Youth Engagement Manager (Learning and Skills), P-4, Temporary Appointment, 364 days, Maputo, Mozambique, #134166

Youth Engagement Manager (Learning and Skills), P-4, Temporary Appointment, 364 days, Maputo, Mozambique, #134166 | UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund

Youth Engagement Manager (Learning and Skills), P-4, Temporary Appointment, 364 days, Maputo, Mozambique, #134166

UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund Maputo International P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position level Speaks Chinese, Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

Application deadline: March 25, 2026

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Summary by Impactpool

UNICEF Mozambique is seeking a Youth Engagement Manager (P4) to lead a cross-sector strategy focused on adolescent learning, skills development, and engagement. This role involves strategic leadership and hands-on delivery to prepare young people, particularly vulnerable groups, for lifelong learning and meaningful social engagement. The manager will work to strengthen partnerships and advocate for youth inclusion in decision-making processes. The position requires a blend of program management and advocacy skills to achieve significant impact across various sectors.

Candidate Requirements:

Master's degree in social sciences, education, or related field

At least 8 years of experience in youth engagement or program management

Experience in designing youth-focused programs

Proven track record in managing multi-stakeholder partnerships

Strong communication and leadership skills

Fluency in English

UNICEF Mozambique is hiring a Youth Engagement Manager (P4) in Maputo to lead a cross sector strategy for adolescent learning, skills development, engagement, and earning. You will drive coherence and scale across sections, accelerating pathways that prepare young people, especially adolescent girls, youth with disabilities, and those affected by crises for lifelong learning, decent work, and meaningful social engagement and action. This role blends strategic leadership with hands on delivery and partnership building to achieve measurable, system level impact. If you meet the requirements and are motivated to make a difference at scale, we highly encourage you to apply.

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 a Chance

UNICEF’s new Strategic Plan (2026–2029) positions young people as key partners, co‑creators, and advocates in shaping solutions affecting their lives. It emphasizes meaningful youth engagement, opportunities for skills development, participation in decision making, and influence over policy reform.

In Mozambique, where 65% of the population is under 24, expanding adolescents’ opportunities to learn, engage, and earn is fundamental to UNICEF’s equity agenda and to increasing young people’s life chances. With one of the fastest growing youth populations, the country stands at a pivotal moment: this demographic shift can drive growth and stability, or deepen inequality and exclusion if young people lack the skills, agency, and viable pathways to succeed.

Young people in Mozambique face deep structural barriers that limit their ability to reach their full potential. Despite significant expansion of the education system, outcomes remain weak: only about half of children complete primary school, and just one in four finishes secondary education. Many start school late, drop out early, or fall well behind their expected grade level,  leaving the majority without the foundational skills required to progress.

The transition from learning to decent work is equally constrained. A persistent mismatch between the skills young people acquire and those demanded by the labour market—combined with slow economic growth, a largely informal economy, rapid population growth, and limited support for entrepreneurship—means that most youth struggle to access stable and meaningful employment.

At the same time, young people report feeling excluded from decision making processes, with limited voice or influence over the issues shaping their lives. This lack of agency reinforces cycles of marginalization, keeping many on the margins of social, civic, and economic participation.

For more information about UNICEF Mozambique's work please follow  this link

You can also access and explore all new UNICEF vacancies via the UNICEF Mozambique website link herein .

The Youth Engagement Manager (Learning and Skills) P4, under the leadership of Chief Education (P5) is responsible for shaping the adolescent learning, skills, engagement, and earning agenda, positioning adolescent development as a cross-sectoral priority and ensure coherence, scale, and impact across sections, while accelerating pathways that prepare young people for lifelong learning, future livelihoods and meaningful civic/social engagement and action. Specific focus is on the most vulnerable amongst young people, including those affected by crisis, adolescent girls and young people living with disabilities.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities: 

Strategic Leadership & Programme Coherence

Strengthening Adolescent Learning & Skills

School-to-Work Transition & Economic Inclusion

Youth Engagement & Civic Participation

Partnerships, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization

Programme Management & Team Leadership 

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:    JD Youth Engagement Manager P4.docx

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

Minimum requirements:

Education : Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in social sciences, education, communication, development studies, or a related field relevant to youth engagement, skills development, or the Learning-to-Earning (L2E).  A Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in a relevant area combined with 2 additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. This is applicable to internal (FT, Continuing and Permanent) staff only.

Work Experience : At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience in youth engagement, skills development, advocacy, communication, or program management within international or development contexts is required. Demonstrated experience designing or implementing youth focused programmes, including digital platforms, youth participation mechanisms, or skills-building initiatives is required. Proven track record in shaping or managing multi stakeholder partnerships, including with government, youth led organizations, civil society, private sector, or UN agencies is required.

Skills : Strong communication skills, leadership skills, knowledge of children’s rights, public policy, international development and humanitarian issues, knowledge of child safeguarding and ethics of working with children and youth is required.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish),

Knowledge of Portuguese is a very strong asset,

Experience in design and management of projects, including budget management and monitoring and evaluation of results,

Experience in advocacy at the international level,

Experience in training and facilitation,

Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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 competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct

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