Social Policy Specialist (Social Protection) at United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (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 fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Social Policy Specialist (Social Protection)

Job ID: 582435
Location: Abuja (FCT)
Contract type: Temporary Appointment
Level: NO-3
Duty Station: Abuja
Categories: Social Policy

Purpose of the Assignment

• Under the general guidance of Social Policy Manager, the incumbent is responsible for providing technical, coordination and programmatic support to UNICEF Nigeria’s Social Policy Section, with a specific focus on the implementation of the EU-funded Supporting Sustainable and Innovative Social Protection Systems in Nigeria.
• The Social Policy Specialist will contribute to delivering results on integrated, shock-responsive and child-sensitive social protection systems in Nigeria, in collaboration with Federal and State governments, development partners, and civil society.

Major Responsibilities

• Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent would be assigned the primary, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of major duties and key end-results:

Improving data generation on child poverty & vulnerability for increased use for policy and programme action:

• Supports the collection, analysis and user-friendly presentation of data on multidimensional and monetary child poverty, including strengthening national capacity to collect routinely, report and use data for policy decision-making.
• Provides timely, regular data-driven analysis for effective prioritization, planning, and development; facilitates results-based management for planning, adjusting, and scaling-up specific social protection initiatives to reduce child poverty.

Improving use of public financial resources for child sensitive social protection:

• Facilitate and undertake budget analysis to inform UNICEF's advocacy and technical assistance to social protection MDAs to improve equitable allocations for essential services for children.
• Works 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.
• Supports the identification of policy options for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive social protection interventions.

Strengthening the capacity of local governments to plan, budget, consult on and monitor child-sensitive social protection:

• Where national decentralization processes are taking place, collaborates with central and local authorities to improve policies, planning, budgeting, consultation and accountability processes so that decisions on child-focused service delivery respond to the needs of local communities.

Strengthening advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive social protection policy:

• Supports correct and compelling use of data and evidence on the situation of children and coverage and impact of child focused services — in support of the social policy programme and the country programme overall.
• Establishes effective partnerships with the Government, bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies to support sustained and proactive commitment to the Convention of the Rights of the Child and to achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Identifies other critical partners, promotes awareness and builds capacity of partners, and actively facilitates effective collaboration within the UN family.

Programme Management:

• Contribute to the management of social policy section by ensuring that technical support around social protection is well planned, monitored, and implemented in a timely fashion so as to adequately support scale-up and delivery.
• Ensure risk analysis and risk mitigation are embedded into overall management of the support, in close consultation with UNICEF programme sections, cooperating partners, and governments.
• Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the social protection programme.
• Ensures that the social protection programme enhances policy dialogue and policy reforms, planning, management, training, research and support; and that the monitoring and evaluation component strengthens monitoring and evaluation of the social sectors and provides support to sectoral and decentralized information systems.

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

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Public Policy, Social development and poverty reduction, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience is required. Background and/or familiarity with Nigeria social protection sector is considered as a strong asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

Competencies:
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are

• Builds and maintains partnerships (1)
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (1)
• Drive to achieve results for impact (1)
• Innovates and embraces change (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
• Thinks and acts strategically (1)
• Works collaboratively with others (1)
• Nurtures, leads and manages people (1)

Application Closing Date
4th August, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• 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 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.