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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
For every child, the right to innovate
UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support realizing children’s rights are critical to improving their lives. The Office of Innovation is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the start-up thinking, the technology, and the partners that turn this energy into scalable solutions.
Background and rationale
The UNICEF Sustainable WASH Innovation Hub (The Hub) is a global home for accelerating the scaling of transformative and climate resilient water, sanitation and hygiene solutions for children and their families.
Clean water and sanitation are fundamental for children's health, education, and well-being, yet climate change, conflict, and poverty threaten these rights. Today, one in four people lack safe drinking water, and nearly half the world lacks safe hygiene and sanitation. To meet these challenges, innovation is needed now, more than ever.
From using satellite data to locate water underground to unlocking millions in innovative financing for toilets, the UNICEF Sustainable WASH Innovation Hub (the Hub) is working to catalyze the scale of innovations that transform access to water and sanitation for the world's most vulnerable children.
Recognizing that young people are key stakeholders in the future of WASH – as users, potential innovators, advocates, and future leaders – their meaningful engagement is crucial for the long-term success and sustainability of the Hub's initiatives, and the WASH-sector in general.
Engaging young people in innovation processes can bring fresh perspectives, identify unmet needs, and generate creative solutions that are relevant and impactful for their generation and beyond. As outlined in UNICEF's broader youth engagement strategies, creating pathways for young people to contribute to decision-making and action is essential for empowering them and ensuring that solutions are inclusive and address their specific realities.
How can you make a difference?
The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive assessment with clear and actionable insights on how the WASH-sector can meaningfully engage young people (defined broadly as adolescents and young adults approximately between 13-24 years old) in the development, adoption and scaling of WASH innovations.
Through this assessment, the Hub seeks to understand the current landscape and opportunities for youth engagement in WASH innovation, identify areas where the Hub can add value with current resources and explore areas which may need further research or resource mobilization.
Your main responsibilities will be:
The primary objectives of this consultancy are to:
- Assess the current landscape: Map existing initiatives, platforms, and approaches for youth engagement in WASH and related fields (e.g., climate resilient innovation) globally and within UNICEF.
- Identify opportunities and challenges: Analyze the specific opportunities and challenges for meaningful youth engagement.
- Gather youth and WASH-sector perspectives: Explore the interests, motivations, barriers, and preferred channels of engagement for young people regarding WASH innovation. This should include understanding their current involvement (if any) and their aspirations for future participation.
- Develop actionable recommendations: Based on the assessment, propose concrete and practical strategies, activities, and mechanisms for the WASH sector to effectively engage young people in its work, including specific entry points and roles.
- Provide guidance on implementation: Offer guidance on the research, resources, partnerships, and approaches needed to implement the recommended youth engagement strategy for innovation in the WASH sector.
- Provide guidance on distribution: Offer guidance on the distribution of findings, including in academic journals and with key stakeholders.
If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: 
Youth Engagement Consultant - ToR.pdf
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
- Education:Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in a relevant field such as youth development, social innovation, international development, education, or a related social science.
- Work Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in youth engagement, adolescent development, participatory methodologies, and/or innovation processes.
- Demonstrated understanding of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector and its relevance to young people.
- Skills: Proven experience in conducting assessments, developing strategies, and providing actionable recommendations.
- Excellent research, analytical, and writing skills, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly and concisely.
- Strong facilitation and interpersonal skills, with experience in engaging diverse groups of stakeholders, including young people.
- Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.
Desirables:
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
- Proficiency in other UN languages is an asset.
- Experience working with international organizations, preferably UNICEF or other UN agencies, is an asset.
Payment details and further considerations
Payment of professional fees will be based on the submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.
How to apply:
- Cover letter and CV: Provide a cover letter and CV clearly outlining professional experience, qualifications, motivation and suitability for this consultancy.
- Technical Proposal: Provide a brief outline of proposed methodology for undertaking the assignment, including the approach to desk review, stakeholder consultations, and the development of deliverables.
- Financial Proposal: Indicate proposed daily or deliverable-based fee in USD. Please see the financial proposal template. Applications without a financial proposal will not be considered. Consultancy Financial Offer template.docx
- Travel is not required for this consultancy.
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 promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.
UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.
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 is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce.
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.
Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.
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.
