Organization Mission

UNESCO is an intergovernmental organization committed to fostering intellectual and moral solidarity for peace through cooperation in education, culture, the sciences, and communication and information. The organization is headquartered in Paris, France, and has a network of over 50 regional, cluster, and national field offices.

The Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) is UNESCO’s first educationrelated Category 1 institute in the Asia-Pacific region that works towards the development and promotion of new approaches to education for a more peaceful and sustainable world. The Institute is a leader in the conceptualisation and design of programs in education for peace and sustainable development, by drawing from the latest research in the sciences of learning, with a particular focus on social and emotional learning (SEL). It seeks to translate robust, replicable scientific evidence into pedagogical design for competency development that leads to holistic learning.

Context

Under the overall guidance of the Director of the Institute and direct supervision of the Associate National Project Officer (Research), the incumbent will serve as the Data Analyst Officer, providing data analysis and project-related support for the Institute’s projects as defined by the NPO-Research.

The incumbent will be responsible for analysing data on how social and emotional learning (SEL) can cultivate and promote global citizenship, sustainable development, and peace through the use of advanced statistical methods, data mining & visualisation techniques. In addition to advanced analytical skills, this candidate must also be proficient at establishing the validity and reliability of assessment tools and scales using both traditional and newer approaches in psychometrics. They should also have experience in integrating and preparing large datasets, architecting specialised databases, constructing mathematical models for policy research, conducting complex regression analyses, working in high-performance computing environments, and communicating scientific results efficiently.

The candidate will be required to work in trans-disciplinary teams, which include neuroscientists, psychologists, researchers, educators, game developers, mobile app developers, project/program managers, and other IT personnel, to turn data into critical information that can be useful for the Institute. The candidate must be a creative thinker and find innovative solutions to problems through the information available. The candidate will need to validate their findings and present them back to the relevant stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of National Project Officer (Research), the Data Analyst Officer will:

Impact Evaluation
• Conduct relevant background research and develop data-analysis plans for assessment of pilot and large-scale SEL interventions.
• Develop and validate assessment measures for research studies using traditional psychometric methods.
• Analyse data from pilot and large-scale research studies to test the efficacy of SEL interventions.

Scientific Communication
• Communicate scientific results to high-impact journals and conferences.
• Disseminate research findings to members of the capacity-building team for the design of evidence-based implementation programs.
• Support the research team to contextualise findings in different cultural environments.
• Support any other institute-wide activities as and when they arise.

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in data generation, large-scale educational interventions, monitoring, evaluation, and quantitative analysis.
• Strong skills in statistical methods with proficiency in R or Python (links to GitHub repositories welcome).
• Solid background in psychometrics; experience essential, advanced proficiency desirable.
• Publications in international journals or reports demonstrating expertise in psychometrics and data analysis (Google Scholar or publication links may be shared).
• Knowledge of data collection methods and experience with mathematical modelling, optimisation, and simulation techniques (desirable).
• Fluency in spoken and written English (mandatory).
• Strong teamwork skills, including the ability to work with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to prioritise, plan, coordinate, and monitor both individual and team tasks.
• Skilled at managing heavy workloads, tight deadlines, and complex schedules.
• Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and well-developed writing and communication abilities.
• Creative, adaptable, and committed to collaboration.
• Experience presenting at high-profile international conferences.
• Ability to communicate research to non-technical audiences using infographics and other visual tools.

Core Competencies

☒ Accountability
☒ Adaptability and Flexibility
☒ Creativity
☒ Judgement and decision-making
☒ Planning and Organizing
☒ Professionalism
☒ Self-Management

Living Conditions

New Delhi, as a duty station, presents a dynamic and diverse environment. The living conditions in this vibrant metropolis offer a mix of cultural richness, historical significance, and modern amenities. The city provides various housing options, catering to different preferences and needs. New Delhi”s cosmopolitan atmosphere allows for easy integration into its multicultural society. While the city boasts a range of international schools, medical
facilities, and recreational opportunities, it is essential to be mindful of factors such as air quality and traffic congestion. Flexibility is crucial, along with the ability and willingness to navigate challenging conditions, potentially involving physical hardships and limited comfort. Additionally, due diligence is essential, especially when it comes to being cautious with street food and water.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. This position is based in New Delhi. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. National UN Volunteers are expected to be culturally sensitive and adjust to the prevailing culture and traditions.

The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included.

You can check full entitlements at https://app.unv.org/calculator .