Social Protection Programme Manager - P4

Grade: P4

Vacancy no.: CALL/P/2026/01 Programme Manager, P4, CO-Hanoi, Hanoi
Publication date: 11 March 2026
Application deadline (midnight Geneva time): 26 March 2026

Job ID: 13546
Department: RO-Asia and the Pacific
Organization Unit: CO-Hanoi
Location: Hanoi
Contract type: Fixed Term

Contract duration: 12 months

Under article 4.2, paragraph (e) of the Staff Regulations, the filling of vacancies in technical cooperation projects does not fall under Annex I of the Staff Regulations and is made by direct selection by the Director-General.

In order to support the best informed process in the filling of the present vacancy by direct selection, the ILO invites interested candidates to submit their candidature online by the above date.

Technical cooperation appointments are not expected to lead to a career in the ILO and they do not carry any expectation of renewal or conversion to any other type of appointment in the Organization. A one-year fixed-term contract will be given and the offer will be made subject to availability of funding. Extensions of technical cooperation contracts are subject to various elements including the following: availability of funds, continuing need of the functions and satisfactory conduct and performance.

The following are eligible to apply:

• ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 31 and 32 of Annex I of the Staff Regulations.
• External candidates.

The ILO values diversity among its staff and welcomes applications from qualified female candidates. We also encourage applicants with disabilities. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to ilojobs@ilo.org.

Introduction

In accordance with the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), the ILO in Viet Nam is supporting national constituents to implement a multifaceted social programme portfolio with the overall aim of improving the social protection system and extending the coverage and benefits to the people in Viet Nam.

Irish Aid

The global project “Universal Social Protection to Leave No One Behind: Strengthening Systems and Capacities in Malawi, Mozambique, Viet Nam and Zambia” aims to promote and strengthen social protection in selected countries. The project contributes to the implementation of the ILO’s Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All, (SPF’s) 2016-30, with links to the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions. Viet Nam is one of the countries supported by the ILO/Irish Aid project.

DFAT

The project financed by the Government of Australia under its Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), entitled “Towards a Multi-Tiered Social Protection System in Viet Nam that Leaves No One Behind”, contributes to the improvement of social protection coverage and adequacy in Viet Nam, through the creation of a multi-tiered social protection system, designed along a life-cycle approach which leaves no one behind. The project aims to address key issues faced by the Vietnamese social protection system today, including its low coverage rates, the low adequacy of many of its benefits, and the greater challenges in accessing social protection faced by specific vulnerable groups of the population, such as women, persons with disabilities and persons of ethnic minorities.

Global Accelerator

As per Viet Nam’s commitment to strive to become a pathfinder country of the UN Global Accelerator (GA) on Jobs and Social Protection for a Just Transition, the ILO has mobilized resources to support national dialogue and activities to follow up on this commitment, including to strengthen jobs and social protection systems in response to green and demographic transitions in Viet Nam. The ILO, through the UNCT, aims to continue mobilizing additional resources, including by responding to the upcoming UN Joint SDG Fund call for proposals. This will support the implementation of the Global Accelerator roadmap.

Recovery and resilience building in the aftermath of typhoons

The ILO with resources from the Japan Social Safety Net (SSN) Fund supports recovery and resilience building efforts in Viet Nam in response to natural disasters (such as Typhoon Yagi) and climate change. The resilience building part includes activities related to the role of social protection, and ILO’s work in Viet Nam aims to continue to contribute to strengthening shock-responsive social protection systems.

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The Programme Manager will be responsible for managing the implementation of the first two projects, while also contributing to the implementation of the activities under the GA and recovery and resilience efforts related to natural and climate-related shocks, with a focus on shock-responsive social protection systems. He/she will ensure effective coordination and overall coherence of the ILO social protection portfolio, including activities implemented through additional funding sources. He/she will also contribute to the mobilization of additional development cooperation resources for the social protection portfolio in close coordination with ILO Country Office Director and UNRC Office. He/she will ensure that the social protection programme also contributes to the national plans for the achievement of the SDG, under the overall framework of Viet Nam Decent Work Country Programme and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). The portfolio includes the coordination of technical assistance and training activities and the provision of high-level technical advice to the Vietnamese counterparts.

With ILO as lead of the subgroup dedicated to social protection under the UNSDCF Result Group, the Programme Manager will also be in charge of technically coordinating the programme implementation with the Government and other participating UN Agencies. The technical coordination will be done in close collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office which is in charge of the overall programme coordination.

The Programme Manager will report to the Director of the ILO Country Office for Viet Nam (CO-Hanoi) with technical backstopping provided by the Social Protection Specialists of the Decent Work Technical Support Team in Bangkok (DWT-Bangkok). Technical inputs and support will also be provided by the Universal Social Protection Department (SOCPRO) in ILO Headquarters in Geneva. In coordination with the ILO Country Office, the Programme Manager will work in close collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and the other implementing agencies and the ILO experts in charge of other components of the Irish Aid Project.

The Programme Manager will be responsible for the management of ILO components under the abovementioned projects, including the design, supervision and monitoring of all activities required for the achievement of the UNJP objectives and their related outputs, in accordance with the respective Programme/Project implementation plans.

