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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

UNICEF has been working in Cameroon since 1975 to allow women and children to fully realize their rights to development without restriction, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF provides financial and technical support to Cameroon across seven areas to fully realize the rights of women and children. These areas include Health, HIV/AIDS, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, nutrition, education, child protection, and social inclusion. UNICEF focuses mainly on children and the most vulnerable and excluded families. The population is young and generates strong socioeconomic demand. In rural areas, limited access to basic social services and the effects of climate change led to household impoverishment and severe child deprivation. The task is immense but not insurmountable; it requires the energy of all stakeholders in Cameroon and beyond. Everyone is invited to participate in the struggle to meet the challenges ahead. Together, we will act for Cameroon, a country that summarizes the challenges and hopes of Africa.

To learn more about UNICEF Cameroon, use the link below

link https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/CMR/SitePages/AboutUs.aspx

How can you make a difference? 

The position aims to strengthen UNICEF Cameroon’s leadership in the education sector by providing high-level technical guidance, policy influence, and coordination. The role will represent UNICEF within the Local Education Group (LEG), maintain strategic donor partnerships, and lead ministerial-level advocacy to shape national education policies and mobilize resources. The incumbent will oversee Education in Emergencies (EiE) responses, including cluster coordination and field support, and drive key initiatives such as the Safe Schools Declaration, universal birth registration for primary learners, and the national strategy to prevent violence in schools. This role is essential for ensuring UNICEF’s effective engagement in sector planning, emergency response, and the advancement of children’s right to quality and safe education

• Sector Coordination: Lead and strengthen the Local Education Group (LEG) in fulfilling its dialogue functions, enabling partners to provide strategic and harmonized support to the government and its education vision. Ensuring UNICEF’s leadership role and active participation in sectoral processes.
• Donor Engagement: Act as the primary liaison with donors, fostering strong partnerships and alignment with sector priorities. Foster joint initiatives for innovative and additional financing for education.
• Policy and Strategy Development: Coordinate and provide technical input for education strategies, advocate for funding, and influence policy reforms at ministerial level. Support integration and monitoring of international commitments in national strategic documents.
• Education in Emergencies: Manage EiE interventions for Cameroon, including cluster coordination (needs assessment, analysis and strategic response planning and monitoring), and technical support to field offices, particularly in crisis zones. Strengthening local capacity through local actors ‘participation in strategic decision-making. Lead early warning, contingency planning, and emergency preparedness efforts for the Sector, including climate resilient responsive education. Support the Humanitarian reset (ongoing) process.
•  High-Level Advocacy: Champion initiatives such as the Safe Schools Declaration, Universal birth registration for primary students and the National Strategy to Combat Violence in Schools, engaging in ministerial-level advocacy and action.
• Technical Support: Provide guidance and capacity-building to field offices to ensure quality implementation of education programs, with a focus on crisis-affected areas.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  TA REQUISITION EDUCATION.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, social work, economics, pedagogy, human rights, psychology, sociology, international development, management social sciences or another relevant technical field. Plus, an Accredited Certification in Education in Emergencies is a high asset
• Work Experience: A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in Education programme planning, coordination, and management, and/or research is required. Relevant experience in a UN system agency or NGO, and in cluster coordination/working Group, is considered an asset. 

• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and good knowledge of French.

Desirables:

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
• Experience in the field of Education for the past 5 years. 

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 

(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people 

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.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable  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.

UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reduction. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member’s original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

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.

UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

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.