Deadline: 14 September, 2025

Location: Mogadishu, Somalia

The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is seeking to fill the role of Advocacy Specialist.

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.

Responsibilities 

• Strengthen political urgency to stop cVDPV2 transmission in Somalia, with a specific focus on zero-dose children and high-risk populations (people living in inaccessible areas, IDPs, security-compromised, nomadic settlements, cross-border and urban-slum areas), particularly in Southern and Central Somalia States
• Enhance high-level political commitment and leadership that places primary health care at the centre of health service delivery
• Increase public awareness and support for newly introduced PCV and Rota vaccines
• Advocate for political commitment to allocating budgetary resources for GAVI co-financing obligation
• Enhance communication and advocacy capacity among federal and state-level partners and GPEI partners to advocate and communicate during outbreaks as part of an outbreak response team
• Create a groundswell of support among community leaders and influencers, devise a strong narrative on immunisation and child survival in Somalia, and communicate key messages to constituencies with political leverage, such as parliamentarians and community leaders

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or higher) in Public Health
• First-level university degree with additional two years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree
• Five years, minimum, of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in PEI/immunisation in Somalia
• Experience in leading the development and implementation of advocacy strategies, with clear theories of change, with specific, measurable and timebound objectives and performance indicators
• Track record of achieving or contributing to tangible policy change
• Proven experience in deploying a range of advocacy tactics based on a clear theory of change
• Experience in building and maintaining a network of advocacy stakeholders, and in working with advocacy coalitions
• Strong communicator with emphasis on being able to present complex policy ideas in succinct, engaging ways through campaign narratives and creative tactics
• Demonstrated experience in design and management of projects, including budget management and monitoring and evaluation of results
• Knowledge of international development, humanitarian issues and children’s rights
• Fluency in English
• Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language (Somali) is desirable

To apply and for more information, click here.