Chief, Corporate Social Responsibility

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 60 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. Purpose of the Position To provide strategic and technical leadership on UNICEF’s approach to advancing children’s rights in business and enhance organizational capacity to strategically engage with the private sector to promote social change and increase organizational influence on partners’ activities within the context of business and children’s rights.

Key Expected Results

1. Advise senior management on UNICEF’s relationship with the corporate sector and governments on issues pertaining to child rights and business. Assume leading role in the organization on development of policy and practice regarding development of global, regional and local alliances, excluding fundraising and in-kind donations of product with multi-national corporations and SME where appropriate.

   Key end result: UNICEF positioned as a leading agency on business and children’s rights and UNICEF’s approach to CSR cemented throughout organisation.

2. Develop and manage an organization-wide strategy to effectively engage and influence external partners, key actors and coalitions to effectively promote social change within the context of business and children’s rights. Lead a team that will pro-actively identify, map and monitor emerging trends in CSR and identify specific entry points and opportunities, including cross sectoral initiatives and partnerships where UNICEF can add most value and provide leadership for the benefit of children in line with UNICEF policy and programme priorities. Provide leadership to create, maintain, update and ensure appropriate distribution, understanding and compliance with UNICEF’s guidelines on non-financial corporate engagement and CSR approaches amongst all HQ user groups (Division), National Committees and Field Offices.

   Key end result: A direct, pro-active and strategic approach to CSR partnerships with large, multinational organizations interested in global, regional and national level alliances developed and implemented.

3. Provide strategic and technical leadership, guidance and direction on advancing children’s rights in business to PFP, National Committees and other divisions where appropriate. This will include but not be limited to leading the development of risk assessment methodologies, best practise, due diligence and impact assessment tools measuring and addressing the impacts of the private sector on children’s rights. Provide strategic direction to the CSR unit that will serve as a central inquiry/screening centre for strategic and/or policy “fit” new corporate and foundation engagement policies, concepts and programmes.

   Key end result: Strategic direction provided to the CSR unit and risk assessment methodologies, best practise, due diligence and impact assessment tools measuring and addressing the impacts of the private sector on children’s rights developed.

4. Lead the documentation of good practice, responses and changes in business practices by partners and external private sector actors and governments, ensure systematic collection and analysis of programme and partnership outcomes and processes. Share learning across the organization and develop capacity building and learning resources to promote internal buy in, programming coherence and integration of CSR/business and child rights activities in PD and PFP activities.

   Key end result: Strategic CSR activities integrated into PD and PFP activities including through thematic tools and technical guidance on CSR approaches for business in UNICEF programme priority areas.

5. Identify areas for public advocacy, including the media, in consultation with Supervisor and DOC and coordinate preparation of required information products.

   Key end result: Business and children’s rights messages disseminated through effective advocacy and communication strategy, such as global and national CSR events, business-to-business platforms and leadership initiatives.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

• Advanced degree in Law, Social Sciences, Development or Business.*
• A technical background in Child Protection.
• 10 to 13 years of relevant experience including progressively responsible professional work experience in CSR, children’s rights, social development, project administration, monitoring and evaluation, some at the international level.
• Experience in Human Rights based approaches and several years field experience in CSR or associated programming, including designing, monitoring and impact assessment of projects and programmes.
• Experience of working within UNICEF, exposure to CSR work and of working with multi-stakeholder partnerships whether within Government, UN, NGO or within the corporate sector would be additional assets.
• Fluency in English. Working knowledge of another UN language (preferably French or Spanish) highly desirable. *A first level university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

• Has highest-level communication skills, including engaging and informative formal public speaking.
• Creates and encourages a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment.
• Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects on-time and on-budget.
• Has high-level leadership and supervisory skills; provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others; recruits staff of a high caliber; provides staff with development opportunities and coaching.
• Analyzes and integrates potentially conflicting numerical, verbal and other data from a number of sources.
• Sets, develops and revises organizational strategy and develops clear visions of the organization’s future potential.
• Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups. Actively nurtures good relationships with people across all organizational levels and boundaries, and with government leaders and stakeholders.
• Anticipates and actively monitors long term local and global developments, constantly seeking new opportunities for advancing UNICEF’s mission.
• Negotiates effectively with people inside and outside the organization by adopting a range of approaches.

To Apply

Please visit the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre website.