The UNICEF Programme of Cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) is designed to address and mitigate the threat of poverty the country’s children face, while responding to the needs with interventions addressing the multiple causative factors.

How can you make a difference?

The Chief, Social Policy reports to the Representative for general guidance and direction, and is responsible for leading, managing and supervising all stages of social policy programming and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes programmes aimed at improving (a) public policies to reduce child poverty; (b) social protection coverage and impact on children; (c) the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management; and (d) governance, decentralization and accountability measures to increase public participation and the quality, equity and coverage of social services, as well as (e) driving the office implementation of the UNICEF Disability Inclusion Strategy and Policy. This encompasses both direct programme work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, nutrition, climate change, child protection, water and sanitation, and HIV.

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

Minimum requirements:

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

Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience is required.
• Experience leading technical work in social protection (such as developing strategies, frameworks, systems, or cash+ linkages) is required and a robust understanding of social protection frameworks and human rights standards is expected.
• Experience working in a low-income country is required.
• Background and/or familiarity with emergency and developing shock-responsive systems as well as climate change adaptation & mitigation initiatives is considered as a strong asset.
• Demonstrated skills and experience with managing people and diverse teams is a strong asset.
• Experience in disability inclusion is considered a strong asset.
• Experience in IFI collaboration (especially the World Bank) is considered a strong asset.
• Experience in leading UN Joint Programmes is considered a strong asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.