Adolescent Girls Development Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, established in 1946, operates in over 190 countries and territories with a mission to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them reach their full potential from early childhood to adolescence. The organization is committed to providing diverse professional and personal development opportunities for its staff, allowing them to enhance their sense of purpose while serving children and communities worldwide. UNICEF has been active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1963, welcoming individuals who wish to thrive in a diverse and passionate culture, embodying its values to give the best for the development of children in the DRC.

Job Overview:
The Adolescent Girls Development Specialist will work under the general supervision of the Gender Manager, providing technical, administrative, and operational support to country office colleagues, partners, and stakeholders throughout programming processes. This role is crucial for ensuring the integration of adolescent development and participation, as well as children's rights as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, into advocacy actions, policies, programs, and humanitarian action of UNICEF. The specialist will contribute to achieving concrete and sustainable results for adolescent development programs/projects, in line with plans, resource allocation, results-based management approaches, strategic plans, performance standards, and UNICEF's accountability framework. The position requires a proactive approach to analyzing the situation, assessing national, regional, and international development priorities, and identifying opportunities for improving service delivery and achieving adolescent development goals in the country.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the development and planning of programs by conducting assessments to establish factual data for UNICEF advocacy and policy development, frameworks, and programs aimed at promoting adolescent development and participation in the country, as well as monitoring the results of associated programs/projects.
• Evaluate national, regional, and international development priorities to identify opportunities and action pathways for improving service delivery and achieving adolescent development and participation objectives in the country.
• Program management, monitoring, and results achievement by planning and/or collaborating with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators, and other measures of UNICEF and UN system to evaluate and enhance accountability for performance, coherence, and sustainable results for adolescent development programs and projects.
• Provide technical and operational support for program implementation by offering technical advice and operational support to government counterparts, partner NGOs, UN system partners, and country office donors on policies, practices, and methodologies related to adolescent development and participation.
• Networking and partnership building by establishing and maintaining effective working partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders, and global partners/allies/donors/academics through active networking, advocacy, and effective communication to strengthen capacities, exchange knowledge, expertise, and enhance cooperation for sustainable results in adolescent development initiatives.
• Innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building by applying and introducing innovative approaches and best practices in adolescent development and participation to strengthen the capacities of partners and stakeholders and support the implementation and achievement of concrete and sustainable results.

Required Qualifications:

• Academic qualifications: A Master's degree in one of the following fields: anthropology, psychology, sociology, education, or another relevant technical field.
• Experience: At least five (5) years of professional experience in planning and managing social development in areas related to adolescent development is required.
• Language: Proficiency in French and English is essential.
• Desirable: Relevant experience at the national level, particularly in development contexts, especially in fragile and humanitarian settings. Experience working in a developing country is also desirable.

Educational Background:
A Master's degree in anthropology, psychology, sociology, education, or another relevant technical field is required for this position. This educational background is essential to understand the complexities of adolescent development and to effectively contribute to the programs and policies aimed at improving the lives of adolescents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Experience:
The position requires at least five (5) years of professional experience in planning and managing social development, particularly in areas related to adolescent development. This experience should include working in contexts that may be fragile or humanitarian in nature, demonstrating the ability to navigate complex environments and deliver results effectively.

Languages:
Proficiency in French and English is mandatory for this position. These language skills are crucial for effective communication and collaboration with various stakeholders, including government counterparts, NGOs, and international partners. Additional language skills may be considered an asset but are not required.

Additional Notes:
The UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion, encouraging applications from women and individuals with disabilities who meet the qualifications. The organization offers a range of measures to support a more diverse workforce, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding hours, and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. The position is full-time, and candidates must be prepared to undergo a rigorous background check, including verification of academic credentials and professional history. Selected candidates may also be required to provide additional information for background verification and must adhere to UNICEF's standards and principles regarding child protection and safeguarding.