UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to 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, the right to Innovation
How can you make a difference?
The Office of Innovation (OoI) works to catalyse UNICEF's and all its partners’ expertise and resources against key children-outcomes bottlenecks, with a view to continuously ideating and scale the most effective solutions with transformational potential at scale to achieve the
child-related SDGs. The office is doing this by continuously exploring new ways of accelerating results for children, investing across a range of early-stage solutions, and harnessing internal and external expertise towards continuously iterating and finetuning the most promising solutions for
children through a systematic portfolio management approach, and leveraging all stakeholders’ innovation energy, knowhow and resources from intergovernmental, multilateral, private sector and non-governmental fora (think tank, academia).
The Innovation Solutions initiates and drives OOI-supported innovation initiatives and projects across the stages of maturity from pilot to transition to scale.
Through the Venture Fund, the team invests in start-ups and projects run by Country Offices that test and accelerate these new solutions. We are looking for a Programme Associate who enjoys working with a diverse and fun team and thrives in fast-paced teams that are flexible and adapt to changing circumstances.
Purpose for the job:
Under the supervision and guidance of the supervisor, the programme associate supports the Innovation Solutions team by carrying out a range of programme support functions to help develop, implement and monitor their activities, ensuring effective and timely delivery that is consistent with UNICEF rules and regulations.
The Programme Associate works in close collaboration with a range of staff in the team, external partners and agency counterparts in support of programme design and delivery. S/He provides regular feedback on the status of projects through monitoring milestones and advises on improvements to keep activities on track.
Summary of key functions/accountabilities:
- Facilitating the development of programme cooperation agreements (PCAs) by providing information and drafting selected sections of it.
- Ensuring the timely and accurate recording and administrative processing of government & NGO’s proposals and requests for direct cash transfers (DCTs).
- Conducting programme monitoring in UNICEF focus districts for cash and supplies and informing team-members on the status.
- Helping conduct regular spot checks of partner’s projects to assess their financial record-keeping, expenditure controls and reporting systems.
- Monitoring and tracking the efficient distribution of supplies that are required for effective programme delivery.
- Supporting the programme section in researching, compiling and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data and information from a variety of sources on subject matters relevant to the work of the section to facilitate programme delivery as well as preparation of reports, working papers and presentations.
- Carrying out transactions in VISION ensuring programme results, activities and programme coding are as per annual work plans (AWPs), and making amendments and alterations as per section revisions when necessary.
- Carrying out transactions in VISION pertaining to grants and programme-related items for his/her section including but not limited to registering grant allotments and tracking expiring programme grants.
- Preparing monitoring and reporting information for supervisor and team on agreed performance indicators to drive more efficient management and accountability for results.
- Regularly monitoring budgets and financial expenditures of section by employing applicable tools, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations, keeping supervisor informed and advised on actions for decision and/or follow up.
- Helping prepare periodic or ad-hoc financial reports relating to country office and donors to support the office in optimizing use of programme funds.
- Supports capacity development activities related to programme development by preparing training materials and participating in exercises.
If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: 
Programme Associate G6.docx
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
- Education: Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the work of the organization.
- Work Experience: At least 6 years of administrative or clerical work experience is required, in the areas of Programme Management, Administration, Financial Management, Programme Associate, Programme Monitoring, Programme Design, Programme Development, Programme Support Functions, Budget monitoring, Financial support, Logistics and any other related fields.
- Skills: Project Management, Programme Support, Reporting, Excel, PowerPoint, SAP.
- Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.
Desirables:
- Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language.
- Budget Monitoring, Training Materials, Hybrid Teams.
- Experience in supporting RFP and SD-related procurement processes.
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
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
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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will 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. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates 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.
Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.
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.
Applicants must be nationals of EU states or in possession of a valid work permit in Sweden.
General Service (GS) staff are locally recruited staff and therefore, candidates are personally responsible for any travel and accommodation arrangements.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.
