Emergency Specialist - CBA (P-4), FT, PG Social Policy - HCT, outposted in Istanbul - Turkeye # 00131331

Join our dynamic team as a key contributor to UNICEF's humanitarian efforts! Reporting to the Chief of the Humanitarian Cash Transfer (HCT) Unit, this role offers the opportunity to lead and coordinate cash-based assistance support for regional and country offices operating in fragile and humanitarian contexts.

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, … a champion

The impact of growing poverty and inequality is a major obstacle for the realization of children’s rights. Despite modest, but important progress in terms of child poverty reduction, children continue to be more likely to fall into poverty than adults. Today’s children are growing up in a world beset by multiple, near-simultaneous, interdependent shocks, stemming from the fallout of disease outbreaks, violent conflicts, climate change and environmental degradation, and skyrocketing costs of living.

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. In the face of these increasingly challenging environment, under the framework of its new Strategic Plan (SP), 2022–2025, UNICEF’s Social Policy and Social Protection (SPSP) Programme is committed to reducing child poverty and expanding inclusive social protection for all children and adolescents including those living in humanitarian context.

To achieve better results for children, in a more efficient and effective way, UNICEF has initiated the mainstreaming and scale up of the use of Cash based assistance across the organization. This has become a priority area of work under UNICEF’s strategic plan. In fragile and Humanitarian contexts, UNICEF uses the terminology Cash-Based Assistance to refer to the delivery of cash transfers to vulnerable families, as well as the payment of incentives to
individual front line workers.

How can you make a difference?

Join our dynamic team as a key contributor to UNICEF's humanitarian efforts! Reporting to the Chief of the Humanitarian Cash Transfer (HCT) Unit, this role offers the opportunity to lead and coordinate cash-based assistance support for regional and country offices operating in fragile and humanitarian contexts. You will collaborate closely with various UNICEF divisions and offices, ensuring the effective delivery of technical assistance and driving impactful programming in some of the world's most challenging environments. Working in close partnership with the HQ HCT inter-division team, this position offers the chance to make a tangible difference through hands-on support, innovation, and strategic collaboration. The role involves frequent travel (up to 40%) to countries affected by conflicts and natural disasters and requires flexibility to meet the demands of extended working hours. If you're passionate about delivering life-changing support to those in need, this is the role for you!

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

Field Support Coordination in Humanitarian and Conflict Contexts

The position involves coordinating and prioritizing the delivery of cash-based assistance (CBA) technical support to country and regional offices, working closely with global, regional, and in-country teams. Responsibilities include overseeing the operational design of UNICEF’s CBA programs, ensuring risk-informed and quality programming, and planning the rollout of the HOPE beneficiary data management system. The role also involves collaboration with UNICEF surge mechanisms, supporting emergency coordination, and addressing operational bottlenecks in L2/L3 responses.

Quality Assurance and Inclusive Programming

The incumbent ensures CBA programs align with UNICEF’s Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies (CCCs) by collaborating with sectoral officers and incorporating inputs from gender and disability specialists. Key responsibilities include leading the integration of cash-based assistance in emergency preparedness frameworks, promoting cash-plus approaches within sectoral responses, and staying updated on developments through collaboration with the HQ inter-division CBA team.

Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing

This role supports the dissemination of CBA policies, guidance, and tools, contributing to the development and rollout of training materials. It includes documenting field experiences, influencing discussions on humanitarian cash programming, and bringing field insights to HQ-level policy and procedural developments. Additionally, the position supports the implementation of the HQ inter-division CBA work plan and engages in technical contributions to related HQ activities.

More details can be found on JD :  JD- Emergency Specialist -CBA - For VA.docx

The following minimum requirements:

Education:

An advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in economics, Social Science, Database management, data analytics or related field is required.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years of field experience in various humanitarian contexts, including a minimum of 5 years working with Humanitarian Cash Transfer Programs (HCT).
• Direct experience providing technical assistance to UN agencies, NGOs, and governments, and be skilled in program planning, implementation, reporting, monitoring, and evaluation for HCT is required.
• Experience in team management and coordinating multiple stakeholders is essential.
• Familiarity with beneficiary data management systems is also required.

Desirables/Assets

• Experience in managing/Exposure to inter agency cash coordination.
• Experience in working with UN agencies (UNICEF experience preferred) at interagency level.
• Experience collaborating across multiple functions and working with operational subject matter experts, technical resources.
• Excellent communication & presentation skills (written & verbal) across multiple audiences with the ability to influence others while working in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity is an asset.
• High motivation, and dedication to deliver results within strict timeframes is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is considered an asset.

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…

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• 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 benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, 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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.

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.