Youth Engagement Consultant, Pretoria, South Africa, 8 months, work from home (open to South African nationals only)

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. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, a voice that shapes the future.

UNICEF South Africa

We are committed to realising the rights of all children to help them build a strong foundation and have the best chance of fulfilling their potential. We believe that ensuring a child is happy and healthy begins before birth: from ensuring their mother has access to good health care to reaching adulthood as a healthy, empowered and informed young person of the next generation. This journey relies on every child having access to quality health care, good nutrition, education, and growing up in a safe environment free from violence.

U-Report South Africa – UNICEF’s digital community for young people, by young people. 

Children and youth represent a critical force in shaping sustainable development, civic engagement, and social change. Effective youth engagement must encompass information dissemination, meaningful participation, and empowerment in decision-making processes. In South Africa, UNICEF’s youth engagement strategy integrates various platforms such as the Youth Volunteers Programme, YOMA, U-Report, and youth-led advocacy, to create holistic opportunities for young people to drive impact across multiple domains.

A key component of this strategy is Green Rising. The initiative is designed to align with broader youth engagement efforts, providing practical action-based opportunities for young people to contribute to climate resilience and social innovation.

This consultancy will support the broader Youth Engagement AWP activity and the sub-activity Volunteer Engagement and development strategy within UNICEF South Africa, focusing on strengthening and integrating the Volunteer Programme, YOMA, Green Rising, and U-Report into a cohesive framework.

How can you make a difference? 

The consultant will be supervised by the UNICEF South Africa Communication Specialist and work closely with the SACO Youth Engagement team and the Global Volunteer Initiative team at UNICEF Headquarters, which leads the global rollout of the Green Rising initiative. The consultant will lead and expand UNICEF South Africa’s youth engagement strategy, ensuring meaningful human-centre designed youth participation across civic action, climate action and justice, advocacy, learning-to-earning pathways, and key programmatic areas, including Education, Health, Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP), Child Protection, Social Policy, and Innovations.

Responsibilities include documenting youth engagement activities, mobilizing key partners, and supporting fundraising and resource mobilization efforts to sustain and expand initiatives. A key focus will be implementing and scaling the Green Rising initiative within the broader youth engagement framework, integrating it into the UNICEF Volunteer Programme, and aligning it with UNICEF South Africa’s programmatic priorities. The consultant will enhance and expand youth engagement/volunteering opportunities, equipping young people with the skills, tools, and platforms to actively participate in civic action, climate justice, advocacy, and learning-to-earning pathways.

This role involves developing strategic plans for youth engagement, particularly through the Volunteer Programme, while fostering a community of practice among Green Rising actors in South Africa and neighbouring countries. The consultant will support the establishment, innovation, and scaling of Green Rising and other volunteer-driven initiatives to achieve programmatic results, ensuring long-term sustainability and upskilling young people in leadership, climate resilience, and digital engagement.
To complement these efforts, the consultant will lead and facilitate key events such as skill-sharing sessions, webinars, community calls, and design workshops using Human-Centred Design methodologies. These activities will place young people at the forefront of decision-making processes and ensure sustained engagement beyond structured programming.

Tasks and activities include:

