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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

The long-term vision for public financing for children is to ensure child-related policy commitments are better reflected in budget processes, identify cost-effective and equitable ways to deliver services and life-saving supplies, and help governments plan, cost and budget for them and improve the flow and use of budgeted resources for service delivery, including at the subnational level. This result will directly contribute to United National Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) Priority One.

To achieve this, UNICEF will support the Government and partners to:

• Conduct evidence and analysis and support government to use evidence to inform planning and budgeting to optimize government financial resources to achieve the best return on investment for outcomes for children by sector,
• Support advocacy with government on investments in core services for children to leverage the demographic potential and provide opportunities for children and youth in Kyrgyzstan.

How can you make a difference? 

The NOB Social Policy (Public Finance for Children, PF4C) Officer is based in Bishkek and will lead and provide technical support and assistance to all stages of social policy programming and related advocacy related to Public Finance for Children and financing for children more broadly. The Officer will be instrumental in strategic development and coordination of programmes aimed at improving (a) social sector public financial management (PFM) across multiple layers of government’s institutional architecture (b) building institutional capacity and ensuring financial sustainability for improved social sector financing (c) the use of data and evidence to inform strategic policy decisions; (d) transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management; e) innovative and other forms of financing (e.g:  climate financing) in a manner that complements and reinforces public financing for the social sectors. Through these efforts, the Officer will ensure that public financial management is at the core of UNICEF’s programmatic initiatives, working closely with relevant line ministries and other partners.

The Social Policy Officer (PF4C) will report to the Deputy Representative and work closely with technical leads working on Social Protection, Child Protection, Health and Nutrition, Education, and Climate. The Officer provides strong management and leadership to the work on PFM to deliver timely and quality results against the annual workplan and in line with the Country Programme Document (CPD). S/he will also be responsible for effective budget management, as well as ensuring compliance with donor conditionalities and effective coordination with development partners in the areas of responsibility.

Key Results Expected:

• Contribute to the development of Public Financing for Children (PF4C) policies, legislation and programmes with attention to increasing coverage of and impact on children, with special attention on the most marginalized. Identify, generate and present evidence to support this goal in collaboration with partners
• Work closely with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy and social sector ministries (health, education and social protection) to improve equitable allocations for essential services for children including through innovative financing.
• Work with sector colleagues to build capacity to undertake costing and cost effectiveness analysis on priority interventions to help inform policy decisions on child-focused investments
• Strong coordination and collaboration to ensure timely and efficient programme implementation of climate change programming across two offices and with other sections where relevant.
• Build and leverage partnerships with IFIs and other key global players in climate change programming in the country to influence strategic decisions.
• Effective budget management to ensure timely and quality delivery of results.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: ToR Social policy officer.docx

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: 

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Finance, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science or another relevant technical field.

Work Experience: 

• A minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience in areas such as public finance, public policy, government relations and advocacy.
• Experience providing and/or managing technical assistance on public financial management to social sector authorities is a strong asset.
• Demonstrated experience in analyses and advocacy on Public Finance (especially for the social sectors) would be considered an advantage. Work experience in Kyrgyzstan and/or with the national government stakeholders is considered an asset.

Skills: 

• Familiarity with children's rights and gender is an asset.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills, advocacy and presentational skills are required.
• Evidence of agility and strategic thinking to ensure timely and effective programme delivery.

Language Requirements: 

• Fluency in English and Russian is required. Fluency in Kyrgyz is an asset. 

Desirables:

• Proven experience in partnership building with government / IFIs / other UN agencies.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
• Developing country work experience is considered an asset.

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. For this position, eligible and suitable male 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.

UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reduction. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member’s original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

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.