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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, answers

The UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight is UNICEF’s dedicated global research office. It conducts and commissions research on children’s issues to inform the strategic directions, policies, and programmes of UNICEF and its partners. The office explores emerging issues, identifies research gaps, convenes relevant experts, and supports global debates.

Within Innocenti, the Education Unit collaborates with over 40 ministries of education to co-create and co-implement policy-relevant research. Its work is organized under two main pillars:

1. Implementation Research: A dedicated team of researchers works closely with UNICEF Regional Offices (ROs), Country Offices (COs), and local partners to embed research and evidence into the design, piloting, and scaling of educational innovations.
2. Policy Research: Researchers work with national and subnational education data sets together with ROs, COs, and ministries of education to leverage evidence for policy-relevant analysis and co-create demand-driven evidence.

The primary goal of the Education Unit is to produce high-quality, timely evidence aligned with the priorities of UNICEF and its partner countries. As a result, evidence dissemination and research uptake are of utmost importance to ensure that co-created findings informs education quality and delivery across programme countries and contributes to global dialogue on effective practices.

UNICEF Innocenti | Innocenti Global Office of Research and Foresight

How can you make a difference? 

With a growing portfolio, the Education Unit now requires support of a specialist consultant to strengthen the collation, dissemination of education research information and evidence, and support of research evidence uptake efforts.

• Coordinate dissemination of Innocenti education evidence in coordination with the UNICEF HQ, Regional and Country Offices, and external partners as needed to align objectives and amplify reach.
• Serve as the Knowledge Management focal point for the Education Unit, ensuring cohesive planning and coordination across all workstreams.
• Support staff in use of Social Media Channels and Schedules, crafting targeted messages and content to highlight research findings, events, and publications, and to support report launches and campaigns.
• Lead editorial processes for short form written communication outputs (blogs, briefs, presentations, infographics), identifying new potential outlets, ensuring consistency with UNICEF Innocenti’s branding and quality standards.
• Support events and workshops related to UNICEF Innocenti’s education research, providing coordination and communication assistance as needed.

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

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

• A first university degree (Bachelor’s) in Social Sciences, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field is required. 
• At least four years of experience in communicating education research and evidence products to support uptake and inform policy.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and a keen attention to detail.
• Experience in writing and producing social media assets and other dissemination products across various formats.
• Competence in Adobe Creative Suite (including infographic/video/sound editing) and social media management.
• Skill in collaborating with multiple internal and external stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, academia, NGOs) to ensure that key insights are shared widely and effectively.
• Ability to track and interpret communication data and analytics (e.g., social media reach, website metrics) and use findings to refine dissemination strategies.
• Competence in planning, organizing, and delivering projects on time and within scope, particularly in fast-paced, international environments.
• Familiarity with education research areas relevant to UNICEF Innocenti’s work.
• Ability to work flexibly, quickly learn new systems, and utilize mainstream social media platforms effectively.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset. 
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset. 

For every Child, you demonstrate:

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

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.

Remarks:  

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 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.