Following are general attributes that UNICEF seeks in a successful job candidate:
Values and Competencies
Core Values shared across all UNICEF staff include: Diversity and Inclusion, Integrity, and Commitment. Core competencies - behaviors that are used to achieve desired results in UNICEF - are: Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
Expected proficiency in these areas varies by job level.
Please click on the following document for a detailed description of each core value and competency. [pdf]
General Requirements
Following are the basic requirements for a professional position with UNICEF:
• Education: Master’s Degree in a field relevant to the work of UNICEF or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience: Relevant professional work experience, some of which has been obtained in a developing country, at least five years for mid-career and two to three years for an entry-level position.
• Language: Proficiency in English and in another UN working language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish). Knowledge of the local language of a duty station where the position is based is an asset.
Educational Requirements
The expectation of UNICEF as an employer is that university degrees presented by applicants satisfy the required level of education and come from bona fide (accredited) academic institutions. Only degrees from accredited institutions are considered legitimate for purposes of recruitment and selection for posts at UNICEF. Degrees requiring little or no actual course work, degrees awarded for payment of fees only, and degrees granting substantial credits for ”lifetime achievements” or “life/work experience” will normally not be recognized by UNICEF.
When determining whether a degree is recognized, UNICEF is guided by the International Association of Universities’ (IAU) listing of higher education institutions recognized or otherwise approved by competent authorities in participating countries. UNICEF will normally recognize only degrees obtained from institutions on the IAU list, however, the validity of other degrees submitted by applicants under consideration would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
The IAU list is available at http://www.iau-aiu.net/content/list-heis.
Incomplete degrees are unacceptable to UNICEF as proof of academic qualification, regardless of whether they are associated with a recognized higher education institution.
Generic Job Profiles
Following are general examples of common international professional jobs with UNICEF, including key duties, results and qualifications. Click on the following links to access and download its job profile.
• Programme Officer (Level 2 International Professional position at entry level) [pdf]
• Communications Specialist (Level 3 International Professional position at mid-career level) [pdf]
• Operations Manager (Level 3 International Professional position at mid-career level) [pdf]
• Chief of Health (Level 4 International Professional position at senior level) [pdf]
