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For every child, the right to HOPE! 

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Foundational Learning Advocacy Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station:  Education & Adolescent Development Section

Duration: September 2025 to December 2026

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ/ REMOTE

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: 

The Education & Adolescent Development Section of Programme Group (PG) at New York Headquarters (NYHQ) requires the services of an Advocacy Specialist to deliver critical and time-bound interventions for the implementation of 2025-26 advocacy activities on the learning crisis.

This includes ensuring strategic and aligned roll-out of advocacy and communication efforts for Foundational Learning; a) developing strategic advocacy planning documents, resources and materials as key deliverables under a number of external partnerships; and b) developing and monitoring delivery under advocacy and communications workplans.

Scope of Work:

Working in close coordination with the Communications Specialist, the Education Economist, the Senior Advisor of Education (Management, Advocacy and Partnerships) and Programme Teams as well as the Division of Global Communication and Advocacy (DGCA) and other internal and external stakeholders, the Advocacy Specialist will deliver the following:

•     Drive advocacy around the Foundational Learning Action Tracker (FLAT) and its extension, including the African Foundational Learning Continental Monitoring Mechanism.

•     Deliver on advocacy workplans for UNICEF collaboration with key foundation partners on the learning crisis.

•     Create compelling advocacy resources and materials (toolkits, key messages, briefs, and coherent advocacy narratives) to achieve key milestones.

•     Support    major global advocacy milestones and high-level influencing events.

•     Project management the development of advocacy and communications products, assets, and content.

•     Perform other related tasks which may be assigned by the team. 

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

Deliver and implement a global advocacy strategy under UNICEF's education partnership on the Foundational Learning Action Tracker (FLAT).

Deliverable 1: Draft the annual report highlighting advocacy outcomes and results.         

28 February 2026

Deliverable 2: Develop 2 key message documents based on the findings from the FLAT.

30 September 2026

Deliverable 3: Develop 30 social media messages around the FLAT findings and foundational learning.

30 September 2026

Deliverable 4: Plan, coordinate and deliver 3-4 global influencing moments.       

1 October 2026

Deliverable 5: Plan and deliver 5 impact story-telling products on Foundational Learning.

31 October 2026

Deliverable 6: Develop advocacy and communication resources (key messages, calls to action and advocacy briefings) for at least three global or regional influencing moments.

31 October 2026

Deliverable 7: Plan, coordinate and deliver 3-4 regional influencing moments.    

30 November 2026

Deliverable 8: Implement time-bound activities outlined in multi-year advocacy plan under the partnership of the Foundational Learning Action Tracker; includes 1 revision of the Strategy as needed pending partner feedback.

31 December 2026

Facilitate knowledge exchanges to capture and share best practices on foundational learning       

Deliverable 9: Organize 2 Foundational Learning deep dives with South Asian countries.

31 July 2026

Deliverable 10: Deliver 3 advocacy briefings with country offices.         

31 July 2026

Travel International     

The consultant is expected to attend and execute in-person advocacy events (3-5 events are anticipated).

Qualifications

(1) Education

University degree   in social sciences, international relations, public policy, international development, public relations, communication, or a related field.

(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

Work experience

·     In-depth understanding of the overall global development context.

·     Strong education policy and sector analysis capacity and demonstrated results with education policy dialogue.

·     Strong understanding of primary education with particular focus on foundational learning through applied work or academic experience.

·     Minimum of 5 to 8 years progressively responsible relevant work experience in education programme planning, management or research.

·     Fluency in English is required, a good working knowledge of another UN language is 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.