Internal Batch Recruitment (2 positions): Social Policy Specialist (Shock responsive Social Protection), NOC, FT, #138597 Trinidad & Tobago, #138584 Barbados, Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean

UNICEF • Mount Saint George, Trinidad and Tobago • 1w ago

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.

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For every child, the right to protection

UNICEF’s Caribbean Multi-Country Office (MCO) serves twelve English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. As part of UNICEF's Future Focus Initiative, the Caribbean MCO brings together policy influence, technical expertise and strategic partnerships to advance results for children across the region through one integrated programme, one management structure and a shared pool of resources. The Multi-Country Programme 2027-2031 focuses on three shared outcomes: equitable access to primary health care, learning and skills; protection of children from all forms of violence; and child poverty reduction and resilience strengthening.

Children across the Caribbean face interconnected challenges including learning losses, mental health concerns, violence, child poverty and increasing exposure to climate-related disasters. Despite many countries being classified as upper-middle or high income, significant inequalities persist, particularly for vulnerable children, adolescents, indigenous communities and those living in remote areas. Small island developing states also face fiscal constraints and heightened vulnerability to economic and climate shocks, requiring stronger regional cooperation and system-based solutions.

The Caribbean MCO’s management strategy is governed by four principles that together translate the new business model into concrete ways of working:

Impact-driven: technical expertise is organized in shared multi-country working groups rather than replicated in each country, with enabling functions aligned around UNICEF’s strongest comparative advantages.
Effective and agile: parallel country ecosystems are replaced by harmonized systems and flexible cross-country staffing, keeping management lean and decisions close to implementation.
Grounded: regional scale is balanced with national depth through country-specific workplans, Heads of Office in each duty station, and matrix management that anchors authority and accountability at country level.
People-centered: structural and managerial choices are guided by staff wellbeing, transparency and inclusion, with clear role definitions, meaningful consultation, and continuous investment in learning and development.

The operational expression of this model is the working group model. Rather than replicating similar roles across four separate country offices, technical and operational expertise is organized into 16 thematic and functional working groups, each distributed across different duty stations and each serving the full 12-country MCO — not just its host location. Roles are designed around three organizing principles: shared regional service, meaning every specialist contributes to the wider MCO; complementary expertise, meaning team capabilities reinforce each other rather than repeating the same profile in multiple places; and agile presence, meaning the workforce can be rapidly deployed across countries through travel, surge support or remote modalities in line with evolving needs and priorities. This working group model is the foundation of a fundamentally new way of working for UNICEF in the Caribbean: depth replaces duplication, and shared capacity replaces fragmented country-by-country coverage.

How can you make a difference?

The Multi-Country Programme prioritizes strengthening inclusive and shock-responsive social protection systems that reduce vulnerability, build resilience, and protect children and households before, during and after crises. Working with Governments and regional institutions, UNICEF will leverage strategic partnerships with UN entities, including the International Labour Organization, WFP and UNDP; international financial institutions, including the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank; and bilateral donors and other development partners investing in social protection, disaster risk reduction and climate resilience across the Caribbean.

To strengthen shock-responsive social protection across the Caribbean, the Multi-Country Office is establishing two complementary Social Policy Specialist (Shock-Responsive Social Protection) positions — one based in Barbados and one in Trinidad and Tobago — both contributing substantive technical depth to the MCO's portfolio while ensuring broader geographic coverage across the 12-country platform. The Barbados-based position leverages the country's proximity to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and its central role in the regional disaster risk management architecture, offering a strategic platform to strengthen linkages between social protection systems and disaster preparedness, response and recovery, with a particular focus on shock responsive social protection design across the OECS sub-region. The Trinidad and Tobago-based position, is embedded in a context of high exposure to economic, climate-related and migration-related vulnerabilities, including cross-border population movements, and benefits from the country's strong regional connectivity and status as a key Caribbean hub to advance inclusive, equitable and shock responsive social protection systems. Together, the two posts ensure comprehensive regional coverage, pairing disaster-risk-focused technical leadership in Barbados with economic and migration- focused engagement in Trinidad and Tobago to build social protection systems that can effectively protect children and families from shocks across the Caribbean.

