Evaluation Specialist, P-4, Temporary Position, Evaluation Office, 6 months, Evaluation Office, New York #00136753

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 Champion

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF’s evaluation function aims to drive results for children by fostering evidence-informed decision-making. Guided by the Revised Evaluation Policy of UNICEF (2023), evaluation in UNICEF supports both learning and accountability through evaluations of development and institutional effectiveness, as well as humanitarian response—ultimately contributing to improved outcomes for children. It also plays a critical role in holding the organization accountable for its contributions — or lack thereof — to those outcomes.
The Evaluation Office (EO), based at UNICEF Headquarters in New York, provides global leadership and oversight for the evaluation function. As such, the office is responsible for developing an agenda and work plan to evaluate UNICEF’s programmes and processes; providing technical assistance and quality assurance for evaluations commissioned at the decentralized level (country and regional offices, as well as other divisions at Headquarters); and developing evaluation methods, standards, and guidance. The Evaluation Office is the custodian of the Evaluation Policy and is responsible for publishing the Plan for Global Evaluations (PGE) that accompanies the respective corporate strategies.
The Development Effectiveness and Impact Portfolio within the EO conducts global thematic and impact evaluations focusing on the impact areas of the UNICEF Strategic Plan 2026–2029. It employs quantitative (including experimental) and qualitative methodologies, as well as innovative approaches and tools — including but not limited to machine learning and AI — to evaluate UNICEF’s global programmes, projects, and policies.

We are seeking an Evaluation Specialist to support the Evaluation Office and the Development Effectiveness and Impact (DevEI) team by leading the design and implementation of global thematic evaluations; producing relevant, credible, timely, and utilization-focused evaluations using the most appropriate methodologies; and contributing to the development of standards, guidance, and quality assurance produced by the EO, as well as other cross-cutting work.
The overall purpose of this temporary Evaluation Specialist assignment is to plan, design and implement UNICEF global thematic evaluations and other evaluative products under the Impact Results Areas of the UNICEF Strategic Plan (SP) 2026–2029, including those that form part of the Plan for Global Evaluations 2026–2029.
Towards this end, the Evaluation Specialist—under the supervision and guidance of the Chief of the Development Effectiveness and Impact Portfolio, and in close collaboration with other team members—will plan and implement all evaluation phases under his or her responsibility. This includes preparing desk reviews and concept notes to scope the evaluation focus and methodological design; identifying relevant documentation, data sources and key stakeholders; outlining evaluation questions, the analytical plan and draft terms of reference; conducting analysis of quantitative and qualitative data; drafting and quality-assuring evaluation outputs; managing evaluation consultants and expert teams, as appropriate; producing a sound dissemination plan; and engaging in effective communication to promote greater utilization of findings.
This assignment will entail strong collaboration with the UNICEF Global Programme Practice within the Centers of Excellence (CoE), as well as other key stakeholders within and outside UNICEF.
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If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  JD P-4 Evaluation Specialist #136753 NYHQ.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

1. Education: Advanced university degree in Economics, Public Policy, Development Studies, or related field entailing strong quantitative OR qualitative training is required. PhD in Economics, Public Policy, Development Studies, or related field entailing strong quantitative and/or qualitative training is an asset. Specialized training in evaluation methods and methodologies and in causal inference is desirable.
2. Work Experience: 8+ years conducting global (portfolio) thematic evaluations using robust qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including for the last 3 years is required. 5+ years (most recent) applying AI and machine learning to the evaluation process including text mining and evaluation synthesis. Proven ability to work with internal and external stakeholders at multiple levels, including providing technical support and capacity building. Proven track record producing user-centered outputs, including briefs, working papers, peer-reviewed journals, that contribute to awareness, knowledge, valuing and use of corporate thematic evaluations is required.
3. Skills: Proven ability to work with internal and external stakeholders at multiple levels, including providing technical support and capacity building. Proven track record producing user-centered outputs, including briefs, working papers, peer-reviewed journals, that contribute to awareness, knowledge, valuing and use of corporate thematic evaluations. Proficiency in statistical software for qualitative (MAXQDA, Atlas, NVivo) and/or quantitative analysis (R, Stata, Python), familiarity with relevant applications of Large Language Models (LLM) is required. Advanced data visualization tools is an asset.
4. Language Requirements: Fluency English (written and oral) is required.

Desirables:

1. Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is desirable.
2. Thematic expertise in a programmatic area associated with UNICEF work, such as Education, Health, Nutrition, Social Policy, Child protection and Water, Sanitation, Climate Resilience is desirable.
3. Experience in fragile and humanitarian setting is desirable.
4. Experience in integrating cross-cutting issues of gender, disability and equity in global thematic evaluations is desirable.
5. Demonstrated experience in mixed methods analysis that enhances the practical utility and uptake of corporate thematic evaluations, including quantitative analysis, GIS analysis, participatory methods, and other relevant approaches and tools is an asset.

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

The 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 jobs-near-me.org 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 may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

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 [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] 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.

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.