Programme Associate (Gender& Education) G-6, TA, 10 months, #00138850, Bogota - Colombia, LACR

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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package. 

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF. 

For every child, the right to advocacy 

In the last decade, Colombia has made significant progress in socio-economic development and peacebuilding. However, it still faces challenges such as structural inequalities, armed violence, forced displacement, and vulnerability to climate change, which affect children and adolescents, especially in rural and ethnic areas. It is estimated that by 2025 at least 13.5 million people require humanitarian assistance, of these, 4.2 million are children and adolescents. 

Despite the decrease in multidimensional poverty and advances in education and health, high rates of violence, malnutrition, and growing child poverty persist. Vulnerable communities, including ethnic populations, migrant communities and those affected by conflict, struggle with a lack of access to essential services such as water, sanitation and hygiene. In addition, rates of gender-based violence, child marriage and early unions, and sexual exploitation remain problematic. 

How can you make a difference? 

Under the supervision and guidance of the supervisor and the technical lead of Gender and Development Officer, the Programme Associate supports the implementation of The Multi-Year Resilience Program, where UNICEF is the Gender Lead Organization, particularly to guarantee articulation of by carrying out a range of programme support functions to help develop, implement and monitor their country programme, ensuring effective and timely delivery that is consistent with UNICEF rules and regulations. 

The Programme Associate works under the coordination of the ECW Project Coordinator and in close collaboration with a range of staff in the CO, external partners and agency counterparts in support of programme design and delivery. S/He provides regular feedback on the status of projects through monitoring milestones and advises on improvements to keep activities on track. 

Summary of key functions/accountabilities: 

• Supporting gender mainstreaming in Multi Year Resilience Program, where UNICEF is the Gender Lead Organization, implementation. 

• Monitoring and delivery of results on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. 

• Supporting education and gender unit programmes and strategies implementation. 

• Facilitating the development and monitoring of programme cooperation agreements  (PCAs) by providing technical guidance. 

• Ensuring the timely and accurate recording and administrative processing of government & NGO’s proposals and requests for direct cash transfers (DCTs). 

• Conduct monitoring of PSEA improvement plans for UNICEF implementing partners involved in ECW consortium. 

• Monitoring and tracking the efficient distribution of supplies that are required for effective programme delivery. 

• Supporting the programme section in researching, compiling and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data and information from a variety of sources on subject matters relevant to the work of the section to facilitate programme delivery as well as preparation of reports, working papers and presentations. 

• Carrying out transactions in VISION ensuring programme results, activities and programme coding are as per annual work plans (AWPs) and making amendments and alterations as per section revisions when necessary. 

• Carrying out transactions in VISION pertaining to grants and programme-related items for his/her section including but not limited to registering grant allotments and tracking expiring programme grants. 

• Preparing monitoring and reporting information for supervisor and team on agreed performance indicators to drive more efficient management and accountability for results. 

• Helping prepare periodic or ad-hoc reports relating to office the MYRP and donors to support the office in optimizing use of programme funds. 

• Supports capacity development activities related to programme development by preparing training materials and participating in exercises. 

 If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  JD_Programme Associate_G6.pdf

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…  

Minimum requirements: 

• Education: Completion of secondary education is required.  

• Work Experience: A minimum of six years of experience in the implementation, monitoring and reporting results on gender equality in primary and/or secondary education is required. A bachelor’s degree from a recognized academic institution in a field relevant to the position may replace three years of related work experience. A master’s degree may replace an additional two years. 

• Skills: Advanced knowledge of MS Office (MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Word) and Sharepoint are required. 
  Strong data analytical and reporting skills are required. 
  High attention to detail is required.
  Ability to facilitate programme delivery is required. 

• Language Requirements: Proficiency in English and Spanish is required. 

 Desirables: 

• Experience on children rights, gender mainstreaming, gender analysis in primary and secondary education and gender-based violence in schools, is considered as an asset. 

• Prior experience in programme support or partner coordination functions is an asset. 

• Relevant experience in participation and inclusion of the gender approach in consortiums or interagency/inter-institutional/ inter organizational projects is considered as an asset. 

• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset. 

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.  

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 

UNICEF competencies required for this post are… 

(1) Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1) 
(2) Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2) 
(3) Works Collaboratively with others (2) 
(4) Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2) 
(5) Innovates and Embraces Change (2) 
(6) Thinks and Acts Strategically (2) 
(7) Drive to achieve impactful results (2) 
(8) Manages ambiguity and complexity (2) 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels. 

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status. 

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance. 

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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of serious misconduct. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable. Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these checks. 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. 

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 are conditional on the selected candidates willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service. 

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.