Social & Behavior Change Specialist (RCCE), P-4, TA (6 months), #00138149, Yambio, South Sudan, ESAR

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?

1. Generate & Use Evidence: Generate and use rapid social and behavioural evidence on BVD/Ebola to inform RCCE design, targeting and monitoring.
2. Design, Plan & Implement RCCE and AAP: Design, plan and implement BVD/Ebola RCCE and AAP activities backed by evidence and strong community participation mechanisms.
3. Build Capacities in RCCE and AAP: Strengthen the ability of UNICEF, government and partner staff and volunteers to deliver quality BVD/Ebola RCCE and community-based surveillance.
4. Advocate & Build Partnerships: Support operationalization of RCCE for BVD/Ebola by advocating for community engagement, mobilizing resources and coordinating across the response architecture.

The RCCE Specialist will lead risk communication and community engagement for BVD/Ebola preparedness and response across Yambio Field Office's high-risk counties (Yambio, Tambura, Maridi and surrounding areas), ensuring that communities have access to accurate, timely information; that two-way feedback and rumour-management mechanisms function and are acted on; and that community actors are active partners in surveillance, prevention and response, rather than passive recipients of messaging.
Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Field Office, Yambio, and with a matrix reporting relationship for technical guidance to the Chief of Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) and Emergency Health, UNICEF South Sudan Country Office and in close collaboration with Health, WASH, Education and Child Protection colleagues, the National Public Health Institute (NPHI), the state Ministry of Health, WHO, and other partners, the RCCE Specialist will lead BVD/Ebola RCCE planning and delivery, strengthen the hotline and community-based surveillance feedback loops, and build the capacity of frontline workers and volunteers and government counterparts to strengthen community structures/platforms and networks for disease outbreak preparedness; this includes travel to high-risk counties and points of entry.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  SBC Specialist_P4_BVD_Ebola_Yambio_TOR.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in one of the following fields is required: social and behavioral science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, public health, communication, or another relevant technical field.
• Work Experience: A minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: risk communication and community engagement, social and behavior change, AAP, public health emergency response, or another related area.
• Skills: Community engagement, Risk management, Humanitarian coordination, Capacity building, Monitoring and evaluation, Stakeholder engagement
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

• Language: Knowledge of Juba Arabic and/or a local language of Western Equatoria (e.g., Zande) is an asset.
• Direct experience in Ebola/Viral Haemorrhagic Fever or comparable public health emergency response is highly desirable.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
• Experience working in South Sudan or a comparable humanitarian/emergency context is considered 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) 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 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 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.

UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reduction. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member's original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.

Eligible staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent contracts applying to IP TA positions in a duty station designated as L2/L3, may be able to retain a lien and their fixed-term entitlements, subject to approval by their Head of Office. The conditions of the temporary assignment will vary depending on the status of their post and relocation entitlements may be limited as per the relevant policies.

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.