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. 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 personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, a Champion.

The Private Sector Fundraising and Partnerships (PSFP) section within the Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division (PFP) works with National Committees and UNICEF country offices to maximize income and drive income growth. There are five teams within the PSFP section, including Global Philanthropy. The purpose of the Global Philanthropy team is to drive income growth from major donors and family foundations.

UNICEF has an ambitious strategy of outreach to the world’s wealthiest individuals and families, to secure new partnerships and a coalition of influential individuals to advance children’s rights. The signature offer for these individuals is the UNICEF International Council, a community of UNICEF’s most significant private philanthropic partners, which is growing and diversifying.

The Major Donor section of the Global Philanthropy team provides strategy development and capacity-building support for National Committees and Country Offices, including working with them to conduct prospect research, provide engagement and cultivation opportunities for global partners, and share best practices, provide training, and support on prospect cultivation and management. The team has developed global initiatives, including the UNICEF International Council, built to realize the ultimate offer to our partners, linking their philanthropy to identity, individuality, and meaning.

How can you make a difference?

Events and Engagement

• Design and deliver a world-class Annual Symposium in partnership with the Fund-Raising Manager for Major Donors.
• Design and deliver a regional programme of smaller Council events linked to external convenings / UNICEF-hosted events (including Asia Philanthropy Summit / UNGA/WEF) as well as the annual UIC Mid-Year meeting, including the involvement of the Executive Director and other senior leadership.
• Design other engagement opportunities/communications for those members who are not able to give their time to join the Members Collective and attend events.

Communications

• Continue to seek opportunities to market the Council internally and externally such as advertorials in The Financial Times/media interviews with Council members.
• Support the Purpose Marketing Team to create marketing packages featuring members (and implement their use across UNICEF) and identify other opportunities for the Council to raise their voice publicly.

UIC Chair engagement

• Support the UIC Chair and Vice Chairs in their roles and work with them to outline a vision for the future of the platform.
• Lead in the governance processes for the UIC, including transparent communication to UIC membership and internal leadership.
• Support the activation of regional vice-chairs of the Council to increase the Council’s visibility and drive growth in the membership.
• Coordinate the announcement of the new Chair and Vice Chairs (alongside Purpose Marketing colleagues) with UNICEF’s leadership.

Working Groups and project task forces

• Steward the Working Groups of the Council.
• Provide bespoke support to the chairs of each Working Group, Project Taskforces, and the Steering Committee.
• Support the Youth Taskforce (including raising the funding needed for 2025 and beyond) to include ongoing support to the Youth Council made up of global youth advocates and Council children (aged 15-24) aligning with our offer on family philanthropy. This project enables Council members to amplify the voices of young people globally, something that is stated as a priority in the UNICEF International Council charter.

Market support:

• Work closely with all members of the International Council reference group to grow the membership of the International Council globally, and drive membership of the Members Collective – a group of members who are active and opt into communications and meetings.
• Focus the work of the Reference Group to a more operational core planning group for the annual symposium.
• Work with Reference Group members to grow the confidence of Council members to passionately promote the Council amongst their peers, as well as ensuring the Reference Group are seeking introductions to potential Council members from their own National Boards.
• Ensure the UIC is promoted internally at UNICEF by hosting regular webinars, updating PFP leadership on progress, etc.
• Design and implement strategies to incentivize ambitious giving by members of the Council.

DELIVERABLES:

The incumbent will provide leadership in:

• UNICEF Annual Symposium
• Series of regional events throughout 2025
• Successful UIC Chair transition

The incumbent will also contribute to the Global Philanthropy team goals to:

• Grow income from private philanthropists from the $228M in 2023.
• Recruit 15 new members annually, including members from 5 countries not currently represented on the Council.
• Raise $80M+​ from Council members.
• Grow the Members Collective membership to 50 members and drive participation in the annual symposium (50+ participants).
• Increase additional giving from the membership from joint initiatives. 

Estimated Duration of the contract

• 364 days

Reporting To:

• Fund Raising Manager (Global Major Donors), PFP Geneva.

Working Place:

• Geneva, Switzerland.

To qualify as a Champion for every child you will have…

Education:

• An Advanced University degree in one of the following fields is required: Business Management, Communication, Marketing, International Relations, Social Sciences, or another relevant technical field.
• Alternatively, a first-level University Degree in a relevant field combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional work experience in event management, project management, or fundraising is required.
• Experience in organizing and delivering world-class events is required.
• Proven ability to prioritize; work independently; handle multiple, complex tasks simultaneously; and generate pragmatic solutions to challenges is required.
• Demonstrated experience working with High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs).
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are required, both written and verbal.
• Must possess a strong work ethic, have confidence, take initiative, and be an enthusiastic team player.
• Experience in philanthropy as a fundraiser and knowledge of the philanthropic landscape is an asset.
• Strong customer service approach to interactions with colleagues and partners; ability to navigate complex environments and help build relationships with a variety of stakeholders is an asset.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel, and with experience in using a complex database is an asset.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is an asset.
• UN/UNICEF experience is an asset.

Language requirements:

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1) are required.

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. At 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.

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 may also be 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 canceled.

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 to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

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.

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.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements