Closing date: Tuesday, 14 July 2015
Generic vacancy announcement - Education Talent Group, P-5
Vacancy No: E-VN-2015-001545
Duty Station
Country
Region
Job Level
Position#: GVAEDU5
Application Close: 14-Jul-15
Contract Type: Long-term Staff (FT)
Purpose of the Position
This is a UNICEF Generic Vacancy Announcement (GVA) for the P-5 Education Talent Group for senior education posts of the following nature: Country Office Chiefs of Education, Regional Education Advisers, and Senior Education Advisers at Headquarters locations (HQ).
Talent Groups at UNICEF are exclusive lists of pre-vetted, highly qualified professionals. The GVA process is intended to fast-track recruitment processes as and when positions become available. After a rigorous selection process, successful candidates will be placed in the P-5 Talent Group. While placement in this Talent Group does not guarantee a position within UNICEF, it is an important resource for identifying P-5 level vacancies. Candidates placed into this Talent Group will be reviewed when a relevant position opens and if found suitable, will be offered placement through a direct selection process.
UNICEF has recently adopted its 2014-2017 Strategic Plan, which includes four key priorities for education: learning outcomes, early learning, equity, and education in emergencies. In order to implement the Strategic Plan, UNICEF is enhancing its senior level expertise at Country, Regional and Headquarters levels. As such, the types of posts that will be staffed with candidates from the Talent Group may include:
Chiefs of Education in Country Offices at the P-5 level. Under the overall guidance of the Representative or Deputy Representative, the Chief of Education is accountable for the development, design, planning, implementation and management of the Education programme within a country programme. As Head of Section, s/he leads a group of professional and support staff to develop and manage the education programme in collaboration with other programmes and sectors and with government and key development partners. S/he is accountable for the overall quality of the programme design and for ensuring that it is effectively and efficiently managed and monitored.
Regional Education Advisers (REA) in Regional Offices. Under the overall guidance of the Regional Director or Deputy Regional Director, the Regional Adviser Education supports and advises the Regional Director, the Regional Management Team and Country Offices, Governments and other partners in developing policies, strategies, programmes and systems in line with UNICEF global and regional education goals. Responsible for ensuring high quality programming across the Country Offices in any given region, the REA specifically provides support for quality assurance, technical leadership, programme design and evaluation capacity building and knowledge management. The advice is centred around UNICEF key programme priorities, including equity analysis and the identification of gender and other inequalities in education and innovative approaches to eliminate these inequalities; it also includes ensuring that monitoring mechanisms are in place to track progress towards inequality reduction targets and support for cross-cutting programming - inclusive education, early childhood development and adolescents. The REA acts as a critical link between the Country Offices and HQ and collaborates with HQ to ensure that supports to Country Offices is of the highest caliber and is consistent with HQ, and Regional and Country Office priorities.
Senior Education Advisers at UNICEF Headquarters. Under the overall guidance of the Global Chief of Education, the Senior Adviser is responsible for one or more key programmatic (or cross-cutting) areas of the education section (e.g. access to education, issues affecting girls, education in emergencies, data and analysis, innovations, etc.). S/he conceptualizes, directs, coordinates, and supervises, in collaboration with internal and external partners, innovative initiatives and programs in his/her area of responsibility based on the monitoring of developments at the international, regional and national levels; responsibilities include analysis and synthesis of data and trends; and responding to corporate priorities. S/he leads/co-leads and manages/co-manages the Headquarters Education Section Hub related to her/his area of responsibility, in line with the agreed annual work plan and with organizational priorities. S/he provides guidance and support to education colleagues at Country, Regional and Headquarters levels on matters related to his/her area of responsibility. S/he collaborates with colleagues in other programmatic sections, as well as with external stakeholders, and participate/represent UNICEF in various international, regional or national meetings and workshops.
Key Expected Results
Chiefs of Education (P-5) in Country Offices are expected to achieve the following key results
Government commitment to equity, learning and innovation in education effectively promoted through advocacy and policy dialogue with the government and local stake holders, as well as with other external partners operating in the Education sector.
Technical leadership provided in the education sector in relation to UNICEF's key priorities in Basic Education, including ECD, primary and secondary education, alternative approaches to basic education and education in emergencies in collaboration with other sector partners.
Timely high quality, sectoral analysis, to enhance planning and advocacy around equity issues in education, including inputs to situation analyses and/or education sector analyses, delivered and disseminated.
Education Programme planning, delivery, and monitoring and evaluation, as well as reporting carried out efficiently, rigorously and transparently in compliance with established guidelines and procedures with accountability for the disbursement of funds ensured.
Effective communication, knowledge management and networking achieved, ensuring clear understanding of country contexts and the contribution of UNICEF and other partners to the education sector, including through partnership and in line with aid effectiveness principles.
Where relevant, emergency preparedness is assessed, needs for emergency support are identified, and emergency responses with effective coordination are provided.
Regional Education Advisers (P-5) are expected to achieve the following key results
Programme strategies for the region are effectively developed and shared in collaboration with the Regional Management Team, Country Offices and HQ.
Country Programmes are aligned with regional and global strategies and plans.
Partnerships are developed and sustained at Regional and Country levels in support of UNICEF's key priorities.
Regional and Country Offices deliver programmes of high quality standards due to strong technical leadership.
