demonstrated experience working with government institutions, particularly Ministries of Finance and/or

social sector ministries (education, health & nutrition, child protection, WASH, child protection, social protection)

Proven experience in designing or supporting DRF systems, policies, or instruments, including shock responsive systems and/or financing mechanisms

Experience in multi-country or regional assignments, preferably in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) or the Pacific region

Strong experience in stakeholder engagement and coordination, including collaboration with development partners (e.g. multilateral development banks, regional organizations, UN agencies)

Language Requirements: English

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills: Strong understanding of public financial management (PFM) and disaster risk financing frameworks

Experience in strengthening shock-responsive delivery systems (“money-out”) and linking financing to Service delivery

Ability to translate analytical and technical findings into practical policy and operational recommendations

Experience in developing donor proposals, concept notes, or investment cases

Excellent analytical, drafting, and communication skills

Desirables

Familiarity with Pacific regional institutions and DRF actors (e.g. PCRIC, World Bank, ADB, PIFS)

Previous experience working with UNICEF or other UN agencies

Experience delivering capacity-building or facilitation with government stakeholders

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) TMC0003608 Financial proposal template.docx

Remarks:

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.

Strengthening Disaster Risk Financing Systems and Partnerships for Social Sectors and Children in the Pacific. Suva – Fiji. Homes Based with Travel.17 Months.#594196