The UNICEF Project Associate position in Barcelona is a seven-month temporary appointment in the Digital Impact Division, and applicants must already be Spanish citizens, nationals of an EU/Schengen country, or holders of a valid Spanish work permit at the time of application. Temporary or sponsored visas are not accepted.
The role, classified at G-6, is a parental-leave coverage position within UNICEF’s Digital Core/CIO Office. It focuses heavily on project coordination, procurement, financial administration, vendor and consultant management, and operational support for digital services.
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What is this UNICEF role about?
The position sits within UNICEF’s Digital Impact Division (DID), which works with teams across UNICEF to use digital technologies and capabilities to support the organisation’s goals, improve access to digital services and information, and strengthen its impact for children and communities.
Within the division’s Strategic Enablers pillar, the successful candidate will provide practical operational support under the supervision and guidance of the designated supervisor. The work is designed to maintain continuity across important digital operations during the seven-month coverage period.
This is therefore not simply an administrative position. The duties combine PMO support, procurement, contracting, financial and budget monitoring, cost recovery, chargebacks, vendor coordination and process documentation.
What would the Project Associate do?
A major part of the job involves keeping projects and operational activities organised. The Project Associate will support annual work planning, consultant planning, meetings, documentation, monitoring and reporting. This includes maintaining trackers, compiling updates, following up on outstanding actions and helping respond to project-related audit queries.
Procurement and contracting form another substantial part of the role. The successful candidate will help coordinate procurement from requisition through payment and closure, while working with relevant UNICEF stakeholders to make sure documentation and procedural requirements are complete. The position also supports individual contractor recruitment and related administrative processes.
There is also a strong vendor and service-management component. The associate will follow up with vendors and consultants on onboarding, replacements, invoices, billing estimates and statements of work. They will also act as an operational focal point for service requests involving areas such as hosting, consultants, contract extensions and changes to funding sources.
Budget and financial responsibilities
The position also contributes to budget management and cost recovery. Duties include helping teams understand current service costs, monitoring budgets, responding to WBS-related queries, generating expenditure and balance reports, and following up on financial actions with team leads.
The role further supports chargeback processes and the reconciliation of purchase-order discrepancies. UNICEF also expects the Project Associate to contribute to improving the chargeback tool and its related business processes and to support the development of a sustainable governance framework for the mechanism.
Another important responsibility is knowledge management and continuity. The associate will maintain structured records, trackers and filing systems, help develop SOPs, checklists and templates, document important decisions and deadlines, provide backup for other Project Associates, and contribute to improvements in operational processes.
Who can apply?
The minimum education requirement is completion of secondary education. UNICEF requires at least six years of progressively responsible experience in administrative, programme, project, procurement, finance or operations support.
Candidates should be highly organised and service-oriented, comfortable working independently and able to coordinate with multiple stakeholders while managing competing deadlines.
The source also highlights project management, collaboration, problem-solving, digital-tool proficiency and the ability to adapt to new technologies.
English proficiency is required. Knowledge of Spanish or another official UN language—Arabic, Chinese, French or Russian—is an asset.
Experience that can strengthen an application includes:
- PMO support, project monitoring, documentation, work planning or reporting.
- Procurement, contracting, purchase requisitions, purchase orders and invoice follow-up.
- Consultant recruitment and vendor coordination.
- Budget monitoring, cost recovery, chargeback processes, service orders, WBS queries or purchase-order reconciliation.
- Work involving digital services, software licensing, cloud services, enterprise technology agreements or ICT operations.
- Experience with UNICC/UNGSC services or technology-service renewals.
- Relevant UN or UNICEF experience.
- Relevant country-level experience, particularly in development, fragile settings or humanitarian contexts.
- Additional formal training in areas such as business administration, finance, procurement, project management or information technology.
An important eligibility restriction for applicants in Spain
Applicants should pay particular attention to UNICEF’s local recruitment requirements for this General Service position.
At the time of application, candidates must have Spanish citizenship, EU/Schengen nationality, or a valid Spanish work permit. Applicants with non-EU citizenship must attach a copy of their valid Spanish work permit. Temporary and/or sponsored visas are not accepted, and applicants must already hold an acceptable permit when they apply.
This means candidates who would need UNICEF to arrange a new Spanish work authorisation should not assume that this vacancy provides that route.
The source also states that General Service staff are locally recruited and that candidates are personally responsible for their travel and accommodation arrangements.
When does the application close?
The advertised closing date is Friday, 11 September 2026. The position was advertised on 28 August 2026.
Applicants should allow enough time to prepare their application and, where applicable, attach the required proof of a valid Spanish work permit.
UNICEF states that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advanced to the next stage of the selection process.
What else should applicants know?
UNICEF states that selected candidates undergo reference and background checks, including verification of academic credentials and employment history. Appointments are also subject to medical clearance.
The organisation also states that it does not charge applicants a processing fee at any stage of recruitment, selection or hiring and will not ask applicants for bank-account information.
The position is also part of UNICEF’s broader operational environment, where staff can be called upon to support humanitarian response when required.
Position: Project Associate, G-6
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Contract: Temporary Appointment — 7 months
Job number: 595426
Closing date: 11 September 2026
Eligibility: Spanish citizens, EU/Schengen nationals, or candidates who already hold a valid Spanish work permit.