The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Uganda is seeking a qualified Social Policy Specialist to join their team in Kampala. The successful candidate will be responsible for strengthening the generation, analysis, and use of evidence to inform policies and programs that improve outcomes for children. This will involve coordinating and quality-assuring the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Violence Against Children (VAC) Surveys.
The Social Policy Specialist will play a critical role in ensuring that data on child poverty, deprivation, and protection is transformed into actionable insights for advocacy, policy dialogue, and program planning. The incumbent will also enhance the integration of beneficiary data management with social protection and cash-plus programs, improving targeting, monitoring, accountability, and learning.
The Specialist will work under the general guidance of the Chief of Social Policy and will be responsible for providing technical support to the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all stages of social policy programming and related advocacy. This will include programs aimed at improving public policies to reduce child poverty, social protection coverage and impact on children, and governance, decentralization, and accountability measures.
To qualify for this position, candidates must have a master's degree in Economics, Econometrics, Statistics, Data Science, Operational Research, Public Policy, or a related field. At least five years of relevant work experience in Social Policy, Child Poverty, Public Finance, Survey Research, Data Analysis, or Policy Analysis is also required. Experience working in a developing country is considered a strong asset.
The successful candidate will have strong skills in social policy programming, research and data analysis, child poverty analysis, public finance, budget analysis, and partnership management. Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset. Experience in developing countries, emergency response, policy advocacy, MICS surveys, child poverty surveys, and violence against children surveys is also considered an asset.
UNICEF's core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything they do and how they do it. The selected candidate will be expected to demonstrate these values and competencies, including building and maintaining partnerships, driving to achieve results for impact, innovating and embracing change, and managing ambiguity and complexity.
Interested applicants should apply online by October 5, 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The position offers a chance to work with a leading international organization and contribute to improving the lives of children and families in Uganda.
Key points
- The position requires a master's degree and at least five years of relevant work experience in social policy or a related field.
- The successful candidate will be responsible for strengthening evidence-based policies and programs for children in Uganda.
- The position is based in Kampala, Uganda, and offers a chance to work with a leading international organization.
