Apply Now! People and Culture Specialist: UNICEEF – United States (2025)
Apply Now! People and Culture Specialist: UNICEF – United States (2025)
ABOUT UNICEF
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfil their potential from early childhood through adolescence. At UNICEF, our commitment to promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling. We are a diverse, passionate, and inclusive organization that empowers staff to grow professionally while contributing to meaningful global impact.
The Office of the Director – Division of Human Resources (DHR) is responsible for advancing UNICEF’s global people and culture agenda, ensuring that the organization attracts, retains, and develops top-caliber talent to deliver on its mission for every child. The Senior Leadership Support (SLS) team provides targeted HR advisory, talent management, and succession planning services to UNICEF senior leadership, focusing on Deputy Representatives and other key field leadership positions.
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
The People and Culture Specialist (P-3) will play a critical role in supporting UNICEF’s Senior Leadership Support (SLS) Team by strengthening talent management, succession planning, and HR processes for senior leadership. The Specialist will act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing guidance on recruitment, performance management, and career development while promoting diversity, equity, and organizational integrity.
This role offers an opportunity to influence UNICEF’s strategic people and culture agenda by implementing best practices in senior leadership HR management, ensuring transparent and equitable processes, and contributing to a high-performing and values-driven organizational culture.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Business Partnering
- Provide accurate and timely advice to clients, including the Office of the Executive Director (OED), Office of the Secretary of the Executive Board (OSEB), and the Ethics Office, on people and culture processes and policies.
- Support OED, OSEB, and Ethics Office on various talent management, recruitment, career development, and performance management activities.
- Act as People and Culture Representative for assigned roles within the Global Referencing Recruitment Exercise.
- Advise clients proactively on resolving people and culture issues, ensuring equitable and transparent solutions in alignment with policies, regulations, and procedures.
- Promote equity, transparency, and consistency in staff selection and placement processes.
- Support organizational targets for gender equity, cultural diversity, and inclusion.
2. Succession Planning and Talent Acquisition
- Collaborate with other SLS team members to ensure alignment and consistency in succession planning and talent management processes.
- Provide dedicated support to senior leadership recruitment, including job classification, talent sourcing, candidate assessment, and coordination of selection processes.
- Analyze talent pipelines and provide guidance on learning, development, and career progression to support growth and staff satisfaction.
- Support management of leadership talent pools, including the Leadership Talent Group and Deputy Representative Talent Group.
- Contribute to data-driven decisions and reporting related to senior leadership HR processes.
3. Strategic People and Culture Support
- Contribute to the design, formulation, and implementation of corporate HR strategies related to attracting, retaining, and developing senior field leaders.
- Build partnerships with HQ divisions, regional offices, and country offices to enhance talent management practices.
- Provide input to policy and system reviews, drawing on lessons learned and feedback from field-facing HR operations.
4. Knowledge Sharing and Data Analytics
- Contribute to SLS communication strategies, providing regular updates on team activities and HR insights.
- Collect, analyze, and interpret people and culture data to support decision-making and policy development.
- Support development and implementation of HR data collection systems to ensure quality and accuracy.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Education:
- Advanced University Degree (Master’s) in Human Resource Management, Business Management, International Relations, Psychology, or related social science field.
Work Experience:
- Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in people and culture management in an international setting or large-scale organization.
- Demonstrated experience in talent management, HR business partnering, recruitment, succession planning, and policy application.
Skills and Competencies:
- Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain discretion, tact, and confidentiality in dealing with sensitive HR matters.
- Proficiency in HR information systems and organizational tools for analysis, reporting, and management.
- Excellent communication skills for diverse organizational settings, including senior leadership advisory.
- Experience in development, fragile, and humanitarian contexts is desirable.
- Knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) or a local language is an advantage.
UNICEF VALUES AND COMPETENCIES
Core Values:
- Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS) – guiding principles in all UNICEF work.
Core Competencies:
- Builds and maintains partnerships
- Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
- Drive to achieve results for impact
- Innovates and embraces change
- Manages ambiguity and complexity
- Thinks and acts strategically
- Works collaboratively with others
UNICEF staff are expected to model these values and competencies while promoting a respectful, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
KEY DELIVERABLES
The incumbent will be expected to:
- Support HR processes for senior leadership recruitment and succession planning.
- Provide timely and strategic advisory services to senior leaders and HR colleagues.
- Ensure transparent, fair, and equitable implementation of HR policies and procedures.
- Deliver high-quality HR reporting, analysis, and insights to support decision-making.
- Contribute to talent development initiatives and leadership readiness planning.
- Actively promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and gender balance within the organization.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Internal:
- Senior Leadership Support Team (SLS), Division of Human Resources
- Office of the Executive Director (OED)
- Office of the Secretary of the Executive Board (OSEB)
- Ethics Office
- Other UNICEF divisions and country offices
External:
- Relevant external HR experts or consultants, as required
TERMS OF APPOINTMENT
- Duration: 4 months (with potential extension up to 6 months)
- Type of Appointment: Temporary P-3
- Duty Station: New York, USA
- Conditions: Appointment subject to medical clearance and issuance of necessary visa, if applicable.
ELIGIBILITY
- Eligible candidates are encouraged to apply irrespective of gender, nationality, religion, ethnic background, or disability.
- Candidates must meet UNICEF’s recruitment standards for integrity, efficiency, and competence.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Candidates are encouraged to demonstrate how their experience, skills, and values align with the role’s requirements and UNICEF’s mission. Applications should include a detailed CV and a cover letter outlining suitability for the position.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- Temporary appointments may include relocation benefits, depending on the staff member’s status and applicable UNICEF policies.
- Selected candidates must adhere to UNICEF’s zero-tolerance policy regarding misconduct, harassment, and exploitation.
- UNICEF promotes a safe and inclusive work environment, including accommodations for disabilities and neurodivergent staff.
- Staff may be required to deploy to support humanitarian response as per UNICEF Strategic Plan priorities.
BENEFITS OF WORKING AT UNICEF
- Opportunity to contribute to global child-focused initiatives in a leading international organization.
- Exposure to diverse, cross-cultural teams and international HR best practices.
- Professional development opportunities, including leadership and skills-building programs.
- Supportive and inclusive organizational culture that values ethics, integrity, and collaboration.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For further information about the role and application process, visit the UNICEF Careers Portal or contact the recruitment team directly through the portal.
