Social Policy Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
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. Established with a mission to promote the rights of every child, UNICEF is committed to equity and ensuring that all children have the opportunity to survive, develop, and reach their full potential. The organization prides itself on a culture that fosters personal and professional development, offering diverse opportunities for staff to build fulfilling careers while delivering on a rewarding mission. UNICEF's focus on equity translates its commitment to children's rights into action, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families. The organization has a strong presence globally, with a workforce that reflects the diversity of the children it serves, and it is dedicated to maintaining high standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity in its operations.

Job Overview:
The Social Policy Specialist is responsible for providing technical support to the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of social policy programming and related advocacy. This role involves strategic planning and formulation to deliver concrete and sustainable results in various areas, including public policies aimed at reducing child poverty, enhancing social protection coverage, and improving the transparency and efficiency of child-focused public investments. The incumbent will work closely with government and civil society partners, as well as teams focused on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation, and HIV. A significant aspect of this position is the focus on public finance for children, which includes conducting public budget and expenditure analysis to inform UNICEF’s advocacy efforts and technical assistance to relevant ministries. The role also entails building partners’ capacity for improved monitoring and tracking of public expenditure to ensure effective financial flows for essential service delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Improving data on child poverty & vulnerability: Support the collection, analysis, and presentation of data on multidimensional and monetary child poverty, strengthening national capacity for routine data collection and reporting. Provide timely data-driven analysis for effective prioritization and planning of social policy initiatives aimed at reducing child poverty. Analyze macroeconomic contexts and their implications for children, proposing appropriate responses to social policy concerns.
• Strengthening social protection coverage: Develop social protection policies and programs that increase coverage and impact on children, particularly marginalized groups. Collaborate with partners to generate evidence supporting these goals and promote integrated social protection systems.
• Improving public financial resources for children: Conduct budget analysis to inform advocacy and technical assistance to improve equitable allocations for essential services for children. Collaborate with sector colleagues to build capacity for costing and cost-effectiveness analysis on child-focused investments.
• Strengthening local government capacity: Collaborate with authorities to improve planning, budgeting, and accountability processes for child-focused services, ensuring they respond to local community needs.
• Strengthening advocacy and partnerships: Utilize data and evidence to advocate for child-sensitive social policies, establishing partnerships with government, donors, NGOs, and other stakeholders to support the Convention on the Rights of the Child and achieve global UN agendas.
• UNICEF Programme Management: Manage and coordinate technical support around child poverty, social protection, and public finance, ensuring timely planning and implementation. Support effective planning, management, and evaluation of the country program, enhancing policy dialogue and technical advice.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires an advanced university degree in fields such as Economics, Financial Economics, Public Finance, Development Economics, or another relevant technical field. A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience is essential, with demonstrated experience in public financial management being highly desirable. Familiarity with emergencies and experience in developing countries are considered strong assets.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in relevant fields such as Economics, Financial Economics, Public Finance, Development Economics, or other related technical disciplines. This educational background is crucial for understanding the complexities of social policy and public finance as they relate to children's rights and welfare.

Experience:
The role requires a minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in public financial management, which is critical for the effective execution of the responsibilities associated with this position. Experience working in a developing country context is considered a strong asset, as is familiarity with emergency situations, which can impact children's rights and welfare.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory for this position. Knowledge of another official UN language, such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish, is considered an asset, as is proficiency in a local language, which can enhance communication and collaboration with local partners and communities.

Additional Notes:
The position is subject to medical clearance and requires compliance with vaccination requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). UNICEF encourages the application of eligible and suitable female candidates and emphasizes its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The organization offers a wide range of benefits, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct incompatible with its objectives, including discrimination and harassment. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks, including verification of academic credentials and employment history.