Disability Specialist

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 a Voice

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Ethiopia has about 400 staff members across the country who work in the areas of health, nutrition, WASH, child protection, education, social policy, communication, and operations (admin, finance, HR, ICT, supply). We are committed to provide equal opportunities in its employment policies, practices and procedures.The country programme’s vision is for children, adolescents, youth and women, particularly the most vulnerable, to attain transformational gains in fulfilling their rights and accessing equitable, sustainable and quality social services driven by strategies aimed at reducing poverty and strengthening local economies that generate livelihoods and promote employment and entrepreneurship for youth.

Through its social policy programme, UNICEF Ethiopia supports the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, regional bureaus and woreda (district) offices in designing, implementing and monitoring an inclusive and adaptive social protection system capable of responding in humanitarian contexts and covering hard-to-reach populations, children with disabilities, women and children in IDP (internally displaced persons) settings. This includes implementing humanitarian and development cash transfer programmes and linking cash programmes to childcare services while promoting women’s empowerment, disability inclusion and financial inclusion to enhance resilience. UNICEF pursues multisectoral collaboration and expands partnerships with the private sector and civil society to enhance the livelihoods of youth and women.

Further, UNICEF advocates with the Ministry of Finance and regional governments for increased public investment in child-inclusive services and support the Government in improving social sector spending. UNICEF support will include fiscal analyses, strengthening macroeconomic modelling, climate financing, gender- and disability-responsive budgeting and domestic resource mobilization. UNICEF also supports strengthening multisectoral engagement to improve financing of social services.

Purpose:

Under the general guidance of the direct supervisor, and supported by the matrix supervisor, the incumbent is responsible for providing technical support to the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all stages of disability inclusion programing and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results.

Key Functions, Accountabilities and Related Duties/Tasks

1. Coordination and integration of disability issues across UNICEF’s programme

• Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aligned to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), support the dissemination and implementation of the UNICEF disability inclusion policy and strategy (DIPAS) with the view to include children and adolescents with disabilities in all facets of UNICEF’s country programme using an intersectional approach.
• Support the relevant coordinating/programme integration committees. Lead the Disability Inclusion Task Force as Secretary. Participate in inter-agency mechanisms and inter-agency capacity-building activities on disability inclusion.
• Provide technical backstopping to sectoral programmes of the UNICEF country programme on disability programming with an intersectional lens in all areas. Coordinate capacity-building activities on disability inclusion for staff and partners.

2. Strengthened disability inclusion and transformative impact for children and adolescents with disabilities

• Support the development of policies, legislation and programmes with attention to increasing transformative impact of social services on children and adolescents with disabilities. Identify, generate and present evidence to support this goal in collaboration with partners.
• Promote integrated disability inclusive and transformative systems, provide technical support to partners to improve the design of assistive technology provisioning systems, anti-stigmatisation programmes and community based integration/rehabilitation platforms (such as community based inclusive development) across sectors, especially nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation, child protection, social protection and HIV.

3. Strengthened advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive disability inclusion

• Support correct and compelling use of data and evidence on the situation of children and adolescents with disabilities and coverage and impact of inclusive and disability-transformative child focused services — in support of the country programme overall.
• Develop effective partnerships with the Government, bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies to support sustained and proactive commitment to the Convention of the Rights of the Child and the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Identify other critical partners, promote awareness and build capacity of partners, and actively facilitate effective collaboration within the UN family.

4. Rights-Based and Results-Based Programme Management Approach

• Assure the quality of child rights-based programmes through consistent and effective planning, design, implementation, monitoring and/or evaluation of programmes and projects. Bring coherence, synergy and added value to the programming planning and design processes using a results-based management approach to programme design.
• Ensure viable recommendations on project implementation, alternative approaches, and optimal utilization of resources that contribute effectively to the fulfilment of the rights of children and women, and recommendations on new programme initiatives and management issues to ensure achievement of stated objectives.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Disability Inclusion NO-C Specific JD 3.pdf

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

Minimum requirements

• Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in International Development, Public Administration, Social Science, Public Policy, Social Development, Community Development , international relations and any other related fields.
• Work Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in Social Policy, International Development, Disability Inclusion. and any other related fields.
• Skills: Disability Identification, Inclusive Education, Rehabilitation Services, Policy Analysis, Disability Surveys, Disability Mainstreaming, Assistive Technologies, Capacity Building, OPD Engagement, Social Change, Anti-Stigmatisation, Inclusive Communication.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
• Experience working with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs)
• Experience with disability identification, certification, registration and referral systems
• Experience with disability data collection and analysis
• Experience with disability mainstreaming
• Experience with disability inclusion advocacy
• Experience with policy and legal Frameworks
• Experience with community based inclusive development, rehabilitation services and occupational therapy
• 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) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

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 and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

All selected candidates will, therefore, 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, 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.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates and persons with disabilities from targeted underrepresented groups] are encouraged to apply.

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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

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.