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Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Education Advocacy, Communications and Knowledge Management Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station:, Education Section, New York HQ

Duration: September 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ/ Remote 

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: 

The Education and Adolescent Development Section of Programme Group (PG) at New York Headquarters (NYHQ) requires the services of an Education Advocacy, Communications and Knowledge Management Consultant to deliver critical and time-bound interventions for the section including critical work to deliver on the communications, advocacy and knowledge management aspects of the Safe to Learn (STL) portfolio.

The Education team does not have funding to cover all planned activities that continue until the end of 2026. Some deliverables are planned to be completed if additional resources become available. 

Scope of Work:

The consultant will be under the overall supervision of the Senior Education Advisor (Management, Advocacy and Partnerships), and work in close collaboration with the Global Director, thematic area Team Leaders, DGCA, regional and country offices. For deliverables in support of the Safe to Learn Secretariat, the consultant will work under the guidance of the Head of Secretariat. To deliver on this contract, the Education, Advocacy and Communications & Knowledge Management Consultant will initiate, conceptualize, develop and/or the following:

General communications and advocacy

• Support in the design and generation knowledge products, including publications communications and advocacy materials for the Education Section and Safe to Learn Secretariat.

• Ssupport and develop blogs, Op-Eds, newsletters, case studies, human interest stories for the Education Section and Safe to Learn Secretariat.

• Develop social media messages and engage donors and partners around key priorities/events.

• Support design and delivery of virtual, in-person and hybrid events focused on key priorities.

• Develop tailored advocacy messaging and talking points for key events including UNGA.

• Support with website updates and document uploads (Drupal) for the Section including updating microsites that are managed by the Education team.

• Plan, and deliver online and in-person advocacy events for the Education Section and STL Coalition.

Resource mobilization and donor engagement

• Prepare and targeted communications and advocacy interventions that support existing partnerships and resource mobilization ambitions.

• Support the preparation of briefing notes and resource mobilization products as necessary.

Knowledge management and effectiveness

• Maintain the Education Section’s SharePoint internal and communications site, Safe to Learn SharePoint site including developing a repository and managing the Education Engage group.

• Organize and facilitate global knowledge sharing events (hybrid) for the global education network.

• Develop, design and disseminate the global education monthly newsletter and the quarterly Safe to Learn newsletter.

•  Support knowledge management for the Global Affairs Canada and Global Partnership for Education – Safe to Learn TAI programme including developing learning products and events, ensuring brand alignment when specific donor requirments.

• Support the Safe to Learn Community of Practice.

• Support the development of STL publications by ensuring brand alignment, overseeing collaboration with designers, and coordinating with communication departments of STL partners to ensure their updated logos are accurately represented in publications, where relevant. 

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

Deliverable 1 – Communications and Advocacy

Sub-Deliverable 1-1: Develop 7 communications and advocacy assets (key messages, interview/media Q&As, advocacy asks, video scripts)

30 June 2026

Sub-Deliverable 1-2: Develop 7 social media packs.

30 June 2026

Sub-Deliverable 1-3: Plan, coordinate and deliver at least 4 priority events for the education section.

30 June 2026

Sub-Deliverable 1-4: Support organization of 4 STL Initiative advocacy events by communicating with external speakers, developing run of show, invite letters (to June 26).

30 June 2026

Sub-Deliverable 1-5: Produce at least 3 external-facing products such as blogs, OpEds etc. and edit and design 10 blogs prepared by the Safe to Learn Secretariat and partners (monthly).

30 June 2026

Sub-deliverable 1-6: Maintain UNICEF Education micro-websites including the Safe to Learn Coalition website. This includes providing technical advice on reorganization of the site architecture and content.

30 June 2026

Sub-deliverable 1-7: Develop a set of learning products, including innovative presentation of two country case studies and a podcast, from Nepal and Sierra Leone

(December 2025) and two from West Africa (June 2026)

31 December 2026

30 June 2026

Deliverable 2 - Resource mobilization and donor engagement

Sub-Deliverable 2-1: Plan, coordinate and deliver at least 3 donor events or high-level meetings.

