UNICEF New and Emerging Talent Initiative (NETI) Programme 2018 for young Professionals

Application Deadline: October 22nd 2018

The New and Emerging Talent Initiative (NETI) is a unique entry point for dynamic professionals interested in pursuing an international career with UNICEF.

As part of UNICEF’s global talent management strategy, NETI focuses on attracting, selecting, developing and retaining new mid-career talent.

Successful candidates are placed in a Talent Group associated with the relevant functional area for a period of three years. Upon placement, candidates will be enrolled in the NETI Career Development Programme with a full portfolio of mentoring, coaching and peer support.

Eligibility Requirements:

The NETI Programme is open for internal and external candidates irrespective of category and level, provided they meet the following minimum requirements. Please refer to the Generic Vacancy Announcement for detailed information.

• Completion of an advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent*) at the time of application.
• Proficiency in English and working knowledge (B2) of another official language of the United Nations (i.e. Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
• Readiness to be assigned to any UNICEF office worldwide, including hardship duty stations, non-family duty stations, and complex emergency operation duty stations
• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience. Relevant experience should include, but not limit to, work in developing countries and multicultural environments.

• NETI participants have the opportunity to undertake a unique learning and career development path, including a two-week orientation at UNICEF’s New York Headquarters (NYHQ).
• As part of the orientation, participants attend learning sessions and workshops that are designed to help them acclimate to their new roles and increase their familiarity with the processes of the organization.
• During the orientation, NETI participants get an overview of the organization’s strategies, initiatives and challenges.
• Participants will also have networking opportunities with NETI fellows around the globe and New York Headquarters’ staff.

Mentoring

NETI participants have the opportunity to choose a mentor, who is a knowledgeable and experienced UNICEF staff member.  The Mentoring Programme is designed to:

• Develop a better understanding of organizational priorities, policies, and recent developments
• Identify the most relevant information/documentation from sources inside and outside UNICEF
• Increase awareness and integration of cross-cutting issues to programming/operations work
• Obtain a broader perspective on the challenges facing the organization, region, and/or country office
• Gain insight into the culture and informal communication lines of the organization – how it is really done
• Understand the organizational rationale behind the business processes (e.g. contracting, approval flows) to avoid misuse of resources and help the flow between process and results
• Learn how UNICEF works in partnership with other UN agencies and key stakeholders

Supervisor Support

Each NETI participant will work closely with his/her supervisor in the duty station. The supervisor will be responsible for evaluating and reporting performance while providing support to the NETI participant by guiding him/her on specific development needs, which the participant will work on with the help of his/her coach or mentor. Supervisors are strongly encouraged to provide ongoing and continuous feedback on the NETI participant’s performance.

How to Apply:

Application Submission (4 weeks)
Candidate to complete the following:
1. Complete an e-Recruitment Profile for the NETI Programme, Generic Vacancy Announcement
a. Be sure to indicate your personal and professional background with reference to the requirements and competencies outlined in the Vacancy Announcement.
b. Carefully review eligibility requirements.
2. Cover Letter
a. Be sure to include a cover letter as part of the e-Recruitment profile submission.
b. Submit a separate cover letter for each position applied.
3. Multiple Choice Questionnaire
a. Please complete a series of multiple choice questions.
b. The questionnaire will refer to your professional background and basic technical knowledge of the functional area.

For help on Talent Management System access, please contact eRecruitment@unicef.org.

HR Shortlist (approximately 3 weeks)
The Division of Human Resources and the hiring Office will shortlist candidates based on the criteria outlined in the Vacancy Announcement and the results of the multiple choice questionnaire.

Online Assessment (approximately 4 weeks)
Candidates that meet the above requirements will be invited to participate in a series of online assessments consisting of:
1. Verbal Examination: candidate will be recorded while answering technical questions, and questions in a 2nd UN language other than English.

2. Written Examination: candidates will be asked to answer written questions related to the technical area of the position.

Internet access and a camera/microphone is required for the assessment.

Final Shortlisting (approximately 2 weeks)
A team of technical experts will evaluate the assessment results and recommend final candidates to be invited for the interview.

Interview (approximately 4 weeks)
Candidates who pass the above stages in recruitment are invited to an Interview, which will be conducted via telephone/Skype (45-60 minutes). The interview may include competency-based questions, as well as a technical presentation and discussion. Candidates will be informed on the format beforehand.

You can click on the following document for a detailed description of UNICEF’s Core Values and Competencies. [pdf]

Reference check (approximately 4 weeks)
The Division of Human Resources will conduct reference checks for candidates invited for the interview. Candidates will have the opportunity at application stage to provide at least 3 referees, and recent performance evaluation.

Talent Group Placement
Successful candidates will be placed in the Talent Group associated with the relevant functional area for a period of three (3) years. Candidates included in the Talent Group will be considered for all UNICEF opportunities, including fixed-term positions, temporary appointments, and consultancies.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the UNICEF New and Emerging Talent Initiative (NETI) Programme 2018