Youth Engagement Officer

Volunteer category: National UN Volunteer Specialist

Assignment Country: Gambia

Duty stations: Banjul

Duration: 12 months (with possibility of extension)

Volunteer category: National UN Volunteer Specialist (Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment).

Advertisement end date: 02/04/2025

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the Organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop, and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic, and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give more children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

The UNV Youth Engagement Officer will support the development of effective, integrated strategies for youth engagement in advocacy and campaigning. They will work collaboratively with colleagues across teams, as well as with external partners, to create meaningful opportunities for young people to take action in support of children’s rights through UNICEF’s campaigns and priority initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Youth Engagement strategy development and implementation: – Assist in the development of youth engagement strategies to achieve SMART outcomes.
• Youth Communication content development: – Assist in the development and implementation of communication content development with and for youth as part of campaigns and advocacy priorities.
• Youth Engagement Platform management: – Support content moderation, community management, content creation, and M&E for youth-focused digital platforms/communities. Assist in the local coordination and implementation of U-Report.
• Youth Advocates: – Support the implementation of a local Youth Advocates program: researching potential youth advocates; supporting work plan development and communication; supporting youth advocates in preparation for events/media; documenting learnings and successes.
• Safeguarding and participation: – Ensure adherence to principles of child/youth participation and safeguarding when assisting in the development/implementation of all campaigns, communication products, and platforms.
• Youth Engagement M&E: – Support the monitoring and evaluation of youth engagement strategies, campaign,s and platforms. Assist in the preparation of relevant reports.
• Project and budget management: – Support the day-to-day delivery of key projects/ workstreams, developing and tracking project plans to ensure progress and address obstacles and bottlenecks. Support effective budget management, projections, and tracking.
• Youth Engagement Capacity Building & Knowledge Management: – Support the implementation of capacity building and knowledge management efforts. Assist in the development of trainings and workshops; and develop and disseminate case studies and other knowledge management products.
• Stakeholder engagement: – Research current and potential partners. Assist and maintain a database of formal and informal partnerships and networks whose support is essential to achieving objectives. Support the flow of information to key stakeholders.

Qualifications

Bachelor degree or equivalent in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, International Relations, International Development, or another related field.

Required Skills

• Experience in supporting the development and implementation of youth engagement strategies and in designing content for youth audiences and/or community moderation of youth-focused platforms.
• Knowledge of children’s rights, public policy, international development, and humanitarian issues.
• Knowledge of child safeguarding and ethics of working with children and youth.
• Experience working for advocacy or campaigning or other relevant programs for an advocacy organization e.g. NGO or international NGO; experience working in the UN or other international development organization is an asset.
• Experience in supporting training and facilitation is an asset.
• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, and reporting skills.
• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development.
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, among others), email, and internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment.
• Self-motivated, and able to work with minimum supervision and with tight deadlines.
• Have affinity with or interest in UNICEF’s work, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system.

Pay range and compensation package

UN Volunteers serve full-time in their professional expertise, supported by a benefits package, including a monthly living allowance to ensure a secure standard of living at their duty stations. These allowances are not intended as compensation, reward, or salary for the volunteer’s service. Check our entitlement calculator UVP – Unified Volunteer Platform (unv.org).

‘We value diversity, equity, and inclusion by assessing each application based on skills. Applications from under-represented groups are strongly encouraged.’