Deputy Executive Director: Advocacy, Programmes and Safeguarding (Interim)

UNICEF ensures more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. We have done more to influence laws and policies to help protect children than anyone else. We get things done. And we’re not going to stop until the world is a safe place for all our children.

This is a unique opportunity to join the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) in a senior executive level leadership role as our Interim Deputy Executive Director: Advocacy, Programmes and Safeguarding (APS), providing maternity cover. This role is responsible for the delivery of our influence and impact strategic goals, as well as playing a leading role in the overall delivery of our new and ambitious organisational strategy. 

The Interim Deputy Executive Director will play a key leadership role at UNICEF UK alongside their Executive Team and Extended Leadership Group colleagues. They will also ensure we engage effectively with the wider international UNICEF family to ensure we maximise our combined impact for children, both in the UK and around the world. They will be externally facing and will support the organisation to respond to change, challenge, and opportunity, in our wider political, economic, social and sector contexts. 

Your experience will include providing strategic and pragmatic advice to organisational leaders within a complex organisation, in-depth experience of influencing and engaging with UK policymakers, media, and external stakeholders to deliver change and impact. You would have developed your skills, knowledge, and experience from working at a senior level within a third sector UK organisation with multinational and/or multi-regional connections. You must have deep skills in influencing, effective communication, a clear understanding of the external environment in which UNICEF UK operates as well as experience of driving ambitious agendas for change. You will also have finely tuned skills in managing and mitigating against political and wider external risk. You will also have experience of managing and supporting senior leaders in a values-led way that balances high ambition, high performance, and well-being.

In return, we offer:

• the opportunity to work in a leading children’s rights organisation making a difference to children in the UK and around the world
• excellent pay and benefits (including flexible working, generous annual leave and pension, big brand discounts and wellbeing tools)
• outstanding training and learning opportunities and the support to flourish in your role
• impressive open plan office space and facilities on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
• an open culture and workplace with colleagues who share our values, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children. 
• the opportunity to work in a leading children’s organisation making a difference to children around the world



£125,000 per annum

Fixed term until February 2024 (Maternity cover)

Part home/Part office (London) based

Our application process: We use a system called ‘Applied’ that anonymises your responses and focuses on your actual skills that are relevant to this role. This benefits you by giving you a greater chance of expressing your skills in this objective selection process.

Closing date: 8am, Monday 26 June 2023.

First stage interviews: Tuesday 11 July and Wednesday 12 July2023.

Second stage interviews: Week commencing 17 July2023.

We are gradually moving back to our offices on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London and we anticipate most colleagues will work one or two days a week in the office and the rest of the time from home. We will happily discuss other flexible options to suit your circumstances.

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, disabled candidates, and from men, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level at UNICEF UK. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for children.

UNICEF UK promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

We welcome a conversation about your flexible working requirements, personal growth, and promoting a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

The successful candidate will be required to apply for a criminal records check. A criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the role and the circumstances of your offences.

We only accept online applications as this saves us money, making more funds available for us to help ensure children’s rights. 

If you require support in completing the online form or an application form in an alternative format, please contact Supporter Care on 0300 330 5580 during office hours.

If you do not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please note that we only provide feedback to shortlisted candidates.

Registered Charity Nos. 1072612 (England and Wales) SC043677 (Scotland)