UNICEF People and Culture (Human Resource) Associate, Fixed Term, Nairobi, Kenya 2026: Cultivate Talent for Child Rights in East and Southern Africa
At the heart of UNICEF's mission to protect the rights of every child is its most vital asset: its people. In the dynamic and often challenging contexts of East and Southern Africa, attracting, supporting, and developing a skilled, motivated, and resilient workforce is a strategic imperative. The announcement of the UNICEF People and Culture (Human Resource) Associate, Fixed Term position in Nairobi for 2026 represents a critical opportunity for a skilled HR professional to join the operational backbone of the world's leading children's organization. This is not a transactional HR role; it is a foundational position within the newly envisioned "People and Culture" function, focused on creating a supportive, equitable, and high-performing work environment that enables staff to deliver lifesaving results for children.
UNICEF's East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) in Nairobi is seeking a meticulous, service-oriented, and culturally adept individual to join its HR team. This People and Culture Associate role is the engine of HR service delivery for one of UNICEF's largest and most complex regions. Operating from the regional hub in Nairobi, Kenya, you will be at the center of administering the employee lifecycle for internationally and nationally recruited staff, ensuring compliance with UN policies while fostering a positive staff experience. In a region facing humanitarian crises, health emergencies, and development challenges, effective HR support is directly linked to programme impact.
The position offers a competitive local salary under the UN's General Service scale, comprehensive UN benefits, and the unique professional development of working in a multicultural regional hub. What distinguishes this role is its direct contribution to organizational capacity. Every accurate payroll run, every smoothly processed recruitment, and every well-supported staff deployment ensures that UNICEF has the right people, in the right place, with the right support to deliver for children. For an HR professional dedicated to mission-driven work, this is where operational excellence meets human impact.