Director, Education and Adolescent Development, Programme Group (PG), New York, USA (SSRRE 2024)

Contract

This is a D-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 16 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 270,944 USD and 326,557 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

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, dedication.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy, in partnerships and in operations. The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022 – 2025 sets out how the organization will translate this mission into action, contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families. The UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2021–2025 is anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and charts a course towards attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and the realization of a future in which every child is able to fully enjoy their rights.

The UNICEF Education Strategy 2019 – 2030 entitled “Every Child Learns” adopts the following three goals: (1) equitable access to learning opportunities; (2) improved learning and skills for all; and (3) improved learning and protection for children in emergency and fragile contexts. The Strategy outlines the shift towards a greater focus on improving learning outcomes, including supporting the development of the breadth of skills that allow young people to become agile, adaptive learners and citizens, equipped to navigate personal, social, academic, economic and environmental challenges. For “every” child, including adolescents, to learn, UNICEF will increasingly promote equity and inclusion. This will include focusing particularly on children excluded on the basis of gender, children with disabilities, the poorest, ethnic and linguistic minorities, and children affected by emergencies. There will also be a shift in focus to expand support for reaching children during their early years (3–5 years old) and during adolescence (10–19 years old). Providing multiple learning pathways, particularly for adolescents, by introducing and scaling up innovative approaches will enable UNICEF to respond to the increasingly important and critical period in which children transition to adulthood.

Goal ​Area 2​ of the UNICEF Strategic Plan is focused on ensuring that every child, including adolescents, learns and acquires skills for the future. Priorities that address the specific needs of adolescents including to ensure their full participation are reflected across other Goal Areas of the Strategic Plan.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Job organizational Context

The post sits within the Programme Group and reports to the Director, Programme Group with a dotted line to the Deputy Executive Director Programmes. The Director will also serve as the senior Education policy advisor to the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Directors, and the Global Management Team and other senior managers across the organization.

Directors at the D-2 level are heads of major functional areas critical to the organization. This involves setting the vision and direction for the functional area to ensure its work-plans, projects, and processes operate in such a way that it directly strengthens the organization’s capacity in fulfilling its principal goals and objectives.

At this level you are the face of the organization for a particular area, with authority to commit the organization to certain courses of action that are widespread and inspire new standards and values that effect its direction.

Purpose of the Job

The Director will be the global lead in Education and the anchored Adolescent Development and Participation team to ensure every child, including adolescents, learns and acquires skills for the future. The incumbent of the post will provide strategic vision and direction for UNICEF’s Education and Adolescent Dervelopment and Participation programme and lead the development of programme policies, strategies and guidance for the implementation of the child protection related goals and targets in UNICEF’s Strategic Plan, 2021-2025, Goal Area 2. She/He will lead UNICEF’s global advocacy on education and working closely with key partners, the incumbent will contribute to the education components of Agenda 2030 as well as UNICEF’s commitments to education in humanitarian action. The Director will be accountable for results, internal controls, resource planning and financial management for the Education and the anchored Adolescent Development and Participation team and for working collaboratively with the other programme teams and divisions.

How can you make a difference?

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Vision & Strategy
• Representation & Partnership
• Policy Development and Advice
• Management of people and resources

1. Vision & Strategy

• Contribute meaningfully to the development of global strategies for accelerating the learning and acquisition of skills for every child including adolescents.
• Develop a strategic vision for UNICEF programmes in education and adolescent development and participation to pursue UNICEF’s mission to promote and protect child rights.
• Maintain UNICEF’s position as the knowledge center on child rights, provide technical leadership in the relevant programme areas through learning, knowledge management and application of evidence to programmes at scale.
• Lead the improvement of the function and develop strategies to support UNICEF’s current and future Education and Adolescent Development and Participation programme requirements and direction.
• Ensure that the policies and practices of the education functional area are sufficiently comprehensive and flexible to meet accountabilities in both development and humanitarian settings.

2. Representation & Partnerships

• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with counterparts in programme partnerships, including UN agencies, development partners, institutions/foundations, non-governmental organizations and academia to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and resource mobilization.
• Advise the Office of the Executive Director on strengthening relations with key partners through effective policy dialogue and advocacy to mobilize and leverage resources for children.
• Support and manage the alignment and integration of GenU’ support with UNICEF education and adolescent development and participation programmes.
• Develop and capitalize on new and emerging opportunities for resource mobilization including innovative financing and partnerships.
• Represent UNICEF in education global forums, including on education in emergencies.

3. Policy Development and Advice

• Guide the development and implementation of the education sector policy and strategy, and guide UNICEF’s cross cutting work to promote adolescent development and participation.
• Generate regular policy briefs to inform UNICEF leadership and field operations on the emerging evidence and new frontiers in relation to the relevant programme.
• Provide leadership in the development of the major policies, regulations and rules, and systems that underpin the work of the Education and Adolescent Development and Participation Programme.

4. Management of people and resources

• Lead UNICEF’s Global Technical Team in Education and Adolescent Development
• Provide guidance and oversight to the children on the move agenda working with the Global Lead on Adolescent
• Ensure cross-sectoral (nutrition, gender, adolescents, WASH, social policy, child protection, health) and cross-divisional (EMOPs, DHR, DAPM, Supply Division, PPD and PFP, Natcoms) programme collaboration to align and maximize UNICEF’s support to regions and countries.
• Support the leadership and management of Programme Group working collaboratively with the Directors of the other Programme Teams and the Director of Programme Group including contributing to the steer and management of the Headquarters Efficiency Initiative (HQEI).
• Lead the management of the human, financial and material resources assigned to the Education and Adolescent Development and Participation Programme Team.
• Ensure accountability and fiduciary integrity in the Education Programme’s budget execution when leading the programme’s strategic budget preparation exercises.
• Create a unified culture to achieve common goals and objectives by motivating, coaching and supporting staff in the Programme.
• Develop and manage workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, learning and career management of staff.
• Manage staff performance and development through regular feedback, mentoring and career planning.

Key Performance Indicators include

• Leadership in strategic planning
• Policy development
• Programme implementation guidance
• Management of UNICEF’s human, financial and material resources assigned to the portfolio.

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

• Credibility and technical excellence in education and adolescent development.
• Recognized management skills in a multicultural setting, combined with ability to achieve results through motivating people and influencing partners.
• Results-oriented decision-making ability with an aptitude to address operational challenges and for developing practical solutions.
• Innovation mindset with risk management ability and a proven track record as a successful agent of change.
• Rigorous analytical and conceptual thinking.
• High sense of integrity, trust and confidence.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including the ability to set out a coherent analysis in presentations.
• Strong diplomatic and communication skills and the ability to develop effective working relationships with clients and counterparts at the appropriate levels.
• Ability to represent UNICEF in international fora.

Recruitment Qualifications

Education: An Advanced University Degree from an accredited institution in social sciences, sociology, human rights or a technically relevant area is required.

Experience: A minimum of 15 years of professional experience that combines intellectual and managerial leadership in an international organization or corporation is required.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEFs Core Values

• Commitment
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
• Sustainability

UNICEFs Core Competencies

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (3)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (3)
• Works Collaboratively with others (3)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (3)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (3)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (3)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (3)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (3)

Our competency framework; http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks: UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.