Mexico: Social Policy Officer, P-2

Organization: UN Children's Fund
Country: Mexico
Closing date: 23 Sep 2014

Purpose of the Position

Under the general supervision of the Chief, Social Policy (Public Policy and Partnerships Programme), contribute to results in the programme through analysis, knowledge generation, policy advocacy, strategic planning, capacity building and knowledge generation and dissemination. Given the very high capacity of the Mexican federal government, the additional research and analysis support is requested to improve the effectiveness of policy advocacy initiatives in a complex political environment. In a high middle-income country such as Mexico, sophisticated analysis and use of data is critical to affect change in public policy, and as such the NETI's contribution to this area of work will support advocacy initiatives across the country programme.

Key Expected Results

1. Provide research support as inputs into results related to analysis and knowledge generation in areas such as social budgeting, disparity analysis and child poverty, among others.
2. Support day-to-day implementation of programme, through contributions to budget management, legal processes, development of terms of reference, and coordination with external partners necessary to support results in this programme component.
3. Support efforts to build capacity of subnational partners in the collection, analysis and use of data as inputs to the public policy formulation process.
4. Provide statistical analysis through estimates and graphs available in DevInfo on child rights attainment to support policy advocacy at both federal and state levels.
5. Support coordination of Public Policy programme with other areas of the country programme.
6. Represent UNICEF at external meetings on topics of relevance to the country programme.
7. Attend internal planning and programme meetings, and provide related inputs to ongoing work planning activities.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

Education

Advanced university degree in Social Sciences

Work Experience

Two years progressively responsible experience in research, advocacy, or monitoring and evaluation in a related field. Experience providing analysis and research support in public policy. Experience in statistics to support analysis and advocacy.

Language Proficiency

Fluency in English and Spanish required.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

• Communicates effectively to varied audiences, including during formal public speaking;
• Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment; demonstrates awareness of own strengths and limitations and how these may impact on own work;
• Sets high standards for quality of work and consistently achieves project goals;
• Analyzes and integrates potentially conflicting numerical, verbal and other data from a number of sources; makes rational judgments from the available information;
• Translates strategic direction into plans and objectives;
• Plans activities and projects well in advance and takes account of possible changing circumstances;
• Rapidly learns new tasks and commits information to memory quickly; gathers comprehensive information to support decision making;
• Demonstrates and shares detailed technical knowledge and expertise;

Remarks

The New and Emerging Talent Initiative (NETI) is an entry point for dynamic professionals interested in an international career with UNICEF. Aside from the qualifications indicated in the job description for this post, all NETI programme applicants must also meet the following minimum requirements:

1. Completion of an advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) at the time of application;
2. Proficiency in English and another official language of the United Nations;
3. Readiness to be assigned to any UNICEF office worldwide, including hardship duty stations;
4. At least 2 years of relevant work experience for functions at the P-2 level, and at least 5 years of relevant work experience for functions at the P-3 level. Relevant experience should include work in developing countries and in multicultural environments.
   All applicants will be required to complete a technical test questionnaire at the time of application. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and will therefore advance to the next stage of the competitive selection process, which involves various additional assessments including a language proficiency test.
   For more information on the NETI Programme, please visit the UNICEF website: www.unicef.org/neti

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.

How to apply:

Click here and submit your application through UNICEF's e-recruitment system.