Senior Public Finance and Refugee Inclusion Costing Consultant (National/International), Social Policy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 7.5 months, remote+travel # 596401

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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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

The purpose of the consultancy is to generate rigorous and practical evidence on the financial requirements, investment gaps, and financing options needed to achieve sustainable refugee inclusion into essential services and local systems in Ethiopia, and to use this evidence to develop a Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS)-owned investment case for refugee inclusion.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  ToR Sen Public Fin RICC.pdf

• Advanced university degree in economics, public finance, development economics, health economics or a related field, with demonstrated experience leading or substantially contributing to multi-sector social service delivery costing, social sector financing and investment case development.

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required.

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in public finance, public service delivery, complex multi-sector social service delivery costing studies covering two or more social sectors at national or sub-national levels, investment case development, social sector financing, development economics, public policy, refugee inclusion, social protection, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience leading or substantially contributing to multi-sector social service delivery gap assessments and costing studies, financing-gap analyses, public expenditure reviews, financing strategies and investment cases, fiscal analysis or comparable economic and public finance assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to work with sector specialists and government counterparts to develop sector-specific assumptions, costing assumptions, and investment scenarios.
• Proven track record in situation assessments and multi-sector service delivery gap assessments; identifying minimum service standards; technical options for closing identified gaps; concept-level infrastructure packages and indicative bills of quantities (BoQs); capacity estimates; lifecycle cost estimates; operations and maintenance (O&M) plus institutional arrangements; financing and implementation scenarios; as well as all the required inputs to the overall investment case; with familiarity of international and national standards (e.g. WHO, Sphere, environmental and public health guidelines).
• Experience in similar humanitarian-development, geographic, refugee, displacement or low-resource and underserved-area contexts is an added advantage.
• Experience working with government institutions, development partners, international organizations or research institutions, and proven experience in similar assignments and contexts.
• Previous experience in Ethiopia, refugee inclusion, social protection, education, health, nutrition, WASH, child protection, livelihoods or related public systems in similar geographic or low-resource contexts is highly desirable.in the design, implementation, monitoring and technical support of cash-plus interventions, child-sensitive social protection programmes, Case Management, or integrated social services.

• Public finance, multi-sector social service delivery costing or social sector financing expertise.
• Experience with government planning, budgeting, multi-sector service delivery costing, public expenditure and financing gap analysis or investment case development.
• Demonstrated capacity to deliver situation assessments and multi-sector service delivery gap assessments; identifying minimum service standards; technical options for closing identified gaps; concept-level infrastructure packages and indicative bills of quantities (BoQs); capacity estimates; lifecycle cost estimates; operations and maintenance (O&M) plus institutional arrangements; financing and implementation scenarios; as well as all the required inputs to the overall investment case; with familiarity of international and national standards (e.g. WHO, Sphere, environmental and public health guidelines).
• Experience working with administrative and sector data. Ability to work with incomplete datasets and document assumptions transparently.
• Ability to convert sector norms and standards and service delivery models into cost models/credible cost estimates.
• Strong facilitation skills for consultations with multiple government, partners and technical stakeholders.
• Knowledge of Ethiopia public systems, refugee inclusion, WASH, child protection, social protection, education, health, nutrition or livelihoods programming.
• Excellent analysis and writing skills.

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

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial Proposal Sen Public Fin RICC TO COMPLETE.docx
• A Technical proposal (maximum 5 pages) outlining proposed analytical approach, relevant experience and initial thoughts on implementation of the assignment

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., 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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Advertised: 19 Oct 2026 E. Africa Standard Time
Applications close: 02 Nov 2026 E. Africa Standard Time

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