UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
And we never give up.
For every child, commitment.
The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.
Strategic office context:
Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC) serves UNICEF staff and offices globally and remains central to driving excellence in service delivery, business modernization and efficiency, within GSSC and across UNICEF, using leading best practices, data and analytics, and technology to support UNICEF’s mission and the SDGs. GSSC positions itself as a Global Business Services (GBS) partner, enabling increased mission focus for UNICEF offices, ensuring improved quality of services, reducing organizational cost and risk, consistent with leading industry practices for Global Business Services entities.
In addition to the GSSC’s focus on the above areas, the Centre plays a central role in supporting UN Development System Reform initiatives linked to business operations. The GSSC Director represents UNICEF in UN reform initiatives related to UN wide efficiency as part of UNICEF’s overall engagement in and support to UN reform priorities. The GSSC furthermore already supports other UN agencies with services within its scope.
Purpose for the job:
Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Executive Director, Management, the Director drives business modernization and efficiency within GSSC and across UNICEF, as well as lead UNICEF in UN Reform activities and forums to drive efficiency across the UN system.
With the policy and procedural guidance of the concerned UNICEF business owners of the related transactions (Comptroller, Director Division of People and Culture, Chief Information Officer, Director Supply), the Director provides leadership to GSSC, which delivers consolidated support to all UNICEF offices worldwide for transactions in the areas of finance, master data management, human resources administration, payroll, travel and information technology support.
The GSSC Director provides senior leadership and strategic direction to advance plans for expanding the Centre’s scope of functions to service UNICEF and the UN system, to support business modernization and streamline business processes, and to lead GSSC towards a value centric global business services center.
This position is expected be available from May 2026.
How can you make a difference?
The Director’s key functions and accountabilities include:
- Provide overall leadership for the Global Shared Services Centre and strategic direction to advance plans for expanding the scope of functions, ensuring a seamless client experience for all staff worldwide.
- Continuously scan the private sector and shared services industry to bring in best practices, technology innovation and skills, to keep the GSSC at the forefront of shared services and position it to lead business modernization in UNICEF, driving GSSC up the value chain of GBS.
- Drive business modernization, efficiency and organizational improvement processes within GSSC and across UNICEF, based on use of data and a sound understanding of the strategic direction of the organization, its structure, culture and key stakeholders and opinion leaders.
- Lead and represent UNICEF in UN Reform activities and forums to drive efficiency initiatives across the UN, building partnerships and developing GBS solutions to support overall modernization of UN system.
- Ensure seamless collaboration with business process owners and champion technology innovation and change initiatives towards continuous business improvement, simplification and streamlining, to further the effectiveness and efficiency of transaction processing, reduction of organizational risks, and delivery of high quality of services to UNICEF programmes and operations.
- Drive metrics and performance of the GSSC to optimize the cost to the organization, including use of automation and robotics. Monitor and report on quantity, timeliness and quality of services provided by the GSSC. In close collaboration with business process owners, adjust work processes, budgets and structure based on experience and risk assessment and analysis over time.
- Continuously enhance staff capacities, morale and connectedness to the mandate and mission of UNICEF. Collaborate with concerned business owners to adjust, as needed, policies and procedures governing the processes for which the GSSC provides transactional support.
- Adjust Business Continuity Plan, and relevant parts of the BCM programme, as needed, based on experience.
- Continue to analyze business processes in UNICEF to identify appropriate new processes where further global consolidation in the GSSC could lead to enhanced efficiencies and further savings to be redirected to programmes for children.
- Partner with internal and external counterparts – in the UN system and beyond – to enhance efficiencies, effectiveness and the client experience by simplifying and streamlining policies, processes and systems, leveraging synergy whenever possible.
- Expand services offered to other UN agencies where synergies may exist.
To learn mor about the job and view the complete job description, please visit here.
To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…
Qualifications:
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An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, finance, human resources management, or one of the social sciences is required. First-level university degree may be accepted with two years of additional work experience.
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A minimum of 15 years of relevant professional work experience in organizational design, driving and managing change, large scale service delivery, and leading and managing teams to support the delivery of an organization's core mission is required.
- A broad understanding of shared services industry and Global Business Services, combined with a business mindset to drive performance, service excellence and efficiency is preferred, alongside experience with technology innovation and complex change management.
- Experience from UN system is an advantage.
- Fluency in English required. Knowledge of another UN working language is desired.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
Competencies
- Builds and maintains partnerships (level III)
- Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (level III)
- Drive to achieve results for impact (level III)
- Innovates and embraces change (level III)
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (level III)
- Thinks and acts strategically (level III)
- Works collaboratively with others (level III)
- Nurtures, leads and manages people (level III)
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
Remarks:
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.
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.
In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
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.
