Current vacancies

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines fordeveloping countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

Consultancy Title: Strategic Partner Engagement Consultancy

Division/Duty Station: Programme Group/Education, NYHQ

Duration: 1 October 2025 – 31 March 2026

Home/ Office Based: Remote

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

The global learning crisis is widening, with a growing disconnect between education and the development of essential skills. This challenge is further compounded by humanitarian emergencies, climate change, and systemic education failures, disrupting learning for millions of children. In response, UNICEF’s Education Strategy (2019–2030), Every Child Learns, positions innovation as a key driver of educational access and quality.

Within this framework, the Learning Passport—UNICEF’s flagship digital learning platform, co-developed with Microsoft—has emerged as a critical solution for delivering flexible, high-quality education, especially in crisis-affected and underserved contexts. Now active in over 48+ countries and reaching more than 11 million learners, the platform exemplifies how digital tools can help bridge the gap between learning and skills development. As it continues to scale, a comprehensive strategic partnership approach is essential to ensure its sustainability, reach, and continued innovation of the programme.

To advance its Digital Learning Strategy (2025–2030), UNICEF is establishing a new Strategic Partner Engagement Consultancy. This consultancy will focus on managing critical partner negotiations, roadmaps, and events, , and delivering joint strategies and agreements that will continue to build the technical and programmatic foundations of the Learning Passport programme. The successful result(s) of this consultancy will advance the priorities of UNICEF’s new Digital Learning Strategy and contribute to the goals of the coming Strategic Plan.

The consultant will work closely with the Learning Passport Global Lead to support targeted, and core, partnership negotiation and engagement workflows. This will include guiding the technical strategic direction of agreements to best deliver programmatic results, with a focus on supporting successful executive engagements of UNICEF and its key Learning Passport partners.

Additionally, the consultant will support the management of the Learning Passport Leadership Council—under the direction of the Global Lead—and collaborate with all major Learning Passport partners. These efforts will contribute directly to the successful implementation of UNICEF’s Digital Learning Strategy (2025–2030) by successfully managing private sector engagements needed to scale digital learning initiatives globally. 

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree) in international relations or another related field, including but not limited to the following fields: political science, health, education, economics or international business, business administration or international development.
• In lieu of an advanced university degree, a bachelor’s degree and an additional 4 years of work experience will be considered.
• The individual should be highly proficient in a range of PC/web applications, including but not limited to: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and MS Outlook.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• A minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience is required, including demonstrated expertise in managing complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships, engaging with the private sector, and leading resource mobilization efforts at the national and/or international level within the development sector and/or a global private sector organization.
• Experience in developing, launching, and managing shared value partnerships across the UN with private and public sector partners, including securing and negotiating multi-year, multi-million-dollar agreements; managing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives; and demonstrated ability to shape and lead strategic technology partnerships with private sector stakeholders is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience establishing and facilitating high-level advisory councils or technical working groups, particularly those focused on digital learning, education technology, or innovation in the development sector, is considered a strong asset.
• It is preferable that the individual has experience with, or in, multilateral institutions, UNICEF or another UN Agency, Fund or Programme. Knowledge of UNICEF context essential.
• Experience with the Learning Passport or a similar digital platform is considered an asset.
• Experience scaling EdTech solutions, especially within the UN system, is considered 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.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

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 Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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. 

Remarks:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.