Frontlines Humanitarian Advocacy Specialist

The Frontlines Humanitarian Advocacy Specialist provides technical and strategic surge support to requesting Country Offices to advance humanitarian advocacy objectives in crisis contexts. Responding to increased demand during emergencies, and in line with broader UNICEF humanitarian advocacy efforts, the Specialist offers tailored, time-bound support, adapted to the specific needs of each office, to strengthen timely, principled, and evidence-based humanitarian advocacy, thereby contributing to UNICEF’s fulfillment of the Core Commitments for Children (CCCs), accountabilities under the Emergency Procedures, and organization-wide humanitarian advocacy objectives.

The Humanitarian Advocacy Specialist deployed through UNICEF's Frontlines provides targeted technical and strategic support to requesting Country Offices in the following areas, tailored to the specific needs of each office:

• Context and landscape analysis: Monitor and analyze national, regional, and international influencing environments on key humanitarian issues, including Member State positions, inter-agency coordination, and shifts in power and geopolitical landscape at national, regional and global levels, providing timely and actionable insights for advocacy planning and informed decision-making.
• Stakeholder mapping and engagement: Conduct and update stakeholder and relational actor mapping and analysis to inform humanitarian advocacy strategies and engagement plans. Identify advocacy targets, influencers, potential partners and allies across UN agencies, IASC, broader civil society, private sector and other stakeholder, and support engagement in coordination forums as needed.
• Humanitarian advocacy strategy development and support: Lead or contribute to (as needed) the development, updating, and operationalization of humanitarian advocacy strategies and engagement plans, including for humanitarian diplomacy at national, regional and international levels, based on actor mapping and analysis. Support the identification of SMART outcomes, key influencing opportunities, risk-informed tactical approaches, and evidence-informed decision-making.
• Coordination and implementation support: Support the office in collective advocacy planning, including in development and implementation of real-time engagement plans. Track developments in the influencing landscape relevant to advocacy objectives, flagging emerging risks and opportunities, such as for rapid response campaigns or targeted diplomacy initiatives, or new advocacy partnerships. Establish and/or manage dedicated humanitarian advocacy coordination and implementation channels, including creation of joint knowledge management and information platforms, shared workspaces, and regular or ad hoc coordination calls, as needed.
• Messaging and advocacy products: Develop and adapt timely, targeted and evidence-based advocacy messages, talking points, briefing notes, advocacy briefs, and other advocacy products tailored to specific audiences and evolving contexts. Ensure messaging is evidence-based, principled, and strategically aligned, including across public and/or private advocacy, as needed. Ensure advocacy products have clear dissemination plans to maximize reach, engagement and influence with advocacy targets and influencers.
• Evidence and gap identification: Identify gaps in data, evidence, partnerships, or access to decision-makers and influencers that may limit advocacy effectiveness. Recommend opportunities to leverage evidence, relationships, and strategic moments to advance advocacy objectives, and contribute to analysis and framing of relevant data and evidence to maximize advocacy value.
• Monitoring, reporting, and learning: Track progress against advocacy objectives, maintain monitoring tools, facilitate review sessions, and prepare periodic reports with key successes, lessons learned, best practice, and recommendations for strategy refinement.
• Capacity building and coaching: Provide remote or in-person coaching, guidance, and tools to strengthen local advocacy capacity. Share best practices, facilitate peer learning, and support teams in receiving offices in applying strategic advocacy approaches in rapidly changing humanitarian contexts.

The Frontlines Humanitarian Advocacy Specialist should demonstrate the following skills:

• Expertise and experience in humanitarian advocacy, humanitarian diplomacy, or related fields, ideally at country-level. Includes development and/or implementation of humanitarian advocacy strategies and engagement plans, development of advocacy materials, and stakeholder engagement to advance collective advocacy.
• Experience supporting humanitarian response in emergency and crisis contexts.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, including building partnerships across UN agencies, inter-agency mechanisms, and civil society as well as internal cross-team engagement and coordination.
• Excellent communications skills, including developing advocacy messages, briefing notes, and targeted talking points, ideally on humanitarian issues.
• Strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex contexts into actionable advocacy approaches.
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure and adapt to rapidly changing humanitarian situations.
• Familiarity with the UN system, humanitarian architecture, and relevant humanitarian standards and principles.

• Upon deployment, the Specialist will be line-managed by the requesting Country Office (or Regional Office) – i.e. the CO/RO will provide day-to-day supervision and programmatic guidance.
• The Specialist will coordinate with relevant UNICEF divisions (GCA Humanitarian Advocacy team, EMOPS, PPD, PFP, PG) as needed.

• Deployment can be short-term (emergency surge) or longer-term, depending on needs of the requesting office and availability and willingness of the releasing office.
• Successfully complete the mandatory courses in AGORA and Safe and Secure Approaches in Field Environments (SSAFE) training before deployment.

Working in an emergency context is challenging and can sometimes be at short notice. It is therefore essential applicants consider their personal circumstances before registering an interest in this type of assignment. This includes:

• Discussing with your supervisor and securing their agreement you can be released for a surge assignment and be supported with the training you may require.
• Considering whether there is any aspect of your personal circumstances (e.g., a new baby or if you are a primary care giver for a close dependent) that could make it difficult for you to deploy at short notice.  Where applicable, it is recommended you discuss the possibility of emergency deployments with your family so their views can be considered.
• Realistically assessing your mental and physical health to ensure you are fit and well. This includes ensuring you have had the basic vaccinations recommended by UNMD (UN Health & Life Insurance).
• Ensuring you have up-to-date and valid travel documents (i.e., UNLP and national passport).

• This is a Generic Vacancy Announcement for various surge deployments / assignments globally. Specific terms of reference will be determined for each deployment.
• Successful candidates will be placed in the Frontlines technically cleared pipeline for Communication & Advocacy.  While inclusion in the pipeline does not guarantee deployment, candidates will be reviewed and if suitable, invited to express interest in deployment opportunities.

Advertised: 02 Jun 2026 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: 30 Jun 2026 Eastern Daylight Time

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