Consultant - Chief of Staff, Education Outcomes Fund (EOF), Remote (11.5 months), REQ

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 utilize a range of innovative finance instruments at scale, including outcomes funds and other results-based financing (RBF) instruments.

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.

Rationale for the consultancy

We are seeking to recruit an exceptional Chief of Staff to the CEO to support the CEO’s Office. The successful candidate will work in close partnership with the CEO, providing strategic support across the breadth of their activities. This is a vital role at the forefront of decision making at EOF, at a crucial stage in the organization's development. Working hand in glove with the CEO, the Chief of Staff will be engaging with leaders from across government, business and the non-profit sector to deliver better outcomes in global education.

How can you make a difference?

Through the leadership of the CEO’s Office, managing EOF's governing boards, owning critical external relationships and leading special projects, the Chief of Staff will play an integral role across the breadth of EOF's work and will be expected to be able to solve problems, have close attention to details, thrive in a fast-paced and fast-moving environment, be comfortable taking on responsibility in all aspects of EOF. The Chief of Staff will also play a leading role in managing EOF's external communications.

The Chief of Staff will report directly to EOF’s CEO. The Chief of Staff will also collaborate with all members of the EOF team.

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT (TASKS, SMART DELIVERABLES, DEADLINES):

1. Work in close partnership with the EOF CEO across the full range of activities, including, but not limited to:

• Acting as a strategic thought partner, advising the CEO’s work both within EOF and in any advisory and non-executive board positions.
• Leading the preparation for engagements with global leaders (i.e. Head of State, Ministerial, CEO, UN agency head, etc.).
• Writing speeches and talking points for high-profile public-speaking engagements.
• Represent the CEO in internal and external engagements, with delegated decision-making responsibilities.

2. Lead the office of the CEO:

• Provide support to the CEO on a daily basis, anticipating their needs, providing advice, research and problem-solving.
• Develop high-quality content to be sent from the CEO’s office and quality control content produced by others.
• Act as gatekeeper to the CEO to ensure their time is effectively leveraged.
• Work with the CEO and Leadership Team to ensure cross-organizational priorities are identified, understood and advanced.
• Chair EOF team meetings and retreats.
• Manage and develop executive assistants and other staff as required.

3. Own the relationships with EOF's Executive Committee and High-Level Steering Group, leveraging their expertise, insight and networks of these groups to support EOF's mission.

• Overall responsibility for all EOF Executive Committee and High-Level Steering Group meetings, from agenda development to creating high-quality presentations.
• Manage the implementation of EOF Funding, Communications and Political Engagement sub-committees.
• Help develop connections to board members to support their engagement with EOF.

4. Provide direct support across the breadth of EOF's work, with a focus on the EOF communications and partnership:

• Writing op-eds, articles or blog posts to promote EOF's work in the media.
• Creating social media content to use across EOF platforms.
• Developing relationships with high-value public and private funders and impact investors.

5. As required, lead special projects on behalf of the CEO and EOF.

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

• Masters degree in any of the following: Marketing, Communications, Business Administration, Economics, Social Sciences, Public Administration, International Relations, or equivalent.
• Minimum of five years of relevant professional experience, including management or strategy consulting, leadership at a start-up or growth stage organization, project leader for a global philanthropy etc.
• Experience or interest in international development, the global education sector and international aid is desirable.
• The ideal candidate will have proven experience working at senior levels in the private or non-profit sectors, with a versatile skill set that will enable them to contribute across the breadth of EOF's work.
• Experience or interest in international development, the global education sector, and international aid.
• Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in French, Arabic, Spanish or other languages in the MENA region is preferred.

Duty Station

London, UK or Remote (Home-based). Candidates are expected to be available during working hours in the Europe / Africa / Middle East time zones.

Duration 11.5 months

Proposed Payment Schedule

Payments will be made monthly. The proposed rate should inclusive of all professional fees, daily allowances, living allowances, and other administrative costs and should assume a full-time commitment.

Insurance: Consultants and individual contractors are fully responsible for arranging, at their own expense, all insurance, such as life, health and other forms of insurance, covering the period of their services as they consider appropriate. They are required to certify that they are covered by medical/health insurance.

How to Apply:

Qualified candidates are requested to upload a cover letter, resume/cv, and their proposed fees (monthly rate in British Sterling) by 2nd October 2022. Please also indicate your availability in your cover letter.

Applications submitted without a financial proposal will not be accepted.

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.

Key competencies are:

• Exceptional problem-solving skills:
• Clear and confident communication skills.
• Drive to achieve results.
• Think and act strategically.
• Entrepreneurial mindset.
• Work collaboratively with others.
• Embrace change and uncertainty.
• Demonstrate self-awareness and ethical awareness.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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 offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to complete a written case-study test (please allow 3 hours for this), followed by multiple rounds of interviews.

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.