For every child, the right to a Champion
The position is based in Amman, Jordan, within UNICEF's Global Programme Division (GPD) and forms part of the Global Risk Management Cash Based Assistance Hub under the Poverty Centre of Excellence (CoE) Satellite Team. GPD provides global strategic leadership, policy direction, technical guidance and programme support to ensure programme excellence across UNICEF. Through its Centres of Excellence, UNICEF delivers specialized, demand-driven technical assistance to Country and Regional Offices and their partners.
The Global Cash Hub provides timely and coordinated support to Country Offices to scale up cash assistance in fragile and humanitarian contexts and to implement direct payments to frontline workers. The Programme Specialist supports the design, implementation and monitoring of cash-based assistance programmes globally, with a particular focus on countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. The role contributes to strengthening linkages with social protection systems, building country office capacity, supporting risk management, fostering partnerships and promoting the effective use of cash-based assistance modalities in humanitarian and fragile settings.
How can you make a difference?
As Programme Specialist (Cash-Based Assistance), you will play a key role in supporting UNICEF country offices to design, implement, and scale up cash-based assistance programmes in humanitarian and fragile settings, with a particular focus on the Middle East and North Africa region. Working closely with country, regional, and global partners, you will help strengthen risk-informed programming, enhance operational effectiveness, and promote sustainable linkages between humanitarian cash assistance and national systems.
Key responsibilities include:
Providing technical and operational support to country offices in the design, implementation, and expansion of cash-based assistance programmes, both remotely and through field missions.
Supporting the delivery of direct cash assistance mechanisms and surge responses in humanitarian contexts, including extensive in-country mission support when required.
Coordinating with beneficiary data management, financial management, and cash programming teams to ensure aligned and effective support to country offices.
Building and maintaining partnerships with governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders to strengthen cash transfer programming across the region.
Supporting the development of risk management, monitoring, and verification systems that enhance accountability and programme quality.
Reviewing programme strategies, plans, and key documentation to ensure the effective and consistent application of cash-based assistance modalities.
Generating evidence and knowledge products through data analysis, documentation of lessons learned, and identification of best practices to inform global and regional advocacy efforts.
Representing the Global Cash Hub in inter-agency coordination forums and supporting collaboration across humanitarian actors.
Promoting the integration of cash-based assistance approaches across sectors, including Education, Health and Nutrition, Child Protection, WASH, and humanitarian response programmes.
Supporting the rollout of capacity-building initiatives, global guidance, technical notes, and standard operating procedures to strengthen organizational and partner capabilities in cash-based assistance programming.
Minimum requirements
Desirables
- Programme planning, implementing, reporting, monitoring on the use of cash-based assistance modalities in humanitarian contexts.
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(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
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people
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 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 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.
In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.
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.
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.