The Regional Political and Contextual Analysis position requires a highly skilled professional with expertise in political science, international relations, or a related field. Responsibilities include conducting comprehensive research on regional politics, analyzing trends and patterns, and providing recommendations to stakeholders based on findings. Additionally, the ideal candidate must possess strong analytical skills, excellent written and verbal communication abilities, and experience working independently or as part of a team. A Bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, or a related field is required, with additional advanced education or professional experience preferred. This role may require some travel within the region for data collection and analysis purposes.
Observe and assess political, administrative, legal, and socio-economic advancements in countries within the region by tracking changes in leadership, governance structures, legislative priorities, public discourse on policy matters, and broader socio-economic trends that may impact UNICEF’s operations. This entails staying informed about developments across various country contexts and identifying regional or cross-border patterns of significance to our work.
Evaluate the consequences of regional and national-level political occurrences, such as elections, reforms in policies, and shifts in governance, for UNICEF’s mandate, programs, partnerships, and operations. Translate intricate political advancements into succinct assessments of potential effects on program execution and organizational standing. This entails providing counsel on both risks and prospects that emerge from modifications within the political and policy landscape.
Prepare distinct reports featuring current happenings at localized policy spheres; interpret innumerable analytic concepts derived from countries globally to generate succinct, actionable outputs that support the Office of the Regional Director’s strategic objectives.
We are seeking a Strategic Advisor to provide expert guidance on various aspects of our business operations. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in developing strategic plans and providing recommendations for growth opportunities. Responsibilities include conducting market research, analyzing industry trends, identifying potential risks and threats, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop comprehensive solutions that drive long-term success. Additionally, the Strategic Advisor will be responsible for monitoring performance metrics and reporting on progress towards strategic goals. This is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated individual who possesses strong analytical skills and experience in strategic planning.
Offer data-driven counsel on evolving threats and prospects in the political landscape, such as predicting changes in power dynamics, suggesting optimal alignment strategies, and presenting recommendations for managing risks or capitalizing on opportunities that contribute to well-informed decision-making at local and national levels.
The Office of the Regional Director requires support in preparing for high-level engagements with key stakeholders. This entails synthesizing political and contextual analysis to produce concise, decision-ready briefing notes, talking points, and background materials for meetings with governments, UN system leadership, development partners, and other strategic counterparts. It is essential to coordinate inputs from relevant sections, COE, and global divisions to ensure coherence of messaging, clarity of strategic objectives, and alignment with UNICEF’s regional priorities and positioning.
Identify potential threats to successful implementation of programs and maintain a positive public image for UNICEF, which requires evaluating the probability and consequences of these risks on country offices and proposing effective prevention and communication tactics.
Collaborate with the Regional Coordination Platform (RCP) to enhance engagement by providing analytical support and strategic recommendations for shaping cohesive regional viewpoints. Your role involves integrating political perspectives into RCP deliberations, assessing risks and capitalizing on opportunities in a coordinated manner.
The objective of this role is to offer strategic counsel on the United Nations (UN) reform processes, with a specific focus on UN80. This entails evaluating how these changes will impact UNICEF’s mandate, positioning, and operating model at regional and country levels. In doing so, it is imperative that the post holder provides support to leadership in managing any shifts related to the reform process. Additionally, this individual must identify potential risks and opportunities associated with these changes and ensure that UNICEF remains proactively positioned within inter-agency discussions as well as evolving UN system architectures.
The purpose of this role is to identify key stakeholders in a given region and establish relationships with them for effective engagement. This involves conducting research on potential partners, identifying their needs and interests, and developing strategies to address those needs. Additionally, the position requires strong communication skills and the ability to negotiate mutually beneficial agreements that foster long-term collaboration between all parties involved. Ultimately, successful performance in this role will lead to increased engagement with key stakeholders and improved outcomes for the organization’s initiatives in the region.
Engage in regional analysis by conducting political economy assessments to determine influential policymakers, key actors, their interests, power dynamics, and relationships within a given geographical area. This entails examining how stakeholder positions and incentives impact policy decisions, governance outcomes, and UNICEF’s operational environment across countries within the region.
As a key member of the team responsible for implementing regional engagement strategies, you will provide politically informed analysis that guides positioning, sequencing engagements, and messaging with governments, regional bodies, UN entities, development partners, and diplomatic missions. Your role involves advising entry points for dialogue, identifying potential sensitivities, and seizing opportunities to advance UNICEF’s priorities and partnerships at the regional and country levels.
The Coordination Support team provides administrative assistance to the Deputy Regional Director in managing various tasks and projects. This includes scheduling meetings, preparing reports, organizing travel arrangements, and ensuring that all necessary documents are properly filed and maintained. Additionally, the Coordination Support team is responsible for coordinating with other departments within the organization to ensure smooth operations and effective communication. The ideal candidate should have strong organizational skills, attention to detail, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and experience in project management. This is a full-time position that requires flexibility and adaptability, as well as the ability to work independently or as part of a team.
