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. 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 personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, hope

UNICEF Ukraine

Join the UNICEF Ukraine!

How can you make a difference? The fundamental and primary 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 child survival, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all 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.

Strategic office context Ukraine is facing one of the most complex youth development challenges in Europe. The full-scale invasion has disrupted education, labor markets, social protection systems, and the social fabric of communities. Adolescents and youth now represent a critical demographic for national recovery, social cohesion, and long-term economic resilience. At the same time, Ukraine is moving toward EU candidate status requirements, including alignment with the Reinforced EU Youth Guarantee, skills development reforms, and modernized youth policy frameworks. Ukraine’s alignment with the Reinforced EU Youth Guarantee (YG) introduces new standards for early outreach to NEET youth, individualized action plans, employer engagement, and coordinated transition support. UNICEF provides technical leadership by testing models and supporting government in operationalizing ongoing youth labor reforms.

UNICEF’s Adolescent Development & Participation (ADAP) program in Ukraine is positioned at the center of these national priorities. ADAP focuses on three interconnected pillars:

Skills and employability (learning to earning pathways, green skills, career guidance, mentoring, Youth Guarantee-aligned transition support) and opportunities for lifelong learning and upskilling to meet evolving labor market needs. Young people’s meaningful participation and civic engagement (local decision-making, volunteering, social cohesion, community recovery). Systems strengthening and cross-sectoral integration (youth policy, municipal services, linkages with education, social policy, MHPSS, and child protection systems).

UNICEF Ukraine, in tandem with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, is also conceptualizing and piloting the Youth Window model: an integrated municipal entry point connecting adolescents and youth to services, learning, skilling, livelihoods opportunities, and civic engagement. As part of the national recovery architecture, UNICEF works closely with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and sees good opportunities with the Ministry of Economy, particularly on their national program on career guidance, mentoring, and youth employment services, for which the Ministry has formally requested UNICEF support, as well as local governments (hromadas) to institutionalize approaches to ensure sustainability. These models contribute directly to Ukraine’s broader recovery agenda, including human capital restoration and local economic revitalization.

Ukraine’s youth population — over 8 million adolescents and young people (10–24) - represents both a vulnerable group and a powerful engine for recovery. UNICEF’s role is to ensure they are not left behind, and that they have meaningful pathways into skills, employment, participation, and leadership, while strengthening national and local systems to deliver for them in a sustainable, coordinated, and EU-aligned manner. Ensuring alignment with EU integration requirements, particularly labor market and skills reforms, is increasingly central to UNICEF’s programming.

Purpose of the job 

Under the supervision of the Chief of Adolescent Development & Participation, the Programme Officer will coordinate UNICEF Ukraine’s work on youth employment, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship, contributing directly to the ADAP strategy’s economic opportunities and livelihoods outcomes. The Officer will design, implement, and scale evidence-based models that increase access to decent work and entrepreneurship pathways for young people, with particular focus on the most vulnerable groups, including displaced youth, NEETs, and youth in rural or conflict-affected areas. The role will require close collaboration with national and local government partners (, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Youth and Sports, local hromadas), as well as strategic engagement with private sector, CSO, and UN partners to create integrated, sustainable, and replicable youth employment solutions aligned with the EU Youth Guarantee and national recovery priorities. The Officer will also serve as a technical lead on aligning UNICEF’s youth economic opportunities portfolio with the Reinforced EU Youth Guarantee, including strengthening early outreach, profiling, career guidance and mentoring systems, individualized support, employer engagement, and apprenticeships.

This position is pivotal for strengthening systems, scaling impact, and ensuring continuity in youth economic programming. It will enable the development of specialized expertise, foster stronger strategic partnerships, and drive long-term initiatives that deliver tangible employment and skills outcomes for adolescents and young people across Ukraine. The role will also ensure that youth employment models feed into national recovery plans, municipal development strategies, and EU integration commitments. The Officer will also oversee monitoring and evaluation of employment and skills outcomes, ensuring programs are evidence-based, scalable, and responsive to changing labor market and post-conflict recovery dynamics.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities 

Technical Guidance and Coordination Partnerships, Networking and Stakeholder Engagement Strategic Programming and Technical Expertise Advocacy, Communications, and Knowledge Management Technical Guidance and Coordination

1.Technical Guidance and Coordination

Co-create, test, and validate youth employment, apprenticeship, and entrepreneurship models with government, municipalities, CSOs, private sector, and young people. Support the development and implementation of strategies and workplans with the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Youth and Sports, hromadas, UN agencies, and partners, aligned with ADAP’s Theory of Change, youth recovery priorities, and EU Youth Guarantee principles. Support annual planning, budgeting, and results tracking for the Economic Opportunities portfolio, ensuring efficiency, accountability, and alignment with Youth Guarantee requirements (early outreach, profiling, individualized plans, and first work experience pathways). Design and oversee integrated learning-to-earning pathways linking education, TVET, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship, ensuring smooth transitions into decent work. Provide technical support and guidance on youth employability and entrepreneurship interventions, including labor market-informed program design, employer engagement, and identification of green/digital sector opportunities. Provide technical leadership on youth employability and entrepreneurship interventions, including labor market-informed program design, employer engagement, and identification of green/digital sector opportunities. Support and coordinate the development of adolescent-friendly career guidance tools, mentoring models, and transition support packages with the Ministry of Economy, ensuring coherence with national reforms and EU Youth Guarantee standards. Draft technical inputs, evidence summaries, and analytical briefs on youth employment, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship, including analysis of labor market trends, NEET profiling, and skills gaps. Strengthen and support cross-sectoral coordination mechanisms on youth economic opportunities, ensuring clear roles, joint planning, and integration with education, social policy, child protection, MHPSS, and participation programs. Monitor program implementation and partnerships, identify bottlenecks, and co-develop solutions to improve quality, scale, and sustainability. Support the scale-up and institutionalization of successful youth employment models within municipal and national systems, including Youth Window service points and local employment services. Contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and evidence use through program reviews and government reporting, ensuring adaptive management and results-based decision-making. Provide capacity building and mentoring for national and municipal partners on Youth Guarantee-aligned youth employment systems, labor market forecasting, and skills gap analysis. Support coordination with EU and bilateral partners to align UNICEF-supported youth employment interventions with national recovery and EU integration priorities.