Enhanced commitment to resourcing education at the Country level due to effective advocacy and leveraging. Where relevant, effective fundraising and resource mobilization for education programmes and/or leveraging of existing resources for UNICEF's support to education is provided.
Accurate, coherent and reliable regional information is collected, analysed and reported with an emphasis on equity focused disaggregation and disparities for monitoring and evaluation purposes. Timely high quality sectoral analyses which enhance planning and advocacy around equity and learning, including inputs to situation analyses and/or education sector analyses.
UNICEF is effectively represented and programme goals and strategies are widely advocated for with high level government officials, multi-lateral agencies, bi-lateral agencies, NGOs, other UN agencies, and donors. Effective communication, partnerships, representation and networking are forged to develop harmonized programme interventions and expand programmes and networks.
Emergency preparedness is assessed, needs for emergency support are identified, and emergency responses with effective coordination are provided efficaciously as and when required.
Enhanced programme guidance and advocacy in cross-sectoral areas, including Children with Disabilities and Inclusion, Early Childhood Development and Adolescents.
Senior Education Advisers (P-5) at UNICEF Headquarters locations are expected to achieve the following key results
UNICEF's global policy and technical guidance to the field strengthened in the Senior Adviser's area of responsibility based on strong evidence and data
More countries actively engaged and supported in developing and implementing evidence-based programmes and innovative initiatives at scale in the incumbent's area(s) of responsibility.
Relevant analytical approaches, tools, methodologies and strategies developed and operationalized in delivery of the global education and equity strategy of the UNICEF Strategic Plan. Timely high quality, sectoral analysis, to enhance planning and advocacy around equity issues in education delivered and disseminated.
Regional and country programme strategies and national education sector plans strengthened.
Links with other sectoral programs strengthened and UNICEF well positioned globally as leader in the area of responsibility.
UNICEF effectively represented and programme goals and strategies are widely advocated with high level and senior government officials, multi-lateral agencies, bi-lateral agencies, NGOs, other UN agencies, and donors. Effective communication, partnerships, representation and networking are forged to develop harmonized programme interventions and expand programmes and networks.
Emergency preparedness is assessed, needs for emergency support are identified, and emergency responses with effective coordination are provided.
Management of the HQ education section is effective.
Qualifications of Successful Candidate
Advanced university degree in disciplines relevant to the following areas: Education, Economics, Social Sciences, or a field(s) relevant to international development assistance.
Ten years of relevant work experience at the national or international levels in programme planning, management, and/or research in education.
Experience working in the UN or other international organization is an asset.
For HQ Senior advisors and Regional advisors, proven ability to work effectively in an advisory capacity.
For Country Office (CO) and Regional Office (RO) based posts and where relevant, familiarity with emergency response is an asset.
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of a second UN language (i.e. Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) and/or the local language of the duty station is considered an asset.
Technical qualifications must be demonstrated in the following areas:
In-depth understanding of the overall global development context, including issues such as: poverty, conflict and the impact of these factors on education and vice-versa; and inter-sectoral approaches to address such issues in collaboration with other sectors (including Social Policy, Child Protection, Nutrition, WASH, Health and Communications within UNICEF).
Extensive knowledge of global developments in education and international engagement strategies, including the application of the equity lens and human rights perspectives to programming.
Strong ability to undertake policy dialogue: translation of analytical findings and evidence into development programmes and policy discussions around equity and learning with partners, including government, development partners, CSOs and academia in relevant areas.
Strong education sector planning knowledge/ability, including the range of modalities for delivering education, linkages between different sub-sectors (e.g. ECD, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Inclusive Education), cost-effectiveness and efficiency issues, key institutional structures, components and processes, as well as governance issues.
Strong education policy and sector analysis capacity, including understanding of the core education data sets, indicators, tools for analysis of equity, determinants of student access and learning, budget, cost and financing, education system management, political economy and the ability to apply those to education policy and strategic planning.
Rigorous programme management in education, including programme design, costing, monitoring and evaluation (including areas like classroom assessment, standardized learning assessment, examinations, impact evaluation) and reporting.
Strong ability to engage with partners (e.g. Sector Wide Approaches, Global Partnership for Education, Education in Emergency Clusters, Education Provider Forums, Delivering as One, Inter-sectoral partnerships such as in ECD), as well as networking with other key partners.
Strong understanding of gender and inequity issues in relation to education and development and the application of gender / equity analysis to policy and planning in education.
Good understanding of policies and strategies to address issues related to resilience for CO and RO based post and where relevant: risk analysis and risk management, education in conflict situations, natural disasters, and recovery.
Competencies of Successful Candidate
Has highest-level communication skills, including engaging and informative formal public speaking
Creates and encourages a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment
Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects on-time and on-budget
Has high-level leadership and supervisory skills; provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others; recruits staff of a high caliber; provides staff with development opportunities and coaching
Sets, develops and revises organizational strategy and develops clear visions of the organization's future potential
Analyzes and integrates diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources
Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups. Actively nurtures good relationships with people across all organizational levels and boundaries, and with government leaders and stakeholders
Identifies urgent and potentially risky decisions and acts on them promptly; initiates and generates organization-wide activities
Negotiates effectively by exploring a range of possibilities
Remarks
Please note that if you would like to be considered for an Education Talent Group at another level, you must submit a
separate application for that specific Generic Vacancy Announcement.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.
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