Create concise briefing documents, compile relevant information, draft strategic reports, and thought pieces for the ORD’s high-level engagements (e.g., UN system coordination, regional management team, government, and partner meetings), while maintaining a politically sensitive, coherent, and decision-ready approach to materials.
Compose and verify concise, accurate, and well-structured documents such as talking points, briefing notes, and strategic communications in accordance with the standards of UNICEF’s messaging.
Act as the primary contact person for coordinating expedited combination of diverse sources of data, pulling together insights from multiple sources for efficient evaluation purposes. Ensure swift provisioning of critical information in a timely manner for effective leadership communication.
As the primary point of contact for coordinating follow-ups on agreed actions and decisions resulting from meetings and interactions, collaborate closely with pertinent internal stakeholders to ensure prompt execution and seamless communication.
Ensure alignment of political analysis, program priorities, and management perspectives through the incorporation of pertinent risks, sensitivities, and contextual understandings into materials intended for the ORD.
Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders to facilitate effective planning and execution of official missions and critical meetings. Ensure that all necessary background data, risk assessments, and essential requirements are obtained for a successful outcome.
As required, offer coordination assistance to both internal and external stakeholders (such as fellow United Nations organizations and high-ranking offices), maintaining cohesive political communication while fulfilling commitments on mutually concurred matters.
As a knowledge management professional, you will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies to efficiently organize, store, and share information within an organization. This includes identifying key areas of knowledge that need to be captured, creating taxonomies and metadata structures, designing systems for storing and retrieving data, and training employees on how to use these systems effectively. Additionally, you will work with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing, as well as develop content strategies to ensure that important information is easily accessible and up-to-date. Finally, you will be responsible for measuring the effectiveness of your efforts and making recommendations for improvement based on data analysis.
Ensure the maintenance and upkeep of regional political analysis tools, trackers, and knowledge products by developing and updating repositories, dashboards, and analytical frameworks that combine country-level and regional insights. This step promotes consistency, comparability, and ease of access to political analysis across all Regional Office and Country Offices.
Responsible for timely distribution of critical political insights and political economy information to relevant regional and country-level stakeholders, including the ORD, Regional Management Team, Deputy Representatives, Regional Advisers, and selected Country Office leadership, through regular briefs, updates, and targeted analytical notes that support decision-making, planning, and risk management.
Document and record regional political economy analyses by capturing lessons learned and contributing to the development of institutional knowledge in this field. This includes identifying best practices, tracking emerging trends, and gaining a thorough understanding of contextual insights from across the region. These findings will be integrated into guidance documents, planning processes, and knowledge-sharing platforms for the benefit of stakeholders throughout the region.
To be eligible to serve as a champion for all children in advocacy capacities requires one possess: the dedication necessary for long term commitments with minimum impact expectation and capability; bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; excellent communication skills, both written and verbal; ability to work collaboratively within diverse teams; strong organizational skills and attention to detail; commitment towards promoting equity and inclusion. Additionally, applicants must demonstrate a deep understanding of the challenges faced by children in their communities, have experience working with underrepresented youth populations, be passionate about making positive changes for these young people, and possess a proven track record of advocating effectively on behalf of children’s rights.
Education:
A master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited institution in one of the following fields is required: Political Science, International Relations, Public Policy, Development Studies, or Law.
Eligible candidates possessing a university degree along with appropriate work experience may be considered for positions that ordinarily require an advanced university degree.
Work Experience:
A minimum of 8 years’ worth of increasingly significant experience in the fields of political analysis, governance, policy consulting, international development, or any other relevant disciplines is required for this position.
The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in delivering substantial, strategic, and confidential advisory support to senior level officials. This includes the preparation of policy briefs, analytical reports, briefing notes, and high-level correspondence on sensitive and politically complex issues. The successful applicant will be responsible for providing accurate information that informs management decision-making and external engagement.
Possess a track record of delivering exceptional coordination support at the highest level, with expertise in managing and synchronizing inputs from diverse sections and departments. Skilled in overseeing workflow systems, monitoring tools, and tracking mechanisms to ensure efficient operations and timely execution of critical actions and senior management directives in complex, multi-stakeholder settings.
A background in data analytics would be beneficial for carrying out evidence-informed assessments, evaluating risks, and informing decision-making processes.
Previous work experience in collaboration with the United Nations system or equivalent global organizations will be highly valued.
Language proficiency is a critical requirement for this role. The ideal candidate should be fluent in English and have experience working with diverse language groups. Strong communication skills are essential to effectively collaborate with team members from different backgrounds, as well as interact with clients and stakeholders. Additionally, the ability to translate ideas into clear and concise written materials is a must-have skill for this position.
Proficiency in the English language is essential. Familiarity with French and Portuguese is advantageous.
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