2.Partnerships, Networking and Stakeholder Engagement

Support the development and strengthening of strategic relationships with government (national and local), private sector, CSOs, and youth networks to optimize their contribution to ADAP outcomes. Strengthen partnerships with employers, chambers of commerce, and business associations to expand apprenticeship and employer-based training opportunities. Contribute to partnerships with non-traditional and catalytic funders, including supporting exploration of innovative financing mechanisms to sustain youth employment and entrepreneurship programs. Coordinate information exchange and synergies between flagship initiatives, including Youth Window service points, apprenticeships, and local entrepreneurship programs. Conduct field-based monitoring and partner engagement to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and recommend timely solutions. Prepare regular reports and updates for UNICEF management, government partners, and stakeholders on progress and results. Support UNICEF engagement in national recovery coordination platforms and EU alignment working groups related to youth, skills, and employment. Organize national and regional consultations, bringing together public, private, and civil society partners to inform policy, scale programs, and ensure youth voices are central to decision-making. Foster multi-stakeholder platforms that bring together youth, government, private sector, and civil society to co-design solutions for youth economic empowerment, including cross-hromada collaboration. Support UNICEF participation in EU and donor coordination forums on youth skills, employability, and recovery programs to enhance policy coherence and partnership alignment. Facilitate multi-sectoral dialogues that link youth employment, entrepreneurship, and economic recovery with social cohesion objectives. Support resource mobilization efforts for scaling successful youth employment models, including private sector co-financing and EU funding streams.

3.Strategic Programming and Technical Expertise

Introduce and support strategically designed and technically robust approaches to enhance youth employment, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship, with a focus on sustainable results. Research, adapt, and scale international best practices in youth employment, including green skills, for Ukraine’s EU-aligned recovery context. Identify and scale innovative green skills development models, contributing to Ukraine’s economic recovery and EU integration. Plan and conduct joint studies with government, private sector, and CSOs to map Ukraine’s emerging labor market and skills ecosystem, informing policy and program design. Draft evidence-based technical recommendations in partnership with government and key stakeholders to advocate for youth-centered economic opportunities. Ensure youth centrality and inclusion, including engagement of marginalized groups, displaced youth, and youth with disabilities, in all economic opportunities’ interventions. Integrate climate and green economy considerations into youth employment interventions to align with sustainable recovery priorities.

4.Advocacy, Communications, and Knowledge Management

Support development of public advocacy materials, human interest stories, and communication content highlighting youth employment, entrepreneurship, and apprenticeship initiatives. Document and share lessons learned and best practices from implementation, ensuring continuous improvement and dissemination across UNICEF Ukraine, government partners, and civil society. Generate policy-relevant evidence to inform youth policy, labor market reforms, and Youth Guarantee implementation. Contribute to knowledge management for youth economic opportunities programs, ensuring replicable models and evidence-based recommendations for scaling and sustainability. Contribute to strategic knowledge products that inform national youth policy, recovery planning, and EU integration efforts, ensuring adolescents’ perspectives are incorporated. Develop targeted advocacy campaigns for government and employer stakeholders to expand youth apprenticeship and employment opportunities in strategic sectors. Document impact stories to demonstrate outcomes aligned with Youth Guarantee principles and national recovery frameworks.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

University degree in social science or a relevant field, such as Economics, Education, Development Studies, Public Policy, Social Work, Labor Market Studies, or Human Capital Development, is mandatory. Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent) in a related field is an asset.

Work Experience:

Mandatory: Minimum 2 years of experience in designing, planning, and implementing youth employment and entrepreneurship programs. Robust technical understanding of labor markets, internships, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship schemes.

Desirable: Experience engaging with key ministries (, Ministry of Economy), working with labor market data, skill gap analyses, or M&E systems for youth-centric economic programming. Experience strategizing large-scale, sustainable employment programs through multi-stakeholder partnerships. Experience developing partnerships and networks in skills, youth employment, and entrepreneurship. Relevant experience in a UN agency or similar organization.

Language Requirements: 

Fluency in English and Ukrainian is required. Knowledge of another official UN language 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 is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will 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.

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 ’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable people with disabilities 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 (, application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information. 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.

Eligible staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent contracts applying to IP TA positions in a duty station designated as L2/L3, may be able to retain a lien and their fixed-term entitlements, subject to approval by their Head of Office. The conditions of the temporary assignment will vary depending on the status of their post and relocation entitlements may be limited as per the relevant policies.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

This position is based in Kyiv and the incumbent will be expected be work on-site. However, depending on the security conditions and advisory, s/he will be required to relocate within Ukraine.