Chief, Social Policy

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Position Title: Chief, Social Policy
Location: New Delhi
Country: India
Deadline Date: Not specified

Job Details

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 fulfill their potential. The organization is committed to promoting the rights of every child and offers diverse opportunities for personal and professional development. UNICEF prides itself on a culture that fosters staff growth and provides an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Job Overview:
The Chief, Social Policy position is a leadership role responsible for managing and supervising all stages of social policy programming and advocacy. This includes strategic planning, formulation, and delivery of sustainable results aimed at improving public policies to reduce child poverty, enhancing social protection coverage for children, and ensuring effective public investments in child-focused initiatives. The role requires collaboration with government and civil society partners and support for teams working in various sectors such as education, health, and child protection. The Chief will lead efforts to strengthen social protection systems, improve public financial management for children, and enhance local government capacities to deliver child-focused services.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide managerial leadership for social policy programming and advocacy initiatives.
• Improve data collection and analysis on child poverty and vulnerability to inform policy and program actions.
• Strengthen social protection coverage and its impact on children.
• Enhance the use of public financial resources for child-focused initiatives.
• Build the capacity of local governments to plan, budget, and monitor child-focused social services.
• Foster advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive social policy.
• Collaborate with various teams to ensure integrated programming across sectors.
• Lead strategic direction and support for programmatic changes and transitions.
• Ensure alignment with UNICEF’s mission and values in all initiatives.

Required Qualifications:

• An advanced university degree in Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or a relevant technical field.
• A minimum of ten years of relevant professional experience in the aforementioned fields.
• Proven ability to provide strong leadership and mentorship to a team of senior technical experts.
• Experience in driving programmatic change and managing transitions effectively.
• Fluency in English is required, with knowledge of another UN language or a local language considered an asset.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in one of the following fields: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field. This educational background is essential for understanding the complexities of social policy and its impact on children.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of ten years of relevant professional experience, particularly in roles that involve social policy, public finance, and child welfare. Experience in a complex country office and familiarity with emergency contexts are considered strong assets. Candidates should demonstrate a history of effective leadership and program management in similar environments.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language is considered a valuable asset, enhancing communication and collaboration in diverse settings.

Additional Notes:
This position is based in New Delhi, India, and is open to internal and external candidates, specifically targeting Non-Indian Nationals. The selected applicant will receive an initial two-year fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension based on performance. Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF. The organization emphasizes diversity and inclusion, encouraging applications from candidates of various backgrounds, including those from low and middle-income countries, women, transgender individuals, and persons with disabilities. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on misconduct and is committed to safeguarding children, requiring rigorous background checks for all selected candidates.