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, hope

UNICEF Ukraine

Join the Social Policy Team at UNICEF Ukraine! – YouTube

How can you make a difference?

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.

Background:

Ukraine is facing escalating poverty and inequality due to the ongoing conflict and its severe socioeconomic impacts. Pre-existing demographic and structural challenges have been compounded by the war, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, and internally displaced persons (IDPs). This has intensified the need for comprehensive social sector reforms to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Ukraine’s social protection system, strengthen its capacity to support vulnerable populations, and promote economic growth and social cohesion.

The Government of Ukraine has prioritized social protection reform in its recovery plan, supported by the UN Transitional Framework and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). These reforms aim to establish a more coherent, flexible, and responsive system capable of addressing both immediate needs and long-term structural challenges. UNICEF has been a key partner in these efforts, providing technical and financial support, and leading the Social Protection Reform Office under the Ministry of Social Policy (MoSP) to drive reforms and coordinate efforts with other stakeholders.

Recognizing the importance of strengthening social protection systems, the UK government has launched the SPIRIT programme to support more inclusive, effective, and efficient social systems and services – laying the foundations for longer-term reform and recovery aligned with Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. One of the mechanisms of the SPIRIT programme to achieve these goals is to set up a Social Recovery Office (SRO) led by UNICEF working hand in hand with the Ministry of Social Policy to:

• Support Ukraine’s vision for a sustainable, resilient and rights-based recovery underpinned by inclusive, effective and efficient social protection systems for the most vulnerable and war-impacted groups;
• Improve coordination, strengthen technical capacity, and catalyse evidence-based reforms in line with Ukraine Plan commitments across social protection, services and inclusion priorities
• Develop roadmap, generate learning/commissioning evidence, and establishing formal coordination structures to improve alignment, maximise efficiency, and open doors for closer cooperation and partnership across the Government of Ukraine, Development Partners, Civil Society, Private Sector, and the wider International Community.

Job organizational context:

Under the SPIRIT Programme, a Social Recovery Office led by UNICEF has been set up to work directly with the Ministry of Social Policy.

The Social Policy Specialist would be reporting to Deputy Head of the Social Recovery Office.

Purpose for the job:

Under the general guidance of the supervisor, the Social Policy Specialist is responsible for supporting the programme management, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of all stages of social policy programming and related advocacy, from strategic planning and formulation to the delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes leading the development and implementation of a project management approach for the Social Recovery Office and ensuring team members are effectively utilizing associated tools and methodologies. The role also encompasses coordinating and delivering timely and accurate reporting, including donor reports and SPIRIT programme updates. This includes programmes aimed at improving (a) public policies to reduce child poverty; (b) social protection coverage and impact on children; (c) the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management; and (d) governance, decentralization and accountability measures to increase public participation and the quality, equity and coverage of social services.

In addition to these responsibilities, the Social Policy Specialist ensures systematic and organized coordination and planning of activities, embedding risk analysis and mitigation strategies into program management. Through knowledge management, data-driven decision-making, and fostering continuous learning, the specialist contributes to the achievement of sustainable and impactful outcomes that advance the well-being of children and families.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. UNICEF Programme Management and Knowledge Management

• Develops and implements a project management approach tailored for the Social Recovery Office, ensuring the methodology and associated tools are effectively adopted and utilized by team members. Provides ongoing support and guidance to team members to ensure consistent and proficient application of the approach.
• Ensures timely and accurate preparation of reports for all stakeholders, including donor reports, SPIRIT programme board updates, and UNICEF internal updates. Supports systematic monitoring and reporting processes to enhance accountability and ensure the dissemination of key information for decision-making and learning.
• Manages and coordinates technical support to strengthen the Social Recovery Office’s operations, embedding risk analysis and mitigation strategies into all project activities. Collaborates closely with programme teams, partners, and stakeholders to ensure alignment and impact.
• Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the office. Ensures that the social planning project enhances policy dialogue, planning, supervision, technical advice, management, training, research and support; and that the monitoring and evaluation component strengthens monitoring and evaluation of the social sectors and provides support to sectoral and decentralized information systems.
• Ensure that the SPIRIT programme is strengthened by knowledge management through data collection and analysis, complete and accurate reporting as well as participation in the Programme Knowledge Network system of “lessons learned” and other corporate-level databases.
• Leads in programme evaluations and information exchange through donor and media visits as well as in the development of training and orientation materials.

