UN Volunteer – Social Protection Officer (National)

About the role

The United Nations Volunteer (UNV) assignment supports UNICEF Iraq’s Social Policy Programme, contributing to the reform and strengthening of Iraq’s social protection system. Working under the supervision of the Social Policy Specialist, the Volunteer will provide technical, coordination, operational and administrative support to advance social protection reforms for vulnerable children and families.

Key responsibilities

• Support the development, implementation and monitoring of Social Protection Strategy roadmaps for both the Federal Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government.
• Assist in tracking progress against milestones, identifying bottlenecks and coordinating with government counterparts and development partners.
• Contribute to the Teenage Mothers Assessment, including stakeholder coordination, data collection, review and dissemination of findings.
• Help plan, organize and deliver capacity‑building activities for government officials, including preparation of training materials and documentation of outcomes.
• Support the implementation and scale‑up of cash transfer pilot programmes in Federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, ensuring proper monitoring and reporting.
• Coordinate workshops, consultations, technical meetings and high‑level events, managing logistics, agendas, minutes and follow‑up actions.
• Work with UNICEF Supply and Operations teams to process procurement, contracting and logistical requests, monitoring their status and ensuring timely communication.
• Maintain effective communication with government institutions, UN agencies, development partners and civil society organisations involved in social protection initiatives.

Required profile

• Age 18‑80 and at least 7 years of relevant experience.
• National, legal resident or refugee status in Iraq.
• Bachelor’s degree in Social Policy, Public Policy, Economics, Development Studies, Public Administration, Social Sciences, International Development, Political Science or a related field (preferred).
• Fluent in English and Arabic; working knowledge of Kurdish.