ABOUT THE COMPANY:

UNICEF was created with a distinct purpose in mind: to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future

JOB SUMMARY

Responsibilities

1. Coordinate and collaborate with program colleagues and management in the West and Central Africa Regional Office in support of the promotion and defense of child rights in the region, in alignment with WCAR’s “Key Results for Children,” the Regional Office Management Plan (ROMP, 2022-2025), and UNICEF’s Strategic Plan.
2. Oversee technical contributions from the Regional Office Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) team for operationalization of UNICEF’s strategic initiatives related to resilience in the Sahel, the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP), the Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy (DIPAS), the Gender Action Plan (GAP) and other cross-cutting collaborative efforts and time and resources allow (Innovation, Adolescent Development and Participation, etc.)
3. Provide updates and strategic inputs for the management team and program colleagues in support of UNICEF Global and Regional agendas, including talking points for the Regional Director, the Deputy Regional Director, the Sahel Advisor, and other colleagues as requested and relevant.
4. Provide leadership and strategic guidance to the WCARO SBC team and support the SBC team in their technical exchanges with the network of Social and Behaviour Change colleagues in the region (24 countries, with 95+ SBC staff on Fixed Term and Temporary Appointment contracts, in addition to 50 consultants and United Nations Volunteers (UNVs).
5. Support the WCARO SBC team in their coordination efforts with UNICEF teams and regions beyond WCAR, in addition to strategic partners within and beyond the region (United Nations Agencies, African Union Liaison Office/AULO, technical partners, academic collaborars, and UNICEF Global Technical Teams (GTT for Social and Behaviour Change and other GTTs), and others as needed/relevant.
6. Support the regional office in the core accountabilities: Guidance and oversight for key moments in the planning cycle, Strategic Moments of Reflection (SMRs), Mid-Term Reviews (MTRs), preparation and review of Country Program Documents (CPDs) and other strategic documents (Africa Strategy, etc.)
7. Support the technical initiatives underway within the Social and Behaviour Change teams in the region, in relation to capacity sharing (the WCAR SBC Certification Series), the positive framing of local culture (See Culture Collection series), experimenation and innovation, documentation of promising practices (See the “Special Sauce” essay collection).
8. Foster a culture of learning, exchange, and capacity sharing among regions, country offices, program teams, emergency technical teams and Social and Behaviour Change teams in the West and Central Africa Region.

Requirements

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree in International Development, Behavioural Science, Communication, Sociology, Anthropology, Gender, Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP), Public Health or related field.
• Work Experience: At least Ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in the planning and management of social development programmes.

International and national work experience in both developed and developing countries, with practical experience in the adaptation and application of communication planning processes to specific programmes.

• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and French required.

Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Skills

• Knowledge of current developments in the fields of communication theory, motivational psychology, adult learning theory, indigenous media, community organization and participation.
• Training in strategic communication planning, behavior analysis, formative research and evaluation of communication interventions.
• Proven skills in communication, networking, advocacy and negotiation.
• Ability to organize and implement training and development of curriculum and methodologies.
• Ability to express clearly and concisely ideas and concepts in written and oral form.
• Knowledge of computer systems and applications

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.

REQUIRED EDUCATION: Postgraduate Degree

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: 120