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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 Education

High-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) serves as a powerful catalyst for positive change, delivering far-reaching benefits for children, families, economies, and societies. Despite steady progress in expanding access over the past two decades, ECEC enrollment rates in North Macedonia remain low. Currently, only 46% of children aged 3 to 51 are enrolled, significantly below the EU target of 96% enrollment by 2030. The ECEC system continues to face persistent challenges, including inequitable access to services, limited professional development opportunities, inadequate infrastructure, and a shortage of quality learning materials. These issues disproportionately affect children from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly Roma children and children with disabilities, further deepening educational inequalities.

The 2024 Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes (MELQO) report2 revealed that over 60% of children aged 5–6 do not demonstrate school readiness, particularly in early literacy and numeracy. The report also emphasized the urgent need to support teachers in implementing play-based learning, promoting child autonomy, and encouraging free play.

To address these issues, the Ministry of Social Policy, Demographics and Youth (MoSPDY) and BDE, with support from UNICEF, are launching a revision of the ECE Curriculum and the Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS). This process aims to align the curriculum and standards with the latest research and international best practices, while systematically integrating existing ECE resources developed with support from UNICEF, the World Bank, and the EU. The revised curriculum will emphasize learning through play and will mainstream inclusion, gender equality, social and emotional development, healthy nutritional habits, environmental awareness and climate change, along with stronger parent and community engagement.

To support the effective implementation of the revised curriculum, UNICEF will also provide comprehensive support to preschool professionals through training, mentorship, and peer learning via professional learning communities and communities of practice.

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

UNICEF is seeking a national consultant to provide expert support in the revision and implementation of ECEC curricula. The consultant will provide technical guidance, facilitate workshops, and ensure the integration of environment, climate change, gender equality, and inclusive approaches throughout the curricula. The consultant will also assist the international expert by offering insights into the local context, oversee the piloting of training programs. The role also includes supporting the development and promotion of learning materials and conducting field visits to monitor program implementation.

Additionally, the consultant will facilitate knowledge exchange among stakeholders and submit regular progress reports to UNICEF, highlighting achievements, challenges, and recommendations.

The consultant will be responsible for conducting the following tasks:

1. New ECEC Curricula

• Provide overall facilitation in the development of new holistic Curricula for Early Childhood Education.
• Provide technical support to the international expert (engaged by UNICEF) by gathering relevant documents and facilitating her/his understanding of the local ECEC context, including relevant policies, legal frameworks, institutional arrangements, and key stakeholders.
• Facilitate and provide input to the working group established by BDE for the revision of the ECEC curriculum.
• Facilitate and provide input to the working group established by BDE that will revise Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS)
• Facilitate a validation workshop with relevant stakeholders for the revised ECE curriculum, including preparation of the agenda, invitations, and presentation materials; collection of participant feedback; and collaboration with the international consultant to incorporate feedback into the final version of the curriculum.
• Support BDE and MoSPDY in compiling feedback from the public debate on the revised ECE curriculum and assist the international consultant in integrating relevant feedback into the final version of the ECE curriculum.
• Support the international expert and the working group on revising and developing new templates and procedures to improve the pedagogical documentation in kindergartens.

2. Professional Development of teachers and communities of practice

• Lead and provide input to the team developing a training program for strengthening the capacities of the pre-school staff regarding the revised ECE curriculum.
• Oversee the piloting of the training modules for pre-school professionals and provide feedback to the international expert.
• Support the BDE team in incorporating feedback from the international expert and finalizing the ECEC training programme.
• Prepare periodic consolidated reports summarizing the inputs from piloting ECEC trainings.
• Assess the work of communities of practice in the dissemination of the ECEC training modules.

3. Learning materials designed to support teachers in implementing the curricula

• Lead and give input to the team developing ECEC learning materials aligned with the ECEC curriculum, such as educator guides and home-based learning resources.
• Map and analyse effective play-based learning approaches implemented in pre-school institutions, in collaboration with teacher training faculties.
• Develop a visibility plan for promotion of the ECEC in coordination with UNICEF Communication sector.

4. Monitoring and Quality Assurance of ECEC Programmes Implementation

• Prepare and submit periodical reports outlining activities undertaken, key achievements, challenges faced, and recommendations for improvement related to consultant’s areas of responsibility.

The detailed tasks, deliverables and timeframe can be downloaded here:  Work assignment_deliverables_timeframe.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Minimum Qualifications required*:

- PhD in education, early childhood development, social sciences, or a related field and at least 10 years of experience in early childhood education, curriculum development, teacher training, or education program implementation, or
- Master’s degree in education, early childhood development, social sciences, or a related field and at least 15 years of experience in early childhood education, curriculum development, teacher training, or education program implementation.
- Advanced understanding of ECEC systems, policies, and standards in North Macedonia and the region
- Proven experience collaborating with government ministries, particularly the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth, the Bureau for Development of Education, and with kindergartens.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to deliver quality outputs under tight timelines.
- Ability to travel within the country for field visits.
- Fluency in Macedonian and high proficiency in English writing and speaking. Knowledge of Albanian language will be considered an asset.
- Previous experience working with UN agencies will be considered an asset.

*Minimum requirements to consider candidates for competitive process

*Listed requirements will be used for technical evaluation in the competitive process

Evaluation Criteria:

A) Technical Evaluation (e.g. maximum 80 Points)          
B) Financial Proposal (e.g. maximum of 20 Points)

To apply, please upload the following documents:

- Cover Letter specifying relevant experience
- CV highlighting qualifications and past work experience
- Two reference documents in the area of ECEC (published papers, books, articles)
- Financial proposal which should indicate daily consultancy fee and the Travel costs for in-country field visits in gross amount in Macedonian denars. The travel costs will be paid on actuals upon completing the field visits.
- The consultant will be responsible for arranging the in-country field visits.

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

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. 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, eligible and suitable candidates from different underrepresented groups 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.

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.