Social Protection Consultant (National), Programme Section, Social Policy, 6 months, UNICEF Brasilia, Remote #594306

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.

For every child, the right to Future

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment (Consultants may be engaged only when the assignment is of a temporary nature; based on payment for services or work with defined deliverables and outputs that are specific and measurable, to be performed
and completed within a specified period of time. Consultants must not be engaged to perform staff functions or other functions that are not based on defined deliverables or outputs):

Climate change has been causing increasingly frequent and extreme events in Brazil and worldwide. In the state of Acre, this reality is particularly acute. The state faces a dual climate risk, with severe rainfall and floods in recent months followed by drought periods that are expected to intensify in the next months. Vulnerable children and adolescents, along with their families, have fewer resources to relocate or adapt to these changing conditions. Often, this group lives in geographically exposed areas and experiences the first and most intense impacts of socio-environmental shocks and their secondary economic consequences.

Brazil has a robust intergovernmental social protection system that aims to support vulnerable families in guaranteeing their rights and overcoming inequalities and poverty, including during socio-environmental shocks. The Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) works in coordination with other sectoral policies and encompasses services, benefits, projects, and programs, playing a fundamental role in the implementation of Brazil's most important national cash transfer program, Bolsa Família.

Despite the robustness of the Brazilian social protection system, COVID-19 and the most recent extreme events in the Amazon region and Rio Grande do Sul have revealed challenges in adapting social protection services and benefits to ensure an effective and timely response to large-scale shocks, particularly at the state and municipal levels.
Acre's recent experience with flooding, the anticipated transition to drought conditions and evidence on municipalities preparedness in Social Assistance further illustrates the urgency of strengthening emergency preparedness and response capacities within the state and municipal social assistance.

With extensive expertise in preparedness and emergencies, UNICEF has been supporting governments at national and subnational levels to increase social protection shock-responsiveness. In partnership with the National Collegiate of Municipal Social Assistance Managers (CONGEMAS) and with the National Secretariat of Social Assistance (SNAS) of Ministry of Development and Social Assistance Family and Fight against Poverty (MDS), a series of pioneer technical guidance documents have been developed since 2020 to support states and municipalities in emergency contexts.
More recently, UNICEF also supported the development of the National Protocol for the Comprehensive Protection of Children and Adolescents in Situations of Risk and Disasters, launched in 2025 in partnership with MDS, the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC) and the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development (MIDR), which establishes guidelines for child-sensitive preparedness and response across sectors. The protocol reinforces the central role of Social Assistance in preparedness and emergency response, particularly in shelter management, psychosocial support, provision of social protection benefits and the protection of children, adolescents and other vulnerable groups.

In this sense, in partnership with the Acre State Secretariat of Social Assistance and Human Rights (SEASDH), UNICEF will provide technical support to strengthen the emergency preparedness and response capacities of Social Assistance at municipal level in the state of Acre, with particular attention to the risks posed by both flooding and drought. This support will draw on the technical guidance series developed with MDS/SNAS and will be tailored to Acre's territorial specificities.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete TOR here:  TOR TMC0003764.V1pdf.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

 Education: Bachelor's degree on Social Work, Social Sciences, Political Science, or another related field

Work Experience: Minimum of three years of professional experience with the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) at the municipal or state level.

Language Requirements: Fluency in Portuguese is mandatory 

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:

• Advanced knowledge of the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS).
• Excellent report writing skills.
• Excellent coordination and facilitation skills.

Desirables:

• Knowledge of SUAS in emergencies
• Professional experience in Climate Change or Disaster Risk Reduction
• Relevant experience in a UN agency

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 a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation 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.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• 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 templateTMC0003764.docx

Remarks:  If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not visible on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers

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: 08 Jul 2026 E. South America Standard Time
Applications close: 21 Jul 2026 E. South America Standard Time

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