仅接受【UNV官网】申请

General

Description of assignment title：Public Finance and Governance Associate

Assignment country：China

Duty stations：Beijing

Work location：On UN premises

Expected start date：15/10/2026

Duration：12 months (with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal：1. No poverty

Host entity：UNICEF

Modality：Onsite

Type：National

Volunteer category：Associate UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule：Full-time

Number of Assignments：1

Details

Mission and objectives

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children’s rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children. UNICEF insists that the survival, protection and development of children are universal development imperatives that are integral to human progress.

UNICEF and China have a long history of collaboration. In 1947, China became the first country in Asia to welcome a partnership with UNICEF, and our first programme provided emergency relief services to children. Between 1948 and 1951, our work in China included child feeding, as well as training to build capacity for maternal and child health care, sanitation and first aid. This training programme later influenced China's “barefoot doctor” rural healthcare system. Our partnerships in China resumed in 1979. Since that time, we have contributed to many of China's most significant developments for children.

Context

This UN Volunteer assignment will support the investment and governance portfolio of UNICEF China’s Social Policy section within the China–UNICEF Country Programme 2026–2030. The programme promotes child-centred social policy so that more children, especially those facing poverty, exclusion or unequal access to services, benefit from social protection and services that support children and families.

Fiscal policy, public expenditure and investment decisions shape the resources available for children and the quality of services they receive. The portfolio connects analysis of national and local public finance with policy dialogue on equitable resource allocation, sustainable financing, public service delivery and accountable governance. Relevant areas include child-related expenditure, central–local fiscal relations, transfer payments, childcare and family benefits, and the implications of demographic change and fiscal pressures for essential services.

The assignment will also support research on development financing, including the links between sovereign debt, fiscal space and investment in human capital. It will help translate evidence from China and international experience into practical inputs for policy discussion and knowledge exchange. The Associate will work with UNICEF colleagues and support engagement with relevant finance and planning authorities, sector ministries, research institutions and development partners, under the supervisor’s guidance.

Special attention will be paid to how these policies and financing arrangements are implemented within the context of China's rural revitalization agenda. This includes examining how public investment, local governance systems, and service delivery mechanisms can better support children and families in rural areas, reduce disparities in access to essential services, and contribute to inclusive and sustainable rural development.

The role offers an opportunity to apply economic and financial analysis to children’s rights and well-being, while developing practical experience in research, programme support and policy communication.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Social Policy and Economic Specialist from UNICEF China, the UN Associate Volunteer will:

1. Public expenditure analysis.
- Collect, clean and organize national and subnational budget and expenditure data.
- Support analysis of allocations, execution, trends, adequacy, equity and efficiency in selected child-related services.
- Examine how fiscal policies, public investment and financing mechanisms support service delivery and child well-being, particularly in the context of rural revitalization and local governance.
- Document sources, definitions and limitations, distinguishing budget estimates from actual spending and nominal changes from real changes.

2. Development financing and investment.
- Undertake desk research on development finance, sovereign debt and fiscal space, including China’s international development financing where relevant to the workplan.
- Compile country examples and evidence on how financing arrangements and public investment affect essential services, human capital and children’s well-being.
- Assist with costing, financing-gap estimates and simple scenarios using methods agreed with the supervisor.

3. Rural revitalization and local governance.
- Support research and policy analysis related to China's rural revitalization agenda, with a particular focus on implications for children and families.
- Contribute to the documentation of innovative approaches, case studies and lessons learned from China and international experience to inform policy dialogue and knowledge exchange.

4. Research and policy communication.
- Review Chinese- and English-language literature and policy documents.
- Prepare draft analytical notes, charts, presentations, case studies and briefing materials for technical review.
- Summarize findings clearly for non-specialist audiences and assist with translation and checking of relevant technical content.

5. Programme and partnership support.
- Help prepare technical meetings, consultations and knowledge-sharing events.
- Compile background materials, record discussions and follow up on agreed actions.
- Maintain activity and deliverable trackers, and contribute factual inputs to progress reports and coordination with researchers and programme partners.

Eligibility criteria

Age：18 - 80

Required experience：1 month

Nationality：Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience：1 year

Languages：

Chinese, Level: Working knowledge, Required；

English, Level: Working knowledge, Required

Required education level：

Master's degree in Economics, Public Finance, Development Economics, Public Policy or a closely related discipline.

Competencies and values：

UNICEF values: Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability.

UNICEF competencies required for this post are:
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness.
• Works collaboratively with others.
• Drives to achieve results for impact.
• Thinks and acts strategically.
• Manages ambiguity and complexity.
• Builds and maintains partnerships.

Skills and experience

Essential
• Sound foundational knowledge of public economics and fiscal policy, with the ability to explain how financing and expenditure choices affect development outcomes. Applicants should demonstrate practical knowledge in the above fields and an interest in applying it to children’s well-being.
• Ability to locate and critically assess policy documents and data, conduct structured literature reviews, and prepare clear analytical summaries. Strong attention to accuracy, source documentation and the distinction between evidence and interpretation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data cleaning, calculations, summary tables and charts, and in Word and PowerPoint for concise reporting and presentations.
• Clear written and oral communication, effective teamwork, sound organization and the ability to deliver agreed tasks under supervision. Respect for confidentiality, cultural diversity and the rights of children.

Desirable
• Experience involving China’s fiscal system, international development financing or social sector expenditure.
• Familiarity with central–local fiscal relations, transfer payments, public financial management, policy costing, expenditure reviews, debt sustainability or investment appraisal.
• Experience using Stata, R, Python, Power BI or comparable tools for analysis or visualization; familiarity with reproducible analytical methods.
• Experience with a government institution, university, think tank, development institution or international organization, and interest in child rights, social protection or family-friendly policies.

Area(s) of expertise

Project management, programme development, strategy, Economics, poverty reduction, livelihoods

Driving license

-

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

The duty station of the national UN Volunteer is located in Beijing. You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.

The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Reasonable accommodation

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

仅接受【UNV官网】申请：

https://app.unv.org/opportunities/1784888021272503