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Junior Professional Officer Programme
The UNICEF JPO Programme gives donor-sponsored young professionals hands-on development experience with UNICEF.
Last reviewed: 18 July 2026
About the programme
UNICEF lists donor-country nationality and an advanced degree. It also lists fluency in English and at least two years of relevant experience.
Eligibility at a glance
- Programme type
- Junior Professional Officer (JPO)
- Nationality rule
- Limited to nationals of sponsoring countries.
- Minimum degree
- Master's degree
- Maximum age
- 32 years
- Required languages
- English
- Usual application period
- Posted throughout the year
- Intake pattern
- Rolling recruitment
UNICEF maintains its own donor-government selection criteria, so sponsor countries follow UNICEF's list rather than the broader UN DESA or UNDP JPOSC lists.
Sponsoring countries
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- China
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Qatar
- South Korea
- Rwanda
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Arab Emirates
- United States
Compare this programme with your details in the programme finder.
Application periods
No confirmed application dates are recorded. Check the official programme page before making plans.