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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 Development!

Experiences from birth to school have profound impacts on children’s physical, cognitive, emotional and social development and lay the foundation for the rest of their lives. Early childhood is a critical window of opportunity to shape a child’s life trajectory, it influences directly the child’s ability to learn, connect, and succeed in the future. Early Childhood Development (ECD) is a holistic concept that encompasses the physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, and language development of young children up to their transition into primary school. Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) refers to services and support available to infants and young children with developmental delays or disabilities, as well as their families.
Currently in Kazakhstan, one in four children aged 2-4 is not developing according to age-appropriate norms in health, cognitive growth, and psychological well-being, meaning approximately 300,000 children under the age of four face developmental challenges (MICS, 2024). ECI services remain largely inaccessible, especially for children under three years old. Only around 20,000 children under age three—just around two percent of that age group—are registered with Psychological-Medical-Pedagogical Commissions.
To improve the accessibility and effectiveness of ECD and ECI services, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, with support from UNICEF, have drafted a joint Comprehensive Plan for Early Intervention and Early Childhood Development titled "Sätti Bastau" for the years 2025–2027.
The national technical expert will be supporting ECD programmes/projects within the UNICEF Country Programme 2020-2025, with a particular focus on UNICEF’s contribution to the implementation of the “Sätti Bastau” Plan (2025–2027). This role involves providing professional technical assistance throughout the programming process from design and planning to delivery of results, preparing, executing, and implementing a variety of technical program tasks. This will be achieved through reviewing and analyzing existing ECD/ECI policies and indicators, facilitating dialogue among stakeholders, and building the capacity of key actors involved. The expert will also support the technical assessment of sectoral policies and plans concerning ECD/ECI, offering guidance and assistance to promote the integration of health, education, and social protection within ECD/ECI frameworks.

How can you make a difference? 

The key objectives and deliverables of this assignment include:
- Development of a comprehensive set of measures for parenting preparation
- Design of a program to strengthen parenting skills for raising young children with disabilities, special educational needs, and developmental disorders with focus on supporting the mental health and psychosocial well-being of parents and legal guardians caring for children
- Development of standardized tools for screening, monitoring, and comprehensive assessment of child development
- Development of a basic package of Early Intervention services guaranteed by the state for children aged 0 to 3 years
- Development of a basic package of Early Intervention services guaranteed by the state for children aged 3 to 6 years
- Development of a service continuity model for Early Childhood Development and Early Intervention (standardized interagency collaboration protocols)

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  ToR_ECD National Consultant_p.docx

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced degree in education, psychology, behavioral science, health, public health or related field. Academic background in ECD is highly desirable.
• Work Experience: At least 7 years of relevant work experience in ECD/ECI. 
• Skills:
  • Strong understanding of child rights and development.
  • Proven experience in developing and implementing policies and strategies in ECD and ECI.
  • Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills.
  • Highly developed communication skills, including presentation in the Kazakh language for government officials.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in Kazakh is required; as well as proficiency in Russian. English is very desirable.

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 

[add the 8^th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

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.

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.