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, answers

Schools with effective leaders tend to have better learning outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that female school leaders may adopt practices that contribute to better educational outcomes for both girls and boys (Bergman, Alban, and Brossard, 2022). Better learning performance in female-led schools has been observed in Lao PDR (UNICEF Innocenti & Ministry of Education, Lao PDR, 2020), in Kenya (Freudenberger and Davis, 2017), and in four countries in francophone Africa (PASEC, 2020). Having female role models is also key to the education of girls. Research shows that exposure to female leaders reduces negative stereotypes about the roles of women, increases parents’ aspirations for their daughters, and helps reduce the educational attainment gender gap (Sperling et al., 2015).

Despite these promising findings, women remain largely underrepresented in school leadership roles. In Ethiopia, in 2020, 35% of primary school teachers were female, yet only 6% of head teachers were female, representing barriers for female teachers to rise into leadership positions.

The Women in Learning Leadership (WiLL) research aims to generate high-quality evidence for a better understanding of effective women’s school leadership, the promotion of equitable gender representation in school leadership positions, and to promote the scale-up of effective school leadership practices, among both women and men. WiLL’s research activities combine quantitative and qualitative methods (mixed methods) and follow a co-creation approach, finetuned and conceptualized from the outset with Ministries of Education and other relevant stakeholders in each participating country.

UNICEF Innocenti | Innocenti Global Office of Research and Foresight

How can you make a difference?

The WiLL Research Coordination and Facilitation Consultant will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will

(i) support UNICE Innocenti, UNICEF Ethiopia Country Office (CO) and the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia (MoE) to co-create the WiLL research to increase government ownership and maximise research findings take-up,

(ii) coordinate all stages of the WiLL research through direct field support and facilitation activities with in-country partners

iii) monitor the implementation of WiLL research activities in Ethiopia, and

iv) gather data to feed into regional and global evidence products on school leadership.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  ToR – WiLL Research Coordination Consultant Ethiopia – Nov 2024 – EXT.pdf

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

• A University degree in Social Sciences, development studies, education, communications, or other related discipline.
• At least five years of work experience at national or international levels in fields relevant to education, development studies, governance, or other social sciences.
• Knowledge of the education sector in Ethiopia.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Amharic.
• Previous experience working with government stakeholders.
• Previous experience conducting research (qualitative or mixed-methods) in Ethiopia.
• Ability to work well as part of a team and to forge and manage partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Commitment to UNICEF’s core values of care, respect, integrity, transparency, accountability, and sustainability.
• Fluency in English required.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

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 or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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.

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.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements