UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a champion

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up.

Today there are 1.8 billion young people worldwide who make up a quarter of the world’s population, and up to a third in many sub-Saharan African and South Asian countries. Young people are a massive cohort, with an immense potential to benefit their societies socially, politically and economically. We have a responsibility to recognize the rights of young people and work with them as partners and agents of change for today and tomorrow.

Within UNICEF’s Division of Global Communication and Advocacy (DGCA), the Youth Engagement Team works to strengthen the organization’s capacity to engage young people as advocates and campaigners for children’s rights through our flagship campaigns and initiatives and ensure that the perspectives and voices of young people are an integral part of our communications and advocacy.

U-Report is one of UNICEF’s flagship initiatives to engage and empower young people. It is cross-cutting and designed to strengthen community-led development, citizen engagement and access to and use of real-time monitoring and participation platforms. U-Report allows youth to share their views and receive information via SMS and other digital channels – via messaging-based products ranging from polls, chatbots and quizzes to 1-to-1 counselling support – on what is happening in their communities. It provides a forum to amplify their voices through local and national media and acts as a citizen-sourced, real-time data point for key stakeholders, service providers and decision-makers about the issues being faced in communities. The platform also feeds back valuable information to the U-Report participants, so they are empowered to work for change and improvements in their localities themselves – including volunteering with U-Report and UNICEF.

Our core audience are young people aged 13-24 years old. U-Report is free, anonymous and confidential.

How can you make a difference?

As more people join U-Report through digital channels, it is increasingly important that UNICEF can utilize data collected through the U-Report platform to support advocacy efforts and inform strategic platform developments and growth. The Digital Communication Specialist is expected to work with internal and external partners and stakeholders to maximize the use of data to deliver on goals and objectives, and to integrate latest technological developments to enhance the U-Report platform.

U-Report product development

a. Manage and oversee the RapidPro platform for U-Report, including creating and maintaining chatbots and polls.
Collaborate with UNICEF teams and U-Reporters to design interactive and user-friendly chat flows and polls and ensure U-Report user experience is regularly updated and optimized.
Continuously analyze and optimize user interactions, improving efficiency and satisfaction.

b. Architect solutions to common digital problems faced by U-Report projects and leading the productization of those solutions for digital reliability and scalability at the country office level.

c. Further develop functionality and sophistication of U-Report technology to better serve young people based on their feedback and demands. In close collaboration with ICTD, identify business and functional requirements in the product development and roadmap for key systems components including but not limited to RapidPro, supporting messaging platforms, the U-Report Mobile App, data dashboards etc.

d. Work with internal and external partners to integrate up to date technology into the U-Report platform, including use of Artificial Intelligence solutions.

e. Work with ICTD-RapidPro, RapidPro vendors and country offices to ensure that CO RapidPro workspaces are optimized and compliant with U-Report privacy policy and UNICEF safeguarding guidelines.
Maintain platform documentation and ensure all workflows are properly documented.

f. Lead on the technical development and delivery of U-Report Global Coordinated actions and responses to emergencies – and providing support to country office and regional office-led actions.

Data analysis and evidence generation

a. Lead on data analytics functionality and actual data synthesis, analysis and presentation for specific assigned purposes, overseeing the work of the Data Digital Communications Officer;

b. Coordinate contributions to the data work, application and integration within UNICEF’s broader data work (with DAPM) and programme work (with PD and EMOPS).

c. Increase U-Report’s ability to evaluate trends in engagement and identify the positive and negative outcomes of changes in the U-Report platform.

d. Contribute to developing business requirements for the required data architecture, infrastructure, warehousing and dashboard development, with ICTD.

e. Build, manage and evaluate campaign performance using advanced RapidPro techniques.

f. Support the Digital Communications Specialist with dissemination of U-Reports results delivered/accelerated by and with young people through UReport internally and externally.

Support country office scale and delivery

a. Support the Digital Communications Specialist – Country Support to proactively expand digital scale support offering into new territories through technical support and guidance.

b. Assist countries by responding to technical support requests.

Knowledge management and capacity building

a. Globally consolidate technical learnings from U-Report to inform capacity building.

b. Document best practices and lessons learned in working with COs and developing training materials based on digital and data learnings.

Impact of Results:
The expected results are:
– Enhanced understanding of U-Report data and analytics which can be used for advocacy and to inform strategic decisions for the development and growth of the platform; as well as more effective utilization of the platform at country level.
– Improved technical usage of the U-Report platform by countries – while ensuring adherence to privacy and safeguarding policies – to deliver results for programmes who operate U-Report and the programmes and partners with which they collaborate.
– Growth in the technical functionality of U-Report and scale in number of participants (U-Reporters).

This in turn contributes to maintaining/enhancing the credibility and ability of UNICEF to engage young people in sustainable, scalable and meaningful activities to advance children’s rights.

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

Education requirements:

An advanced university degree in Communications, Marketing, Business, Computer Science, Journalism, International Relations, International Development, or another related field is required.

or A first level university degree with an additional two years of experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience required:

At least five (5) years of progressively responsible and relevant work experience in digital communications focused on young people, mobile messaging products including chatbots, using data analysis, and data-driven strategy development is highly desired.

– Experience conducting statistical analysis of raw data, data sets utilizing multiple languages, and data sets collected from multiple differently designed surveys.
– Experience in data protection and user privacy – including development of and operational adherence to privacy policies and data protection laws.
– Experience working with RapidPro and proficiency with advanced features like expressions, variables, functions, and the API is highly desirable.
– Experience in building and maintaining a network of stakeholders, and in working with coalitions.
– Strong communicator with emphasis on being able to present complex ideas in succinct, engaging ways through campaign narratives and creative tactics.
– Demonstrated experience in design and management of projects, including monitoring and evaluation of results.
– Knowledge of children’s rights, public policy, international development and humanitarian issues.
– Knowledge of child safeguarding and ethics of working with children and youth.
– Strong communication and collaboration skills with experience in consensus building and in motivating cross-functional teams to meet ambitious project goals and timelines;
– Ability to work independently, has sound judgment and strong organizational skills.
– Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) 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.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. AtIn UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

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.

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’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates from programme countries are encouraged to apply.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

All selected candidates will 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.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.