Eligibility and Programme Requirements

NETI participants are motivated and talented entry to mid-career level professionals who are interested in an international career with UNICEF, and who have a passion for making a difference for children worldwide.

The focus and method of work for NETI participants varies from country to country. However, participants typically interact with government, civil society, academic institutions, the private sector, UN agencies, donors and other development organizations in working towards childrens’ survival, protection and development goals.

Eligibility:

The following candidates are eligible to apply to the NETI Programme:

1. UNICEF National Professional Officers and General Service staff at the GS-6 and GS-7 levels;
2. UNICEF staff members holding a temporary appointment;
3. UNICEF Junior Professional Officers (JPOs) who have completed at least 15 months of the JPO Programme;
4. External candidates from outside UNICEF.

Please Note: National Professional Officers and General Service staff at GS-6 and GS-7 levels who are selected to participate in the NETI Programme will be offered a fixed-term appointment that replaces their previous letter of appointment, including any permanent or continuing appointment. They will not have the right to return to their previous post in UNICEF.

Candidates from all nationalities are welcome to apply.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the United Nations staff rules, a person who has permanent residence status in a country other than that of his/her own nationality must relinquish such permanent residence status in order to be eligible for UNICEF appointment to the Professional and higher categories of staff, subject to a few exceptions.

The following minimum requirements shall be placed on all NETI Programme applicants:

• Have completed an advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) at the time of application. Any number of years of relevant professional experience is not substitute for the required educational qualifications. Please see below for important information on education requirements.
• Have proficiency in English and another official language of the United Nations i.e., Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish; knowledge of local languages can be an asset.
• Be ready to be assigned to any UNICEF office worldwide, including hardship duty stations.
• Have at least two years of relevant work experience for functions at the P-2 level, and at least five years of relevant work experience for functions at the P-3 level. Relevant experience should include work in developing countries and in multicultural environments.

Preference will be given to candidates under 35 years of age.

Educational Requirements

The expectation of UNICEF, as an employer is that university degrees presented by applicants satisfy the required level of education and come from bona fide (accredited) academic institutions. Only degrees from accredited institutions are considered legitimate for purposes of recruitment and selection for posts at UNICEF. Degrees requiring little or no actual course work, degrees awarded for payment of fees only, and degrees granting substantial credits for “lifetime achievements” or “life/work experience” will normally not be recognized by UNICEF.

When determining whether a degree is recognized, UNICEF is guided by the International Association of Universities’ (IAU) listing of higher education institutions recognized or otherwise approved by competent authorities in participating countries. UNICEF will normally recognize only degrees obtained from institutions on the IAU list, however, the validity of other degrees submitted by applicants under consideration would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The IAU list is available at http://www.iau-aiu.net/content/list-heis.

Incomplete degrees are unacceptable to UNICEF as proof of academic qualification, regardless of whether they are associated with a recognized higher education institution.