Programme Specialist (Resilience Project & Durable Solutions Coordinator) – P4  

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. 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, resilience.

How can you make a difference? 

Project coordination

• Facilitate overall programme design when required through ensuring work plans and activities are formulated, implemented, and monitored. Support in designing and coordinating specific resilience building interventions based on LGA’s specific risk profiles, conflict analysis, partnerships, government capacity and programme priorities.
• Overall coordination (for UNICEF) of all aspects of the Maiduguri level programme toward and the agreed results; including timely and effective grant and financial management.  
• Provide support and coordinate with Sections in Maiduguri for programme convergence and resilience integration across the programme cycle (planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation) and work closely with the UNICEF Sections to increase planning and realization of complementary programming.
• Co-lead with WFP the six-month Maiduguri level inception phase to finalize the JP design through an inclusive, localized, participatory approach to deliver a resilience analysis and an updated results matrix with selected communities, disaggregated numbers of beneficiaries, baseline and targets, and updates in the timeline and budget where necessary.
• Provide overall technical direction and support for UNICEF’s northeast Nigeria approach to the Durable Solutions Strategy (returns, relocation, and local integration) ensuring this is in line with UNICEF’s policies, principles, and approaches.
• Support the overall design and steering of area-level (Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states) Solutions-oriented programming, by working with existing technical working groups and entities, as required, for the development of Durable Solutions programming, area-based approaches, and self-reliance.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Oversee and support Maiduguri-level baseline/end-line development, knowledge management, M&E, and lessons learned arising from implementation through drafting/finalizing key documents, reports, updates briefing notes, and knowledge/information exchange to ensure continued generation of program evidence.
• Contribute to strengthening capacity and learning for UNICEF in programming for social cohesion, resilience, and the triple nexus.
• Coordinate the provision of cross-sectoral timely and quality inputs to donor reports and provide inputs to other documentation and presentations of the programme.
• Promote and participate in joint UN and Government-led humanitarian, early recovery and development assessments, analysis, and evidence-building on challenges, with national and international partners to promote harmonized Durable Solutions strategies and programs.
• Coordinate Programme Sections to contribute towards promoting robust data and evidence on Durable Solutions to inform decision-making for displaced affected communities, stakeholders, and government.

Coordination

• Lead overall coordination with WFP Maiduguri, and with UNICEF Maiduguri Programme Managers at the Maiduguri Field Office level.
• Coordinate closely with other UN agencies, development partners, and Government counterparts to ensure alignment and complementarity of resilience interventions in northeastern Nigeria.

Representation

• Represent UNICEF Maiduguri in JP coordination, with states and Local Government Areas, and other governance systems and networks as agreed with CFO.
• Act as the organizational focal point for the project at the Maiduguri level and other cross-sectoral resilience programmes
• Represent UNICEF in efforts to strengthen national and local government-led capacities and systems for sustainable solutions to displacement per the IASC Framework, in close coordination with human rights, humanitarian, development, and peace-building actors.

Partnership and Communication

• Manage JP-related partnership development, amendments and support overall project documents management.
• Lead Maiduguri-level JP visibility, communication as well as donor visits.
• Provide support to the UNICEF Abuja Team Lead to maintain and develop broader partnerships on resilience and ensure strategic linkages and coordination of UNICEF’s work in resilience with relevant partners including key donors.
• Provide updates and technical guidance to the UNICEF Maiduguri Chief of Field Office, and Emergency Unit for efforts of Durable Solutions through briefings, advocacy documents, and presentations for donors and other senior stakeholders.
• Carry out other related duties as required by the UNICEF Maiduguri Chief of Field Office.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: international development/international relations, peacebuilding, political science, social sciences, public
• Work Experience: A minimum of eight years of professional work experience at international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration. Specialized training/experience in resilience/nexus/Durable Solutions programme management highly desirable.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English verbal and written is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered an asset.

Desirables:

• Experience working based in developing countries away from country of residence in emergency/humanitarian settings is essential.
• Results-based-management
• Knowledge of development and humanitarian issues, strategies, as well as programming policies and procedures in international development cooperation.  
• Prior experience in a similar role is highly desirable.
• Excellent interpersonal, internal, and external communication, coordination capabilities. and excellent team building and leading, and programme management skills.
• Ability to manage large budgeted multi-sector programmes and ability to lead diverse and multi-cultural teams. 
• Demonstrated ability in donor reporting. 
• Excellent communications skills, verbal and written. 
• Ability to multi-task and deliver against workplan and tight deadlines.

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 is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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.

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’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] 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.

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.

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