Social Policy Specialist

• PositionSocial Policy Specialist
• OrganisationUNICEF Uganda
• LocationKampala, Uganda
• Job TypeTemporary Appointment
• LevelP-3 (International Professional)
• CategorySocial Policy
• Job Number595960
• DeadlineMonday, 5 October 2026

UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund) is the world’s leading organisation working for children’s rights and wellbeing. Operating in over 190 countries and territories, UNICEF works to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfil their potential from early childhood through adolescence. UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, help meet their basic needs, and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.

Under the general guidance of the Chief of Social Policy, the Social Policy Specialist will provide technical support to the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all stages of social policy programming, from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results. The role spans four critical areas: improving public policies to reduce child poverty, expanding social protection coverage and impact on children, enhancing the transparency and efficiency of child-focused public investments, and strengthening governance and accountability measures to increase the quality and coverage of social services.

A key focus of this position is strengthening the generation, analysis, and use of evidence to inform policies and programmes. The specialist will coordinate and quality-assure the MICS (Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey) and Violence Against Children (VAC) Surveys, ensuring that critical data on child poverty, deprivation, and protection is transformed into actionable insights for advocacy, policy dialogue, and programme planning. The role also involves enhancing the integration of beneficiary data management with social protection and cash-plus programmes, improving targeting, monitoring, accountability, and learning across UNICEF Uganda’s portfolio.

• Improve data on child poverty and vulnerability for increased use in policy and programme action.
• Coordinate and quality-assure the MICS and Violence Against Children (VAC) Surveys.
• Transform critical data on child poverty, deprivation, and protection into actionable insights for advocacy, policy dialogue, and programme planning.
• Strengthen social protection coverage and impact for children, including integration of beneficiary data management with social protection and cash-plus programmes.
• Improve targeting, monitoring, accountability, and learning across social protection programmes.
• Improve the use of public financial resources for children through budget analysis and public finance work.
• Strengthen the capacity of local governments to plan, budget, consult on, and monitor child-focused social services.
• Strengthen advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive social policy with government and civil society partners.
• Deliver high-quality evidence products that contribute to more informed decision-making for vulnerable children and families.
• Provide linkages and support to UNICEF teams working on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation, and HIV.
• Contribute to UNICEF Programme Management across all stages of social policy programming.

Required Education

• Master’s degree or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Economics, Econometrics, Statistics, Data Science, Operational Research, Public Policy, or any other related field.

Work Experience

• At least 5 years of relevant work experience in Social Policy, Child Poverty, Public Finance, Survey Research, Data Analysis, Policy Analysis, or any other related field.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered a strong asset.

Additional 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.
• Experience in emergency response, policy advocacy, MICS surveys, child poverty surveys, and violence against children surveys is considered an asset.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings, and humanitarian contexts, is desirable.
• Subject to medical clearance and visa issuance by the host country.
• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF.

Technical Skills

• Social Policy Programming: Expertise in designing, implementing, and evaluating social policy programmes focused on child poverty reduction, social protection, and public finance.
• Research & Data Analysis: Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills, including experience with large-scale household surveys such as MICS and VAC surveys.
• Child Poverty Analysis: Ability to generate, analyse, and communicate evidence on child poverty, deprivation, and multidimensional vulnerability.
• Public Finance & Budget Analysis: Skills in analysing government budgets, tracking child-focused expenditure, and advocating for more equitable allocation of public resources.
• Beneficiary Data Management: Experience integrating data systems with social protection and cash-plus programmes for improved targeting and monitoring.

Soft Skills

• Partnership Management: Builds and maintains partnerships with government, civil society, development partners, and UN agencies to advance child-sensitive social policy.
• Strategic Thinking: Thinks and acts strategically to connect evidence with policy advocacy, programme design, and resource allocation decisions.
• Results Orientation: Drive to achieve measurable results and impact for children and vulnerable populations.
• Innovation: Innovates and embraces change, finding new approaches to generate and use evidence for policy influence.
• Ethical Awareness: Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness consistent with UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
• Collaboration: Works effectively across UNICEF programme teams (education, health, child protection, WASH, HIV) to ensure integrated approaches to social policy.

As a P-3 level international professional position, this role comes with UNICEF’s competitive UN compensation and benefits package. Benefits include an attractive salary with post adjustment for Kampala, paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, education grants for dependent children, home leave travel, rental subsidy, medical and dental insurance, pension participation through the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities including neurodivergence. UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce, and encourages applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities.

• Work for the world’s leading organisation for children’s rights, with operations in over 190 countries and a mandate from the UN General Assembly.
• Lead the generation and use of critical evidence on child poverty, deprivation, and violence against children in Uganda, directly influencing national policy.
• Coordinate major national surveys (MICS and VAC) that shape understanding of child welfare across the country.
• Influence how Uganda allocates public financial resources for children through budget analysis and public finance advocacy.
• Work at the P-3 international professional level with a competitive UN compensation package including salary, allowances, and comprehensive benefits.
• Collaborate across UNICEF programme teams spanning education, health, child protection, WASH, and HIV for integrated impact.
• Build your career in one of UNICEF’s largest East African country offices, with diverse opportunities for professional development.
• Contribute to strengthening social protection systems and cash-plus programmes that directly reach Uganda’s most vulnerable children and families.

Apply online through the UNICEF careers portal at jobs.unicef.org (Job No. 595960). The application deadline is Monday, 5 October 2026 (East Africa Standard Time). Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advanced to the next stage of the selection process. UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment process. Government employees considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up the assignment.

• Highlight your Master’s degree in Economics, Econometrics, Statistics, Data Science, or Public Policy prominently, as this is a minimum requirement for the P-3 level.
• Quantify your 5+ years of experience in social policy, child poverty analysis, or survey research with specific examples of evidence products that influenced policy decisions.
• Emphasise any direct experience with MICS surveys, Violence Against Children surveys, or other large-scale household surveys, as this is a core function of the role.
• Demonstrate your public finance and budget analysis skills, particularly experience tracking child-focused expenditure or advocating for equitable resource allocation.
• Include experience working in developing countries, fragile settings, or humanitarian contexts, as these are explicitly listed as desirable assets.
• Reference UNICEF’s Core Values (CRITAS: Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability) and the seven competencies listed in the advert when framing your application.
• Apply early as the deadline is Monday, 5 October 2026, giving only one week from the posting date.