Internal & External: Education Specialist - Learning Passport, P-4, FT, PG, NYHQ

Contract

This is a P-4 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 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 171,387 USD and 220,969 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.

Note: UNICEF Headquarter (HQ) offices in New York (NY) and Geneva are currently undergoing organizational changes which may lead to changing location for some of the HQ positions currently based in NY and Geneva. If a position that you are offered is currently linked to a HQ office in NY or Geneva, it may change to a different location later during your appointment. If you are selected for a position based in a NY or Geneva HQ office, you may commence duties remotely until identification of the new location is finalized. If reassigned or relocated to a NY or Geneva HQ office before your office moves to a new location, you may be expected to relocate to a new location again. For more detailed information, please reach out to your immediate hiring office.

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.

In support of UNICEF’s Strategic Plan, the Education Section works to advance access, participation and learning outcomes for marginalized children through policy leadership and support to countries for excellence in programming. Expanding alternative education pathways, including digital learning, is a key programme priority, particularly in light of UNICEF’s new Education strategy, which seeks to accelerate progress towards addressing the learning crisis.

For every child, good health……

Under the overall guidance and direction of the Senior Education Adviser Digital Learning, you will contribute to advancing UNICEF global results and initiatives for digital learning and provides overall leadership to the Learning Passport initiative in coordination with global and regional partners, as well as relevant program sections. You will lead on conceptualizing, directing, and supervising the Learning Passport initiative, monitoring developments, influencing the global development agenda, generating evidence-based policy and programming guidance, and scaling up strategies.

You will provide authoritative technical guidance and operational support throughout all stages of the Learning Passport initiative programming to facilitate the management and delivery of results on strengthening national education systems to enhance universal access to quality, equitable and inclusive early learning opportunities and to promote better quality and strong school systems, that can reach marginalized and disadvantaged children. You will contribute to the achievement of concrete and sustainable results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology, as well as UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, Education Strategy goals and accountability framework.

How can you make a difference?

Tasks will include the following:

1. Programme development and planning

• Set priorities, strategic direction, design and implementation plans for the digital learning and Learning Passport portfolio. Keep abreast of global development trends to enhance programme management, technical rigor and effectiveness.
• Participate in strategic programme discussion with education donors and partners on the technical aspects specific to the Learning Passport.
• Formulate, design and prepare programme proposals for the subsector, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s Education Strategy, regional strategies and national priorities, plans and competencies.
• Establish specific goals, objectives, strategies and implementation plans for the subsector using results-based planning terminology and methodology (RBM). Prepare required documentations for programme review and approval.
• Work closely and collaboratively with internal colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies, and to determine global priorities to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results. Ensure integration, coherence and harmonization of programmes/projects with other UNICEF sectors and achievement of results as planned and allocated.

2. Advisory services and technical support

• Provide authoritative technical guidance on the Learning Passport across all UNICEF’s education programs, including interaction with regional offices, key government officials, NGO’s, other UN agencies, and partners on policies, strategies, best practices and approaches on digital learning, the Learning Passport and other related issues
• Coordinate and ensure the availability of technical experts (with Regional Offices) to ensure timely support to countries.
• Influence global policy and agenda setting for digital learning and the Learning Passport.
• Prepare and coordinate policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials for management use, advocacy and policy dialogue.

3. Advocacy, networking and partnership building

• Build and strengthen strategic partnerships for digital learning and the Learning Passport through networking and advocacy with national governments, UN system agency partners, donors, internationally recognized institutions, NGOs, funding organizations, research institutes and private sector to reinforce cooperation and/or pursue opportunities to promote goals and achieve sustainable and broad results on education.
• Prepare communication strategies, develop assets and implementation plans and activities for maximum communication impact and outreach to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances for sustainable Learning Passport results and support fund raising for UNICEF Country Offices education programmes and emergency interventions.
• Participate and/or represent UNICEF in inter-agency discussions and planning on education and related issues to ensure organizational position, interests and priorities are fully considered. Collaborate with partners across education agencies on planning and preparation of joint initiatives and advocacy.

4. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Promote critical thinking, innovative approaches and good practices for sustainable programme initiatives through advocacy and technical advisory services.
• Keep abreast, research, benchmark, introduce and implement best and cutting-edge practices on education systems strengthening. Institutionalize and disseminate best practices and knowledge learned.
• Contribute to the development of policies and procedures and introduce innovation and best practices to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programmes and projects.
• Organize, plan and implement global and regional capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of UNICEF staff to promote sustainable results on Primary education and related programmes/projects.

5. Programme and staff management, monitoring of results

• Establish annual work plan, including developing strategies, determining priorities, and performance measurements.
• Support the overall Education Section through regular participation in relevant meetings, development of briefing material, technical reviews, input to section reports and other documents and processes as needed.
• Effectively supervise and manage staff and consultants working on the Learning Passport education, including performance management and progress monitoring, ensuring results are achieved according to work plan and critical issues are resolved in timely fashion.
• Identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.
• Actively monitor programmes/projects through country level engagement, and exchange information with stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems, and take timely decisions to resolve issues
• Manage the optimum and appropriate use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity, ensuring timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
• Prepare regular and mandated programme reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.

To qualify as a champion for every child, the candidate must have…

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, human development, economics, psychology, sociology or another relevant technical field.
• Eight (8) years of professional experience work experience at national and international levels developing, implementing and supporting education programming. Proven experience in coordination and partnerships including inter-institutional coordination.
• Experience with digital learning and scaling up related initiatives is a requirement.
• The following technical competencies: Good understanding of the overall global development context; Good knowledge of global developments in education and international engagement strategies; Good ability to support policy dialogue; Good education sector planning knowledge/ability; Good education and policy sector analysis capacity; Good ability to support engagement with partners; Good understanding of gender and inequity issues; Good understanding of policies and strategies.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability.

For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEF’s Entitlements’ page*. If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online* Salary Estimate Calculator

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

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, 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.

“UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”