Consultant (6 months) - Fundraising Specialist, Education Outcomes Fund (London, UK or remote work)

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, education . . .

There are few greater challenges faced by the global community than the twin crises of learning poverty and youth unemployment. In response, the Education Commission (chaired by Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister and UN Special Envoy for Global Education) and the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (chaired by Sir Ronald Cohen) came together to create EOF. We aim to improve the education and employment outcomes of 10 million children and youth by supporting governments to utilise a range of innovative finance instruments at scale, including outcomes funds and other results-based financing (RBF) instruments.

EOF is backed by a range of world leaders who support this objective, as well as leaders in education and impact investing. Our Executive Committee includes Sir Ronald Cohen, Sir Michael Barber, Dolika Banda, George Werner and Rob Jenkins. Our High Level Steering Group includes, amongst others, Aliko Dangote, Aicha Bah Diallo, Henrietta Fore, Jakaya Kikwete, Felipe Calderon and Christos Stylianides.

EOF supports improvements in the quality of education and skills programs, with a special focus on underserved populations, including the hardest to reach; rural populations, girls, children with disabilities, and refugees. It measures (and pays for) what matters – both core skills like literacy and numeracy, but also critical 21st Century skills such as socio-emotional skills, ICT skills, and other broader fundamentals of a quality education. It helps close the persistent gap between the skills needed by employers and those attained by today’s youth by paying for employment and retention outcomes.

For all the above, EOF pays primarily on the basis of the results achieved, ensuring that taxpayer-funded domestic resources, aid, and philanthropic funds are only used to pay for what works. This is a game-changing way to finance results in education. It is more than just a fund – it is a powerful new set of partnerships and way of working.

Together with our supporters, we believe this is the early stages of a much larger movement. Our approach is at the cutting edge of development finance, shifting risk to the private sector, crowding in private capital, and harnessing the capacity and capability of non-state actors, with huge potential to achieve better outcomes for children and youth around the world.

Since our inception in 2018, EOF has:

• Partnered with governments in Ghana and Sierra Leone to establish what will be, once launched, the two largest outcomes funds to date in developing countries.
• Become established as a leading global player in RBF, and the only dedicated centre of expertise for RBF in education and skills.
• Become established as the first outcomes fund hosted by the United Nations.
• Built our institutional capacity to contract and implement large scale outcomes funds more efficiently and effectively than historic impact bonds.

• Established a strong culture of performance, and an active focus on ongoing professional development for all our team.

  Terms of Reference

• Partnered with governments in Ghana and Sierra Leone to establish what will be, once launched, the two largest outcomes funds to date in developing countries.

• Become established as a leading global player in RBF, and the only dedicated centre of expertise for RBF in education and skills.
• Become established as the first outcomes fund hosted by the United Nations.
• Built our institutional capacity to contract and implement large scale outcomes funds more efficiently and effectively than historic impact bonds.
• Established a strong culture of performance, and an active focus on ongoing professional development for all our team.

Rationale for the consultancy

The Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) is dedicated to achieving quality education and employment outcomes for children and youth globally. Our small but mighty team engages on a daily basis with stakeholders at the highest levels across government, the international development community, the private sector, and civil society.

At this exciting growth stage in EOF's development, as we're scaling our approach in countries across the world, we are seeking a senior Fundraising Specialist, with responsibility for raising our operational funds. This exciting role will require an experienced and creative leader. Success will be crucial to enabling EOF's mission, supporting the education and skills development of 10M children and young people.

How can you make a difference?

EOF is looking for an outstanding Fundraising Specialist to join the Partnerships Team. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in fundraising from private foundations, philanthropists, and public institutions.

The consultant will provide strategic and tactical leadership across all areas of fundraising aiming to maximize contributions to Secretariat and outcomes funding, ensuring fundraising strategy is continuously optimized and best practices are adopted to keep a high level of quality and success in EOF fundraising.

The consultant will report to the EOF Director.

Tasks and Responsibilities

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT (TASKS)

Tasks

Developing the operational funding strategy for EOF and leading its implementation

Delivery responsibility for annual operational funding target of ~$2.5m

Leading the research function to identify new partners and to refine our approach to existing partners; own the funnel for new operational funders

Cultivating new funding partnerships, leveraging relationships of EOF's principals, pre-existing relationships and research

Terms of Reference

Donor and prospect management: ensuring best-in-class use of data and systems to strengthen existing donor relations and develop new ones

Relationship ownership management: coordinating colleagues and their relationships with partners across government, private sector and HNWIs

Proposal development and presentation: writing content, messaging and presentations to pitch opportunities to new and existing partners

Reporting & communications: completing donor reports and updating donors verbally and in writing

Extensive engagement with senior stakeholders: events, meetings, calls, emails with donors alone and with colleagues from the team and governing boards

Building close relationships with members of the Executive Committee, High-Level Steering Group, and Funding Sub -Committee

Line management responsibility for research and funding associates

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Marketing, Fundraising, Business Administration, Economics, Social Sciences, Public Administration, International Relations, or equivalent.
• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant working experience in fundraising on the global market.
• Relevant professional experience in senior fundraising roles.
• Experience in working at a senior level with board members, foundations, and philanthropists.
• Experience or interest in international development, the global education sector, and international aid.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

How to apply

Please complete your profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system.

Please indicate your ability, availability and financial proposal (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a financial proposal will not be considered.

Duty Station

The majority of our team is London-based, although remote working is possible. Candidates are expected to be available during UK working hours.

Proposed Payment Schedule

Select proposed methodology: Monthly

Salary range will depend on the skills and experience of the selected candidate. Salary range may be adjusted based on the place of residence.

Travel

For individual contractors and consultants, all travel arrangements to commence the assignment, including insurance and visas, will be managed and paid by the individual. Therefore, expected travel costs must be included as a budget item in the financial proposal. Should “mission travel” be required, UNICEF will manage and pay for travel via Travel Authorization. However, this will be subject to the following prerequisites: Medical Clearance, Security Clearance through the Travel Request Information Process (TRIP) system, the Basic and Advanced Security in the Field Trainings, Travel Visa, and liability waiver. The consultant/individual contractor is responsible for arranging his/her own travel and submit invoices to UNICEF for payment as part of the contract.

Insurance

UNICEF will not be responsible for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the volunteer’s service. Therefore, the selected candidate must provide proof of enrollment in a health/accident plan prior to starting his/her work.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Thinks and acts strategically (1)
• Works collaboratively with others (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
• Demonstrate self-awareness and ethical awareness (1)

Functional competencies:

• Analyzing (2)
• Persuading and Influencing (3)
• Entrepreneurial Thinking (2)

View our competency framework: here

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.