Legal Social Policy Expert
Organizational Context
UNICEF Ukraine operates in a challenging environment, supporting children and families affected by conflict. The organization aims to strengthen the national social protection system to be more coherent, resilient, and shock-responsive. In response to funding constraints and the ongoing war, UNICEF is focused on enhancing linkages between humanitarian cash assistance and national systems, facilitating a gradual transition of caseloads to government-led programs for increased sustainability and effectiveness.
Job Purpose
This role supports the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity, UNICEF, donors, and humanitarian partners in transitioning humanitarian cash assistance to Ukraine's national social protection system. The expert will contribute to designing, coordinating, and implementing this transition, aiming to establish robust systems, processes, and partnerships for accountable and efficient government-led, shock-responsive social protection. The assignment focuses on programmatic and operational readiness for large-scale payments, ensuring alignment with national priorities and humanitarian standards, while maintaining a hybrid model for residual humanitarian caseloads.
Responsibilities
The Legal Social Policy Expert will support the transition of humanitarian cash assistance to the national social protection system in Ukraine. Key responsibilities include contributing to the design, coordination, and phased implementation of this transition through the Humanitarian and Resilience Account, ensuring alignment with national priorities and humanitarian standards. The role involves close liaison with government entities, donors, and UN agencies to strengthen systems and accountability mechanisms. The expert will facilitate collaboration between humanitarian and government actors, provide data-driven inputs for program planning and monitoring, and contribute to evaluation efforts. Additionally, the role requires providing technical and operational support for aligning humanitarian cash programming with national systems, assisting in drafting legal acts, developing operational tools, and resolving operational challenges like data sharing and de-duplication. Advocacy and knowledge management, including documenting best practices, are also key components.
Work Experience
Seven years of relevant experience in cash transfers, social protection, law, public administration, or local governance is required. Experience in drafting and working with regulatory legal acts and understanding government legislative approval procedures is essential. Strong interpersonal skills for inclusive collaboration with diverse partners are necessary. Experience with the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity, or national/local government authorities is considered an asset.
Skills
The role requires strong competencies in self-awareness, ethical awareness, collaboration, partnership building, innovation, strategic thinking, driving for results, and managing ambiguity. Expertise in community development, emergency preparedness, crisis response, communication, advocacy, and public information is also needed.