Under the supervision of the Assistant Representative for Child Poverty Reduction and Resilience Strengthening in Barbados, the incumbent is responsible for providing technical support to the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all stages of shock responsive social protection policy and programing, and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes programmes aimed at improving (a) public policies to reduce child poverty and vulnerability to shocks; (b) coverage, responsiveness and impact of social protection systems on children before, during and after shocks; (c) the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of public investments and financial management for SRSP; and (d) governance, decentralization and accountability measures to increase public participation and the quality, equity, resilience and coverage of social services. This encompasses both direct programme work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation, HIV, climate change, DRR and emergency preparedness and response.

The role will support the development of social protection floors and scalable models such as Cash Plus programmes, while strengthening social registries, beneficiary identification, payment systems, grievance mechanisms and links with essential social services, early warning systems, and disaster risk management frameworks. It will also support the governments in accessing and aligning public, disaster risk, climate adaptation, contingency and other innovative financing instruments to secure predictable, timely and flexible resources for anticipatory action, preparedness, resilience-building, adaptation, response, and recovery. Central to this agenda, the role will support evidence-based and digitally enabled social protection systems that address structural poverty and climate vulnerability, strengthen the adaptive capacities of institutions and communities, and safeguard equitable and continuous support for the most vulnerable children and households.

The key functions and accountabilities are:

Improving data on child poverty, vulnerability, and shocks for increased use for policy and programme action
Strengthening inclusive and shock-responsive social protection coverage and impact for children
Improving use of public financial resources for children
Strengthening capacity of local governments to plan, budget, consult on and monitor child-focused social services.
Strengthened advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive social policy
UNICEF Programme Management

This position belongs to the Child Poverty Reduction and Resilience Strengthening working group. If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: NOC Social Policy Specialist (Shock responsive Social Protection) Barbados_T&T.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.

Work Experience: A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in social protection, including demonstrable experience providing advisory support for strengthening social protection systems (including policy, programme design, cash transfer programme, and operations related), is required.

Required Skills:

Ability to influence and build partnerships, in close coordination with diverse stakeholders across countries.
Strong analytical and technical writing skills, including preparation of policy briefs, technical guidance, programme documents, and evidence-based recommendations. 
Strong coordination and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across multiple reporting relationships and geographic contexts.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Desirables:

Background and/or familiarity with emergency or fragile settings is considered a strong asset.
Experience in social protection operational programme design, policy drafting, system strengthening, financing analysis, policy advocacy, links to other sectors, and capacity-building are all a strong asset.
Experience and knowledge in public finance management, disaster risk, and climate financing.
Experience in a similar function across geographically dispersed duty stations is considered an asset.
Relevant experience in a UN system agency or international organization is considered an asset

Eligibility Requirements:

Candidates applying for NO positions must hold the nationality of the duty station country where the position is located, except for UNICEF internal candidates, holding a fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointment and are legally authorized to work in that country, independently of UNICEF appointment, and as per the Staff Selection Procedure. Candidates must hold and upload a valid CARICOM Skills Certificate when applying to positions located in a CARICOM Member State outside of their country of nationality, and are accountable for taking the respective steps for the verification of the certificate in the Duty Station, immediately upon arrival to the new Duty Station if selected for the position, in accordance with applicable immigration and employment requirements of the respective Country.

This batch recruitment covers two positions across the Caribbean Multi-Country Office. Candidates must indicate, at the time of application, the duty station(s) for which they are applying and where they already hold legal authorization to work without requiring UNICEF sponsorship. The positions are located in Bridgetown, Barbados and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Note: While the Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean serves 12 English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries, the selected candidate will be based in the duty station indicated for this position and is expected to perform their duties from that location, consistent with organizational policies and operational requirements.

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…

(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.

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 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 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 organizationsand 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.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, candidates that meet all the requirements and are legally allowed to work in the respective DS 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.

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.