Education Specialist

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

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For every child, education 

The UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) is committed to advancing the rights of all children in South Asia, particularly the most disadvantaged. It provides support to eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Through its advisory and leadership roles, UNICEF ROSA holds a strategic position to influence policies, strategies, and programming at both national and sub-national levels across South Asia.

Even before COVID-19, South Asia had the highest number of out-of-school children (OOSC) and adolescents, with 93 million girls and boys affected. Additionally, the region accounted for 31% of the global total of children living in learning poverty. Six out of 10 children in South Asia were unable to read and understand a simple text by the age of 10 or master foundational numeracy skills—let alone the digital and socio-emotional skills needed for meaningful employment, personal well-being, and active participation in society.

In alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, UNICEF’s vision for education is that “every child learns,” as articulated in its Strategic Plan 2022–2025 (Goal Area 2: “Every child, including adolescents, learns and acquires skills for the future”) and the 2019–2030 Global Education Strategy (“Every Child Learns”). This vision is built around three interrelated goals: (i) equitable access to learning opportunities; (ii) improved learning and skills for all; and (iii) enhanced learning and protection for children in emergencies and transitions.
UNICEF ROSA works to ensure that girls and boys, especially the most disadvantaged, acquire the skills they need in inclusive, equitable, safe, relevant, and high-quality learning environments. This includes supporting South Asia Country Offices in foundational learning, one of four priority areas for UNICEF’s acceleration efforts in the region.

How can you make a difference? 

As Education Specialist, you will support the Regional Education Advisor (REA) in providing capacity building, technical assistance, quality assurance, and high-level policy and programme planning support related to education systems strengthening. Hence improving the quality of learning and skills in South Asia, in both development and humanitarian contexts.

You will also provide technical assistance to Country Offices in designing and implementing activities focused on assessing, monitoring, and improving learning outcomes in the region, particularly to accelerate foundational learning for the most disadvantaged children and adolescents. This will include supporting Country Offices in the large-scale implementation of the most cost-effective policies and practices, such as teacher capacity development in structured pedagogy and targeted instruction, mother tongue instruction, equitable digital learning solutions, community system strengthening, social accountability, and improved and better-utilized learning assessments.

In this important role, you will also contribute to resource mobilization and the development and preparation of the regional education programme and will be responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on programme progress. 

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks will include:

1. Management and Advisory Support

2. Technical Leadership, Strategic Guidance, and Support to Country Offices Programming

3. Learning Assessment, Evidence Building and Knowledge Management

4. Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:   Education Specialist, P-4 , FT, UNICEF ROSA – VA.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Education, Economics, Social Sciences or another field relevant to international development.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of progressively relevant professional work experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education at the international level, some of which is preferably in a developing country, is required.
• Demonstrated experience with fundraising and resource mobilization. Knowledge and experience working with the Global Partnership for Education is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in staff supervision and management.
• Knowledge of learning assessment and education quality indicators is desirable.
• Knowledge of digital learning solutions (including for teacher capacity development) is desirable
• Knowledge of Excel, Visual Basic for Applications and statistical package software, e.g. Stata, SPSS and specialized assessment / Rasch analysis software such as ConQuest is an asset.
• Experience working in the UN, other international development organization or a Ministry of Education is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of a South Asian language or of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency. 

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.