2. Improving data on child poverty & vulnerability for increased use for policy and programme action

• Analyzes the macroeconomic context and its impact on social development, emerging issues and social policy concerns, as well as implications for children, and proposes and promotes appropriate responses in respect of such issues and concerns, including government resource allocation policies and the effects of social welfare policies on the rights of children.

3. Strengthening social protection coverage and impact for children

• Supports the development of social protection policies, legislation and programmes with attention to increasing coverage of and impact on children, with special attention the most marginalized.  Identifies, generates and presents evidence to support this goal in collaboration with partners.
• Promotes strengthening of integrated social protection systems, providing technical support to partners to improve the design of cash transfers and child grants and improve linkages with other social protection interventions such as health insurance, public works and social care services as well as complementary services and intervention related to nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation, child protection and HIV.

4. Improving use of public financial resources for children

• Supports the identification of policy options for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive social protection interventions.
• Undertakes and builds capacity of partners for improved monitoring and tracking of public expenditure to support transparency, accountability and effective financial flows for essential service delivery, including through support to district level planning, budgeting and public financial management as well as facilitating community participation

5. Strengthening capacity of local governments to plan, budget, consult on and monitor child-focused social services.

• Where national decentralization processes are taking place, collaborates with central and local authorities to improve policies, planning, budgeting, consultation and accountability processes so that decisions and child-focused service delivery more closely respond to the needs of local communities.
• Collaborates with the central and local authorities to strengthen capacity on quality data collection, analysis for policy development, planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring of essential social services, with emphasis on community participation and accountability.

6. Strengthened advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive social policy

• Supports correct and compelling use of data and evidence on the situation of children and coverage and impact of child focused services – in support of the social policy programme and the country programme overall.
• Supports the establishment of effective partnerships with the Government, bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies to support sustained and proactive commitment to the Convention of the Rights of the Child and to achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Contributes to strategies for engagement and the development of communications products to enhance UNICEF’s visibility and influence with existing and prospective partners and key stakeholders by providing analysis of the current environment and trends and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development. Works closely with UNICEF’s colleagues to ensure that policy advocacy and outreach is strongly grounded in the experience and insights of the programmes that UNICEF’s supports. Contributes written inputs for communications instruments that best inform and influence decision makers.

Impact of Results

• The strategic and effective advocacy, planning, and formulation of social policy programs/projects, combined with the development and implementation of a robust project management approach for the Social Recovery Office, ensures the achievement of sustainable results. This contributes significantly to the creation of a protective environment for children, safeguarding their survival, development, and well-being in society. Furthermore, systematic monitoring, accurate reporting, and effective knowledge management enhance the impact and accountability of programs, fostering informed decision-making and continuous improvement.

The integration of comprehensive reporting mechanisms, including donor reports and SPIRIT programme board updates, strengthens transparency and trust among stakeholders. These achievements not only advance the goals of social policy programs but also bolster UNICEF’s credibility and capacity to deliver impactful services for mothers and children. This, in turn, promotes greater social equality in the country, reinforcing UNICEF’s role as a trusted partner in fostering sustainable development and equitable opportunities for all.

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: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience is required.
• A background in project management and relevant professional qualifications/certifications are a minimum requirement. The ideal candidate will be conversant with a range of project management approaches and relevant tools.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.
• Experience working in a programme management and/or UNICEF programme policy, procedures and guidelines is considered as a strong asset.
• Background and/or familiarity with social protection reforms is considered as a strong asset.
• Knowledge of another official UN language or Ukrainian 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…

(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

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. 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.

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. For this position, eligible and suitable people with disabilities 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.

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.

Eligible staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent contracts applying to IP TA positions in a duty station designated as L2/L3, may be able to retain a lien and their fixed-term entitlements, subject to approval by their Head of Office. The conditions of the temporary assignment will vary depending on the status of their post and relocation entitlements may be limited as per the relevant policies.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

This position is based in Kyiv and the incumbent will be expected to work on-site. However, depending on the security conditions and advisory, s/he will be required to relocate within Ukraine.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements