Education Specialist at UNICEF

How can you make a difference? 

Under the overall guidance of the Chief of Education and Education Manager, the Specialist supports the development and preparation of the education programmes and is responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting the progress of education programmes within the country programme. The Specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and achievement of results on education programmes/projects to improve access to equitable and inclusive education and learning outcomes and, especially for children who are marginalized, disadvantaged and excluded in society.

The Specialist contributes to achievement of results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), as well as UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance, and accountability framework

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Support to programme development and planning
• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
• Technical and operational support to programme implementation
• Networking and partnership building
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

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

• Advanced university degree in one of the following fields: education, economics, psychology, sociology, or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Familiarity/ background with emergency is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English and another UN language. Fluency in the national language of the duty station is an asset.

Technical competencies:

• Understanding of the overall global development context: including issues such as: poverty, conflict and the impact of these factors on education and vice-versa; and inter-sectoral approaches to address such issues in collaboration with other sectors (including Social Policy, Child Protection, Nutrition, WASH, Health, and Communications within UNICEF).
• Knowledge of global developments in education and international engagement strategies, including the application of the equity lens and human rights perspectives to programming.
• Ability to support policy dialogue: translation of analytical findings and evidence into development programme and policy discussions around equity and learning with partners, including government, development partners, CSOs and academia in relevant areas.
• Education sector planning knowledge/ability: including the range of modalities for delivering education, linkages between different sub-sectors (e.g. ECD, primary and secondary education, inclusive education, girls' education) cost-effectiveness and efficiency issues, key institutional structures, components and processes, as well as governance issues.
• Education and policy sector analysis capacity, including understanding of the core education data sets and indicators; tools for analysis of equity; determinants of student access and learning; budget, costing, and financial management in education systems; political economy; and education policy and strategic planning.
• Programme management in education, including programme design, costing, monitoring and evaluation and reporting.
• Ability to support engagement with partners e.g. Sector Wide Approaches, Global Partnership for Education, Education in Emergency Clusters, Education Provider Forums, Delivering as One, Inter-sectoral partnerships, as well as networking with other key partners.
• Understanding of gender and inequity issues in relation to education and development and the application of gender / equity analysis to policy and planning in education.
• Understanding of policies and strategies to address issues related to resilience: risk analysis and risk management, education in conflict situations, safe school, natural disasters, climate change education and recovery.