Current vacancies

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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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

For every child, the right to answers

The Education Unit is seeking a consultant to support the coordination of implementation research in education across several country programmes. The Education unit embeds implementation research into large-scale and cross-country innovative programmes. The overall aim of the research portfolio is to inform improvements in education delivery to improve all children’s learning, and to synthesize lessons across countries to build global public goods. This consultancy will have a primary focus on supporting with mobilizing research activities at country-level around education programmes and policy in Eastern and Southern Africa and West and Central Africa regions.

The consultant will collaborate with the research team to support the coordination and implementation of mixed-methods research for education programmes, including:

1. Liaising with government counterparts, the country offices and other local stakeholders regarding implementation research programmes in education.
2. Supporting in the adaptation, contextualization, and approval of data collection tools and protocols based on the research plans with government counterparts and other local stakeholders.
3. Supporting the implementation of the research strategy, related data collection and feedback loops, providing capacity building and trainings to partners on data collection and analysis.
4. Quality assure data collected from the implementation research activities and support in visualizing them for research outputs.

How can you make a difference? 

1. Support the development and facilitation of research co-creation meetings coordinating with colleagues from UNICEF country offices.
2. Development of data collection tools in collaboration with implementing Ministries of Education, UNICEF Country Offices, Regional Offices, and partners.
3. Support the Innocenti Education team in the provision of ongoing technical support to the implementation of research plans, supporting the implementing UNICEF Country Offices, Ministries of Education, and partners.
4. Data analysis and drafting of research outputs based on implementation research built into inclusive digital learning programmes.

The consultant will contribute to embed implementation research across multiple country programmes in ESAR and WCAR, including but not limited to Malawi, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. The thematic focus will be on early childhood education, foundational learning and digital education.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  Education IR coordinator TOR EXT.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: 

Advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in relevant social sciences (education, sociology, psychology, public policy), management or information technology.

• Work Experience:

At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience at national or international levels supporting research on education programmes, with experience working in developing countries. 

A minimum of three years of experience supporting research in education and working with government counterparts to design and implement evidence generation.

Proven experience managing large-scale data collection in developing countries

• Skills:  

Thinks and acts strategically
Works collaboratively with others

• Language Requirements: Fluency in English

Desirable:

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 
• Experience working in the Eastern and Southern Africa and Western and Central Africa regions
• Fluency in another UN language (e.g., Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish)

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

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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. 

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.

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. .