Social Policy Officer, Cairo, Egypt – Job Ref. EG/UNICEF/1712/2525

For every child,

the right to Hope

Humanitarian and nexus funding in UNICEF Egypt portfolio is critical in the light of the protracted crisis in several surrounding countries (e.g. Gaza, Sudan, etc.). To date significant investments have been mobilized and others are in the process of being negotiated. Moreover, we observed a significant increase in donor conditionalities, as well as donor appetite for being regularly involved, briefed, visiting projects, etc. All this translates into significant additional workload for Egypt CO. The Partnerships Officer, under the supervision of the Chief Partnerships, Private and Public Sector, is expected to play a key role in this area, supporting both internal program coordination and donor outreach ultimately aiming at mobilizing resources for children and effectively implementing the ones already secured.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Egypt’s current objectives are guided by its Country Programme Document (CPD 2023-2027), which aligns with Egypt’s Sustainable Development Strategy (Vision 2030) and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). The Country Programme focuses on ensuring that every child in Egypt survives, thrives, and reaches their full potential in an inclusive and protective environment. It prioritizes five key outcome areas: Health and Nutrition, Education and Learning, Child Protection, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Social Policy and Child Rights Monitoring — all underpinned by cross-cutting priorities of equity, gender equality, inclusion, and resilience.

The Social Policy Officer would provide technical support and facilitation in all stages of social policy programming and related advocacy, with a primary focus on the design, oversight, and quality assurance of UNICEF’s Humanitarian Cash Transfer (HCT) portfolio by ensuring the effective use and strategic integration of HCT and the development of a dedicated child cash grant as both an emergency response modality and consolidated cash programming within the office.

The Key objectives of this post include:

Advancing the Technical Use of Humanitarian Cash Assistance (HCT):

Facilitating the technical execution and quality implementation of HCT and child-focused cash grants as a rapid and flexible response for the most vulnerable children and families, ensuring robust monitoring and reporting.

Managing and Strengthening Data Systems:

Coordinate effective management and security of HCT programme data systems, through facilitating data sharing protocols, ensuring data quality, and strengthening the capacity of relevant partners and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in beneficiary data management and analysis for accountability and programme adaptation.

Strengthening National System Linkages:

Providing technical analysis and support to reinforce and expand the capacity of existing national social protection systems, frameworks, and delivery mechanisms to be shock-responsive.

Policy, Law, and Legal Frameworks:

Supporting technical dialogue and preparing evidence-based policy proposals in relation to legal frameworks to enable the comprehensive, equitable, and sustainable programme implementation, particularly addressing barriers to access for vulnerable children and their families.

Coordination, Partnerships, and Donor Reporting:

Actively facilitating strategic coordination with key Government counterparts, and representing UNICEF in relevant cash working groups.

Key functions/accountabilities:

1.

Humanitarian Cash Transfer (HCT) Programme Design and System Integration

Facilitate the technical design and quality assurance of child-sensitive Humanitarian Cash Transfers (HCTs), including the dedicated child cash grant, ensuring all modalities are a rapid, dignified, and flexible response for the most vulnerable children and families.
Provide technical assistance for ‘Cash-Plus’ integration, supporting sector teams (Education, Health, Nutrition, Child Protection, WASH, SBC/ADAP) to seamlessly link HCTs with essential complementary services to maximize positive child outcomes.
2.

HCT Data Management, Monitoring, and Accountability

Coordinate the effective management and security of HCT programme data systems (both UNICEF’s internal systems, such as HOPE, and those used by partners). This includes facilitating data sharing protocols, ensuring data quality, and strengthening the capacity of relevant partners and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in beneficiary data management and analysis for accountability and programme adaptation.
Support robust monitoring, evaluation, and research around HCT efficiency, impact on child outcomes, and programmatic results, ensuring the compelling use of evidence for programme adjustments and scale-up.
Strengthen Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) mechanisms (including feedback and complaints) within HCT operations, analyzing operational challenges to propose context-specific solutions, such as the responsible and secure use of digital payments.
3.

System Strengthening and Legal Frameworks

Facilitate the strategic alignment of HCT design and implementation with national social protection systems, frameworks, and delivery mechanisms to promote shock-responsiveness.
Support technical dialogue and analysis to review laws and legal frameworks to enable the comprehensive, equitable, and sustainable delivery of service.
4.

Strengthened Advocacy and Partnerships for Child-Sensitive Social Policy

Supports correct and compelling use of data and evidence on the situation of children and coverage and impact of child-focused services—specifically the impact of HCT and cash grants—in support of the social policy programme and the country programme overall.
Establishes effective partnerships with the Government, bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies to support sustained and proactive commitment to the Convention of the Rights of the Child and to achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
Actively facilitates strategic coordination with key Government counterparts, and represents UNICEF in relevant Cash Working Groups (CWG) and inter-agency forums to harmonize cash assistance efforts and promote system strengthening.

Helps manage and coordinate technical support around social policy ensuring it is well planned, monitored, and implemented in a timely fashion so as to adequately support scale-up and delivery. Ensures risk analysis and risk mitigation are embedded into overall management of the support, in close consultation with UNICEF programme sections, Cooperating Partners, and governments.
Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the country programme. Ensures that the social planning project enhances policy dialogue, planning, supervision, technical advice, management, training, research and support; and that the monitoring and evaluation component strengthens monitoring and evaluation of the social sectors and provides support to sectoral and decentralized information systems.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

University degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.Education:
 Work Experience:
A minimum of one year of relevant professional experience is required.

Experience working in a developing country is considered as a strong asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and Arabic is required.Specific skills Required:

Technical Expertise in Cash Transfers & Social Protection: Solid understanding of design, implementation, and monitoring of Humanitarian Cash Transfers (HCTs) and shock-responsive social protection systems.
Vulnerability Analysis: Deep understanding of poverty analysis, vulnerability assessment, and the application of cash modalities, including child cash grants.
Data Systems and Quantitative Analysis: Proven capacity to manage, coordinate, and interpret complex data systems related to cash assistance (e.g., beneficiary registration platforms like UNICEF HOPE or national MIS). Strong quantitative and analytical skills to synthesize data, assess impact, and translate findings into clear, evidence-based narratives for programme adaptation.
Knowledge of the national development context: Familiarity with Egypt’s social protection framework, national policy priorities, and the institutional landscape of key government ministries, development partners, and social-sector programmes.
Partnership and coordination skills: Experience in working collaboratively with government institutions, UN agencies, civil-society organizations, and academic partners.
Communication and presentation skills: Excellent ability to communicate complex analyses in clear, compelling, and accessible language for diverse audiences, including policy briefs, reports, and presentations.
Desirables:

While only a minimum of one year of relevant professional experience is required, three or more years of professional experience would be preferred.
An Advanced University Degree in a relevant field such as Public Policy, Development Economics, or International Relations would be preferred.
Specific experience of working within the government.
Proven ability to effectively coordinate internally with other sections and externally with partners and stakeholders, supporting ‘Cash-Plus’ integration by seamlessly linking HCTs with internal sector teams (CP, SBC, CSD, etc.) and effectively collaborating with CSOs and UN agencies.
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