Description of Duties

The incumbent will undertake the following tasks:

1. Ensure effective coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Programme/Projects activities, in accordance with the policies, programme strategies, programming guidelines, administrative and financial procedures of the ILO and country/action programmes and the Joint SDG Fund Operation Guidance.
2. Manage efficiently the ILO human resources of the projects, including recruitment where applicable, training, technical supervision and monitoring, and performance.
3. Prepare periodic and ad-hoc progress notes on the status of programmes planning and their implementation and establish coordination with concerned UN partner agencies; the UN RCO and ILO departments, the Global Accelerator coordination team and Technical Support Facility, as well as external partners in Viet Nam.
4. Be responsible for the effective management and timely delivery of funds/budgets assigned to ILO in the DFAT and Irish Aid Projects.
5. Lead resource mobilization and partnership development efforts to expand the ILO’s social protection portfolio under the guidance of the Country Director. Identify funding opportunities and engage proactively with donors, government counterparts and development partners; conceptualize and develop high-quality project proposals and development cooperation initiatives on social protection as well as emerging topics (e.g., care economy, climate resilience) and integrated approaches to jobs and social protection; conduct needs assessments and analyses to ensure proposed programmes are aligned with national priorities and ILO strategic objectives, and technically and financially viable; report back on results and impact through the Results Monitoring Tool (RMT) of ILO’s Flagship programme, and regular reporting under ILO Programme and Budget 2026-27 Outcome 7 on social protection, and Output 9.1 on the Global Accelerator.
6. Provide technical expertise and advice to the Programme team and when required to the stakeholders of the projects including the National Assembly’s Committee of Cultural and Social Affairs, the Government (Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs), the social partners, other relevant government agencies and key institutions.
7. Conduct research, produce and publish technical reports, policy notes, and lead the development of communication products to raise the visibility of the Programmes. Contribute to global policy work and research on selected topics (e.g. social protection and climate change, crisis response, long term care, etc.) in close collaboration with SOCPRO and Global Accelerator Hub of expertise. Produce country case studies to showcase social protection initiatives, results and impact in Viet Nam, and support their publication process on www.social-protection.org (ILO country brief series).
8. Lead the development of programmes of seminars, workshops, technical meetings and training courses, using where relevant the technical guides and resource packages available on www.social-protection.org.
9. Promote ILO social security policies in the related technical areas of the programmes in line with the relevant International Labour Standards.
10. Promote the inclusion of gender equality and non-discrimination in all aspects of the project.
11. Proactively contribute to the UNSDCF Subgroup on social protection, in coordination with the Resident Coordinator Office and other UN Agencies.
12. Carry out other duties as may be assigned by the Country Director.

Required qualifications

Education

Advanced level university degree in economics, social sciences, law or other relevant fields. A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in one of the afore-mentioned fields or other relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience, in addition to the experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

At least seven years’ experience in providing technical advisory services in the area of social protection, including at the international level. Experience in the area of decent work and the care economy, integrated approaches to jobs and social protection, and informal economy would be an asset.

Languages

Excellent command of English is required including ability to draft quickly and clearly.

Competencies

• Proven ability to take ownership of all responsibilities, to act with integrity and transparency by maintaining social, ethical and organisational norms, and to meet all commitments within the prescribed time, cost and quality standards.
• Ability to develop clear strategic goals consistent with the project/program’s objectives, and to design and synthesise strategies for program development.
• Ability to advocate and provide policy advice.
• Excellent leadership skills, ability to work effectively in a team and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to formulate new concepts and methodologies and to synthesise research and reach empirically based conclusions on related subjects by understanding both the qualitative and quantitative approaches in social science research.
• Ability to develop training strategies and design training materials.
• Ability to formulate project proposals, policy documents and procedural matters.
• Ability to promote a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office, and to focus and guide others to meet objectives at individual and group level.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write accurate reports and to build networks to obtain cooperation with partners.
• Excellent negotiation skills and ability to provide high quality services.
• Ability to plan and support the development of individual’s skills and abilities for a more effective fulfilment of job/role responsibilities.
• Ability to maintain effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or environment, and to adjust effectively to new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures.
• The ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non- discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.
• Demonstrated technical expertise to devise new methods, concepts, approaches and techniques, the ability to provide social protection policy advice.
• Demonstrated experience of working with other International Organisations.

Conditions of employment

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to ILO Staff Regulations and other relevant internal rules. Any offer of employment with the ILO is conditional upon certification by the ILO Medical Adviser that the person concerned is medically fit to perform the specific inherent requirements of the position offered. In order to confirm an offer from the ILO the successful candidate will be required to undergo a medical examination.
• Any extension of technical cooperation contracts are subject to various elements including the following: availability of funds, continuing need of the functions and satisfactory conduct and performance.

For more information on conditions of employment, please visit the ILO Jobs International Recruitment page.

Recruitment process

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit ILO Jobs. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.

Applicants will be contacted directly if selected for a written test and/or an interview.

Depending on the location and availability of candidates, assessors and interview panel members, the ILO may use communication technologies such as Skype, Video or teleconference, e-mail, etc for the assessment and evaluation of candidates at the different stages of the recruitment process, including technical tests or interviews.

The ILO has zero tolerance for acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and is determined to ensure that all staff members and all beneficiaries of ILO assistance do not suffer, directly or indirectly, from sexual exploitation and abuse.
To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organisation, the ILO may conduct a background verification of candidates under consideration.

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