Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

UNICEF is the world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foun...

The Social Policy Specialist (Social Protection Systems) will contribute to expanding children’s access to inclusive and shock-resilient social protection in all contexts, supporting UNICEF’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029.

In this role, you will accelerate UNICEF’s support to regional and country efforts to strengthen national social protection systems and programmes through hands-on technical assistance, capacity development, knowledge management, and strategic partnership engagement, with a particular emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa.

You will provide analytical input, oversight, quality assurance, and technical guidance to Country and Regional Offices and their partners, ensuring that social protection programmes are child-sensitive, inclusive, and resilient to shocks, including in fragile and humanitarian contexts.

You will contribute to strengthening policy reform, programme design and implementation, evidence generation, and knowledge sharing, while working closely with regional bodies, UN agencies, and partners to expand partnerships and foster South-South cooperation.

Through this work, you will help build stronger, more equitable national systems delivering sustainable protection for children and families, while enhancing UNICEF’s visibility and credibility as a trusted partner to governments in advancing social protection systems at scale.

The Social Policy Specialist (Social Protection Systems) contributes to UNICEF’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029 by expanding children’s access to inclusive and shock-resilient social protection. The role focuses on strengthening national social protection systems through hands-on technical assistance, capacity development, knowledge management, and strategic partnership engagement, with a particular emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa. The Specialist provides analytical input, oversight, quality assurance, and technical guidance to Country and Regional Offices and their partners, ensuring programmes are child-sensitive, inclusive, and resilient to shocks, including in fragile and humanitarian contexts. The role supports policy reform, programme design, and operational guidance by consolidating and sharing evidence and good practices, while working closely with regional bodies, UN agencies, and partners to expand collaboration, foster South–South cooperation, and advance sustainable and scalable social protection systems for children and families

Responsibilities or duties

• Capacity Development & Institutional Strengthening
• Quality Improvement at Scale
• Policy Reform & Systems Transformation
• Evidence, Data & Knowledge for Action
• Equitable Access
• Programme Management & Results Monitoring
• Global Facing Functions

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

Minimum requirements

Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Public Policy, Labor and social protection, international relations

Skills:

• Excellent oral communication
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellence strategic communication skills across multiple audiences
• Ability to influence others while working in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity
• Strong analytical skills

Language Requirements: Proficiency in English is required.

Experience needed

Work Experience: 8 years of relevant work experience in Social Protection, international development, strengthening social protection systems, written analysis/documentation of public policy.

Experience managing and/or providing advisory support for strengthening social protectionsystems (including policy, programme design and operations) in international development settings

Experience working in a developing country

Experience in written analysis/documentation of public policy work

• Capacity Development & Institutional Strengthening
• Quality Improvement at Scale
• Policy Reform & Systems Transformation
• Evidence, Data & Knowledge for Action
• Equitable Access
• Programme Management & Results Monitoring
• Global Facing Functions

• Excellent oral communication
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellence strategic communication skills across multiple audiences
• Ability to influence others while working in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity
• Strong analytical skills

• Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Public Policy, Labor and social protection, international relations
• 8 years of relevant work experience in Social Protection, international development, strengthening social protection systems, written analysis/documentation of public policy.
• Experience managing and/or providing advisory support for strengthening social protectionsystems (including policy, programme design and operations) in international development settings
• Experience working in a developing country
• Experience in written analysis/documentation of public policy work
• Proficiency in English is required.