UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, … Education

The Education Specialist should have experience working in Country Offices (COs) that are in Level 3 or Level 2 emergencies or Regional Offices (ROs) supporting COs at these levels. The Specialist reports to the Education in Emergencies (EiE) Global Lead who is at P5 level. The EiE team is situated in the Education Team in Programme Group.

How can you make a difference?

We are seeking an Education Specialist to join our team under the guidance of the EiE Global Lead. In this role, you’ll support the development, implementation, and evaluation of UNICEF’s emergency education programs, ensuring alignment with our Core Commitments for Children and humanitarian standards. Your responsibilities will include coordinating with headquarters, regional, and country offices to enhance UNICEF’s capacity to provide effective education support in crises, offering technical assistance for acute and chronic emergencies, and contributing to the improvement of emergency education systems.

You will also lead and represent UNICEF in global EiE networks, develop partnerships, and drive resource mobilization. Your role will involve contributing to global advocacy efforts, knowledge management, and thought leadership to advance our emergency education initiatives. If you’re passionate about making a significant impact in emergency education and have a strong background in humanitarian response, we invite you to apply.

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

Management and Advisory Support: In this role, you will provide essential support to the Global Lead by helping to establish annual work plans, set priorities, and measure performance. You will coordinate progress monitoring, address critical issues, and ensure that the EiE team’s work is effectively prioritized and resourced. Additionally, you’ll oversee budget tracking and step in for the Lead as needed, contributing to the overall management of the education team.

Programme Development and Management: You will contribute to the development and implementation of UNICEF’s Strategic Plan and Education Strategy, particularly focusing on Education in Emergencies (EiE). Your responsibilities include supporting resource mobilization efforts, providing technical guidance in L3/L2 emergencies, and preparing various reports and policy documents. You will also engage in advocacy, partnership building, and innovation, working with key stakeholders and agencies to enhance emergency education programs and ensure the integration of best practices and capacity building. More details can found on Job Description here:  TOR Education Specialist – EiE (P-4).doc

The following minimum requirements:

An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, economics, psychology, sociology or another relevant technical field.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in Education in Emergencies programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.

Desirables/Assets:

• Experience working in a developing country is required, including experience working in emergency contexts.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is considered an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.

All selected candidates will 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Note: Modality of placement (either in person or remote) will be decided later