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, advocacy
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.
Ethiopia is situated in the Horn of Africa and is the second most populous country on the continent with an estimated population of 115 million. It borders six African countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, and covers 1,104,300 square kilometers. Approximately 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient cultures with Middle Eastern and African cultures evident in the religious, ethnic, and language composition of its people.
Over the past two years, children and their families across Ethiopia faced multiple and complex emergencies, such as the conflict in the northern Ethiopia and the drought, which resulted in millions of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. UNICEF has programmes in Child Protection, WASH, Health, Nutrition, Social Policy, and Education and serves over 15 million children in Ethiopia. Join UNICEF Ethiopia to contribute to improving the lives of children and women.
How can you make a difference
Key functions, accountability and related duties /tasks
- Advocacy strategy development:
- Lead every element of the advocacy strategy process, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, from defining advocacy outcomes, power analysis, and developing a clear theory of change to win the support of decision makers and mobilize key constituencies.
- Advocacy strategy implementation:
- Drive the implementation of advocacy strategies and plans, working across teams to ensure all strands of the strategy are progressed and mutually reinforcing, for example: data, policy, media, public mobilization, events, and partnerships. Supervise the development of cogent and compelling advocacy and campaign narratives, and the delivery of creative campaign tactics.
- Communication strategy development and implementation:
- Design effective communication plans that will deliver on the aims of key advocacy strategies and help to mobilize public and private support for the cause of children. Supervise the implementation of these plans, ensuring they are delivering against agreed outcomes and always in keeping with UNICEF’s mandate.
- Digital strategy:
- Lead and manage the Office’s advocacy and communication team that effectively executes a comprehensive digital strategy and provide a vision for the conceptualization, budgeting, planning, coordination, execution and digital content creation, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of digital initiatives and integrated advocacy campaigns for key audiences.
- Media relations:
- Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, web, etc. – to ensure we can build public awareness of and support for UNICEF and the cause of children.
- Advocacy and Communication M&E:
- Supervise the development of a clear advocacy and communication M&E framework: setting baselines against which results are regularly monitored; conducting analysis to continuously improve the effectiveness of the strategy, approach and activities; and overseeing the production and dissemination of advocacy and communication M&E results.
- Team building, Project and Budget Management:
- Provide a protective, nurturing environment for the team – in line with UNICEF’s highest ethical standards and values; respond appropriately to ethical issues and complaints of abuse of authority, bullying and harassment. Ensure project management coherence in the activities of the team, conveying strategic priorities and setting clear deliverables.
- Lead inclusive teams featuring a variety of advocacy and communication professionals, to drive and deliver strategic advocacy and communication initiatives.
- Mobilize resources for undertaking advocacy and communication. Ensure effective and transparent management of budget and resources.
- Advocacy and Communication Capacity Building:
- Build internal UNICEF capacities in advocacy and communication, through coaching, training and sharing of expertise.
- Stakeholder engagement:
- Provide strategic direction for partnerships and networks through proactive collaboration with internal and external partners.
- Partners will include key internal stakeholders, other UN entities, influencers, goodwill ambassadors, academics, business leaders and other public and private sector partners.
- Ensure that effective advocacy and communication strategies and plans are co-created with partners, to leverage their power to contribute to UNICEF’s goals.
- Ensure that feedback from key stakeholders is incorporated into strategy design, implementation and team learning.
- Country Management Team:
- As a member of the CMT, work alongside senior colleagues to ensure the performance of the Country Office, manage risk, and set overarching strategic direction.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
- Education: An Advanced University degree is required in one of the following fields: International Relations, Political Science, International Development, Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics, Communication or related fields.
- Work Experience: At least 10 (Ten) years progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in advocacy/ campaigning and communication is required, with at least two years at the international level.
- 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.
Desirables:
- Proven experience in deploying a range of advocacy and communication tactics based on a clear theory of change.
- Experience in building and maintaining a network of external stakeholders, and in working with coalitions.
- Experience in building strong relationships with traditional and social media entities and using media relations and channels to engage public audiences.
- Demonstrated experience in design and management of projects, including budget management and monitoring and evaluation of results.
- Knowledge of international development, humanitarian issues and children’s rights.
- Experience working in a developing and emergency environment is an asset.
- Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.
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…
- Builds and maintains partnerships (2)
- Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (2)
- Drive to achieve results for impact (2)
- Innovates and embraces change (2)
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)
- Thinks and acts strategically (2)
- Works collaboratively with others (2)
- Nurtures, leads and manages people (2)
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
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. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates and persons with disability 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.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
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.
