Post Number : 4INEDPA064GI

Grade : P-4

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: New Delhi

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Project Appointment

Duration of contract : 1 year

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 08-SEP-2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Duration of Contract is one (1) year, with the possibility of an extension subject to the availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

The UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) is UNESCO’s Category 1 Research Institute that focuses on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.7 towards education for building peaceful and sustainable societies across the world.

UNESCO MGIEP leads the conceptualization, design, and formulation of strategies in education for peace and sustainable development by (a) designing and conducting training and research to build empirical evidence on the benefits of cultivating and assessing social emotional learning (SEL) to enhance learning that nurtures peaceful mindsets and human flourishing (b) translating this evidence in designing online courses for formal and informal learning in education systems using interactive digital pedagogies that are implemented in a GDPR compliant learning experience and analytics platform (LEAP), Framerspace, https://www.framerspace.com/.

To advance and support this unique mandate, UNESCO MGIEP is seeking a Senior Project Officer to lead its newly established Program Design and Evaluation mission. Under the overall guidance of the Director, the Senior Project Officer will serve as the primary resource for (a) designing the Institute’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and templates for training, research, capacity building, advocacy, and outreach projects and activities of the Institute (b) lead the implementation of the SOPs and templates in close collaboration with the other Heads of Missions of the Institute (c) lead action, and implementation methodologies that adapts MGIEP’s courses to the context and needs of UNESCO member-states, and (d) collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to develop and adapt the methodologies for the design and evaluation of the Institute’s courses, training, research, and capacity building projects.

Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for the following:

1. Contribute to the Institute’s Research Agenda

• Design and formulate research that builds measurable skills for online courses, research, and capacity-building programs using digital pedagogies on Framerspace.
• Identify measurable indicators that map SEL competencies to competency development within SDG 4.7 and the broader educational agenda.
• Mentor and advise program staff on implementing evidence-based research pedagogies, and impactful capacity building initiatives inspired by the three programmatic pillars of the Institute (SEL, SDG 4.7, and Education for Peace)
• Develop innovative research methodology to understand the learning dynamics on Framerspace. Use a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods, ensuring credibility of information and evidence to build empirical evidence for measurable outcomes of the Institute”s programs.
• Support the research team in developing international research proposals for competitive funding.
• Adapt empirical findings to strengthen the science-policy, and research-to-policy nexus as recommended in the Second Evaluation Report of the Institute issued in 2023.
• Supervise the development of manuscripts for international peer review and develop policy briefs for stakeholders.

2. Contribute to global research agenda for education for peace and sustainable development

• Identify gaps in the global research agenda on education for peace and sustainable development with a focus on identifying research gaps especially in the countries of the global south.
• Identify relevant partners that will assist in addressing gaps in the research agenda in the educational systems of UNESCO member-states.
• Develop partnerships with relevant organisations to develop and advance a global research agenda on themes within the mission of the Institute.
• Organise strategic dialogues with relevant stakeholders to advance the research and capacity-building needs of the countries in the global south.

3. Coordinate Stakeholder Consultation

• Coordinate with various project teams at the Institute to provide relevant research inputs for different projects.
• Coordinate with relevant divisions and field offices of UNESCO to streamline research efforts to contribute to usage for policy by translating research content into practical guides for policymakers.
• Identify relevant research stakeholders from universities and research institutes to build an effective network for research informed education policy.
• With the partnerships team at MGIEP, develop strategic research partnerships for the Institute

4. Management and Monitoring

• Provide intellectual leadership and technical guidance and foster a supportive and collaborative work environment within and across teams in the Institute.
• Oversee the development and adherence to results based tracking systems to monitor progress against established performance targets.
• Monitor performance against programmatic and operational targets.
• Oversee the independent evaluation of the Institute’s programmes and projects in compliance with UNESCO Evaluation policy.
• Co-ordinate and oversee the preparation of reports and research progress to senior management and governing boards on budget and program performance.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree) in a discipline related to the design and evaluation of education programs.

Work Experience

• Minimum seven (7) years of experience related to design and evaluation of education programs in a governmental, multilateral, academic, or civil society organization.
• Field experience of conducting research with schools and Government Departments/Ministries following specified research protocols.
• Experience in programming, project design, evaluation, and results monitoring in areas related to education for peace and sustainable development.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary research teams, and strong record of publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Skills and Competencies

• Comprehensive research, interpretation, and critical analytical skills. Knowledge of research methods and experience of supporting learner communities to achieve greater inclusiveness, equity, and quality.
• Ability to lead integral work of teams utilizing expertise, vision, problem-solving capability, and collaborative energy in the field of education.
• Ability to use methods and tools to monitor context triggers and determine the impact of various dynamics in education outcomes.
• Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.
• Ability to catalyze new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in the field of education.
• Advanced and persuasive written and communication skills and ability to undertake literature reviews and write high-quality journal papers
• Ability to engage and work with multi-disciplinary teams of experts and accommodate multiple perspectives to provide policy recommendations and guidance in the field of education.
• Good knowledge of quantitative methods including statistical tools andor mathematical modeling.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English.

Education

• PhD in a discipline relevant to education-related sciences.

Work Experience

• Experience within an international environment with a research focus. Experience in setting up an independent research and evaluation programme.

Skills and Competencies

• Excellent statistical analysis skills with a strong command over R or Python programming would be an advantage.

Languages

• Working knowledge of another UNESCO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish).

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as an interview.

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

This Vacancy is open for Non- Indian Nationals only.