1. Strategic Leadership in Youth Engagement
   • Co-lead the expansion of UNICEF South Africa’s youth engagement strategy, ensuring integration across civic action, climate justice, advocacy, economic development, and UNICEF programmatic areas such as Education, Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP), Child Protection, Social Policy, Innovations, and Youth for Children.
   • Develop and implement a cohesive youth engagement framework that aligns with national policies, UNICEF’s global youth engagement agenda, and regional strategic objectives.
   • Establish and maintain strong partnerships with government agencies, civil society organizations, private sector partners, and youth-led networks to drive meaningful youth participation and engagement.
   • Advocate for youth-friendly policies, ensuring that engagement strategies align with national and international frameworks, and actively represent UNICEF South Africa in high-level policy discussions related to youth engagement.
2. Integration of Green Rising into the Youth Engagement Framework
   • Support the implementation and scaling of the Green Rising initiative within the broader youth engagement strategy, ensuring its alignment with the UNICEF Volunteer Programme and programmatic priorities.
   • Facilitate cross-sector collaboration to integrate Green Rising activities with other youth-focused initiatives, ensuring sustained impact and multi-disciplinary engagement.
   • Develop an adaptable Green Rising roadmap tailored to the South African context while fostering knowledge exchange with neighbouring country offices.
   • Expand Green Rising to include social entrepreneurship opportunities, connecting youth-led environmental initiatives with sustainable business models to foster long-term engagement.
   • Establish and nurture a Green Rising Community of Practice to engage practitioners and stakeholders in collaborative learning and strategic planning.
   • Support the onboarding and capacity building of Green Rising practitioners within South Africa and neighbouring countries to ensure a structured and scalable approach to climate action engagement.
3. Expansion and Diversification of the SACO Volunteer Programme
   • Design and implement innovative models for volunteer engagement beyond university clubs, incorporating digital volunteering, school-based initiatives, and community-driven participation.
   • Strengthen youth participation pathways by integrating advocacy, leadership training, and economic empowerment opportunities such as green skills and social entrepreneurship.
   • Develop scalable volunteer engagement strategies aligned with South Africa’s national youth development framework and UNICEF’s global vision.
   • Conduct mapping exercises to identify high-impact areas where volunteer efforts can contribute to UNICEF’s broader objectives, ensuring an evidence-based expansion strategy.
   • Ensure that the volunteer program in South Africa is integrated within the Green Rising initiative and supports the broader climate and environmental strategy.
4. Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing
   • Lead capacity-building initiatives for Green Rising practitioners, volunteers, and youth engagement facilitators to ensure a structured and scalable approach to climate action and civic engagement.
   • Facilitate peer learning, skill-sharing sessions, and mentorship programs to enhance youth leadership, advocacy, and professional development in climate justice and economic empowerment.
   • Develop toolkits, training manuals, and resources to support consistent and high-quality capacity-building initiatives across various regions.
   • Promote the sharing of experiences, expertise, and success stories through enhanced impact measurement and tracking mechanisms among Green Rising practitioners in South Africa and neighbouring countries.
5. Knowledge Sharing, Documentation, and Advocacy
   • Develop impact-driven knowledge-sharing mechanisms, including monthly reports with quarterly summaries, case studies, and best-practice documentation.
   • Facilitate bottom-up strategy development by empowering youth volunteers and local stakeholders to shape regional volunteer strategies within Green Rising and other youth engagement initiatives.
   • Support the development and dissemination of youth-driven research and policy briefs to inform decision-making and advocacy efforts.
   • Create an interactive knowledge repository to store and share youth engagement insights, making it accessible to partners, stakeholders, and young people themselves.
   • Support the creation and distribution of content for internal communications channels (websites, newsletters, etc.) to ensure ongoing engagement, learning, and visibility for the Green Rising program.
6. Digital Engagement, Innovation, and U-Report Integration
   • Strengthen the integration of YOMA, U-Report, and digital platforms into the youth engagement strategy to enhance accessibility, participation, and impact tracking.
   • Develop digital engagement strategies incorporating gamification, micro-learning, and certification pathways to enhance youth skill-building and career readiness.
   • Utilize data-driven approaches to improve youth participation rates and tailor digital engagement strategies to youth preferences and needs.
   • Expand digital storytelling initiatives, empowering youth to share their climate and advocacy journeys through online platforms, social media campaigns, and digital storytelling competitions.
7. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Impact Assessment
   • Establish dynamic monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems to assess the effectiveness of youth engagement programs and initiatives.
   • Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to track volunteer participation, skills development, advocacy impact, and program scalability.
   • Provide quarterly and annual reports with data-driven insights and recommendations to refine program implementation and inform future strategic decisions.
   • Develop a real-time dashboard for monitoring youth engagement data, allowing for agile adjustments and adaptive programming based on trends and emerging needs.
8. Resource Mobilization and Sustainability
   • Identify and mobilize key funding opportunities to sustain and scale youth engagement programs.
   • Lead proposal development and partnership engagement with donors, private sector stakeholders, and multilateral organizations to secure resources for youth-led initiatives.
   • Develop innovative funding models, including social entrepreneurship and public-private partnerships, to enhance long-term program sustainability.
   • Create a youth-led fundraising mechanism, empowering young people to drive their own resource mobilization efforts through crowdfunding, grant applications, and local fundraising events.
9. Regional Collaboration and Green Rising Expansion
   • Leverage South Africa’s experience with Green Rising to support neighbouring countries in developing and scaling similar initiatives.
   • Foster cross-country learning to enhance climate action outcomes by engaging youth volunteers and local stakeholders in regional strategy development.
   • Contribute to achieving global Green Rising targets by promoting best practices and fostering collaboration across borders.
10. Event Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement
    • Lead and facilitate key youth engagement events, including conferences, summits, hackathons, and policy dialogues to elevate youth voices.
    • Organize skill-sharing workshops, webinars, and design thinking sessions using Human-Centered Design methodologies to enhance program innovation and impact.
    • Ensure young people are at the forefront of decision-making processes, advocating for policy shifts and systemic changes that benefit youth-led climate and economic initiatives.
    • Develop an annual youth engagement forum, bringing together key stakeholders, policymakers, and young leaders to discuss trends, challenges, and future directions in youth participation and advocacy.

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

• A bachelor’s degree from a recognized university in public policy, social sciences, or another relevant field
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in youth and volunteer engagement work, especially in Africa
• Experience supporting youth engagement in climate action initiatives
• Significant experience working with teams to develop, deliver, and optimize successful volunteer initiatives
• Experience creating functional communities of practice in global organization contexts
• An ability to tailor engagement approaches to context, adjusting to suit different issues, audiences, cultures, political situations, and systems of government
• A sophisticated and current knowledge of relevant digital tools and technologies, and a knowledge of trends and best practices in volunteering and the broader public engagement spaces
• Experience facilitating workshops using human-centred design approaches, building capacity, and hosting internal communications
• Excellent verbal and interpersonal communication skills; meticulous attention to detail and ability to work under tight deadlines with a commitment to quality
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergencies is considered an asset
• Experience working in the UNICEF context is preferred

Language skills

• Fluency in English is required; strong written and verbal competency is necessary
• Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset
• Knowledge of another local language is an added advantage

Specialised skills and/or training

• Youth Engagement
• Communications
• Facilitation skills

Application Guidance
Please indicate your ability and availability; and attach a technical proposal and financial proposal in ZAR to undertake the terms of reference above (including admin and travel costs where applicable). Proposals submitted without a detailed financial proposal aligned to the assignment will not be considered.

Support your application with your portfolio of work. 

UNICEF does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility tendersglobal.net UNICEF.

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.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.