31 May 2026

Sub-Deliverable 2-2: Develop 5 resource mobilization assets including pitch decks, 2-pagers, key messages and talking points.

31 December 2025

Sub-Deliverable 2-3: Develop and disseminate 10 Education Spotlight Emails to partners and donors and develop 3 Safe to Learn spotlight emails for partners and donors.

30 June 2026

Deliverable 3 – Knowledge Management and Effectiveness

Sub-Deliverable 3-1: Develop and disseminate 10 global education newsletters.

31 December 2025

Sub-deliverable 3-2: Compile 3 issues of the Safe to Learn quarterly newsletter, liaising with STL partners, and UNICEF ROs and COs This includes maintaining the Safe to Learn email distribution list.

31 June 2026

Sub-Deliverable 3-3: Organize 3 knowledge sharing events

31 December 2025

Sub-deliverable 3-4: Support organization of 2 STL/GPE learning events/webinar (September and November 2025) including communicating with external speakers, run of show, flyer/invites.

30 November 2025

Sub-Deliverable 3-5a: Support the team to develop 2 knowledge products for the Education section, including quality assurance of the editing and

30 June 2026

Sub deliverable 3-5b: Design and up to 7 products for the Safe to Learn Secretariat including:

• STL Benchmarking Assessments (x 4) (August and September 2025)

• STL Diagnostic Assessment Tool in French language (September 2025)

• Up to 2 additional learning publications from Jan to June 2026

30 June 2025

Sub-Deliverable 3-6: Review and update the Education and ADAP SharePoint site, the Safe to Learn SharePoint site and Child Protection Safe Learning SharePoint site linking where needed.

31 December 2025

Sub-Deliverable 3-7: Maintain and oversee the management of the UNICEF Climate Education Agent (GenAI bot).

30 June 2026

Sub-deliverable 3-8: Support organization of 3 STL/GPE learning events/webinars including communicating with external speakers, run of show, flyer/invites.

30 June 2026

Sub-deliverable 3-9: Tag and upload up to 150 new resources for the Safe to Learn repository by 25 September 2025 and tag and upload up to 10 additional resources to the repository (monthly until June 2026).

25 September 2025

30 June 2026

Sub-deliverable 3-10: Create and manage the UNICEF/Safe to Learn internal Community of Practice sharing updates via Teams and supporting 1 joint webinar with Child Protection per quarter. Maintain the cross-sectoral distribution list including SBC, Education and Child Protection).

30 June 2026

Qualifications

(1) Education

• An advanced university degree in Advanced university degree (Masters) in social sciences, international relations, public policy, international development, public relations, communication, knowledge/information management or a related field.

(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• A minimum of 5 (five) years of relevant professional work experience, at the national/and or international level in the area communications and advocacy, specifically for government policy change and/or resource mobilization is required.

• Experience with the use of social media for development is desirable.

• Previous knowledge management experience is desired.

• Knowledge of Drupal, Adobe Suite and Video Editing/Production is an asset.

• Understanding the workings of the UN system and some years of employment within the UN system is preferable.

Language:

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

Others:

• Demonstrated strong communication, presentation and writing skills are essential – a clear, concise, compelling writing style, which is adaptable for difference audiences, including mainstream public.

• Strong verbal communication skills, interpreting and condensing technical language or complicated global issues for different audiences.

• Strategic thinking and critical analysis.

• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

• Commitment and drive, with a clear focus on results.

• Positive, proactive, ‘can-do’ approach.

• Ability to juggle competing priorities, whilst maintaining attention to detail and meeting deadlines.

• Creative and innovative.

• Familiarity with UNICEF and its systems and ways of working is an advantage.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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

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 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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.

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.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, are encourage to apply are encouraged to apply.

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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (if applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract.

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.