Education Specialist (NO-3), FT, #131213

UNICEF

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Contract type

• Fixed Term Appointment

Locations

Eastern and Southern Africa Region

• Rwanda

Functional Area

Programme

• Education

Position level

Education Specialist (NO-3), FT, #131213, Kigali – Rwanda, ESAR

Apply now Job no: 596692

Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment

Duty Station: Kigail

Location: Rwanda

Categories: Education

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 Rwanda operates in a development-oriented and highly coordinated institutional context, characterized by strong government leadership and notable socio-economic progress, alongside persistent disparities affecting children’s well-being. While Rwanda has made significant gains in health, education, and governance, key challenges remain, including child malnutrition, inequities in access to safe water and sanitation, and vulnerabilities linked to climate shocks and population pressures.

Within this context, UNICEF’s Rwanda Country Office works closely with government institutions and partners to strengthen national systems and deliver sustainable, large-scale results. The current country programme focuses on realizing the rights of every child, with strategic priorities spanning child health and nutrition, education, child protection, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and social policy, all delivered through integrated, equity-focused approaches.

How can you make a difference?

Under the guidance and general supervision of the Chief, Education (P-4), you will support the development and preparation of the Education programmes and is responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting the progress of education programmes within the country programme, including major, complex and multi-partner programmes, that focus on supporting skills for young people’s transition from learning to earning. You will also contribute to strengthening education systems and pathways that enable children, adolescents and young people to learn, develop relevant skills, transition successfully across levels and forms of education, and from learning to earning.

You will provide technical guidance and management support and team leadership support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and achievement of results on education programmes to improve learning outcomes and equitable and inclusive education, especially for children who are marginalized, disadvantaged, and excluded in society.

You will also support the Chief of Education in the overall management and coordination of the

Education

• Section, supervises assigned staff and, when delegated, serves as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the

Education

• Section during the absence of the Chief, ensuring continuity of programme leadership, management, coordination and representation.

• You will contribute to achievement of results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), as well as Rwanda’s Vision 2050, the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), national education sector priorities, UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, UNICEF’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029, UNICEF’s

Education

• Strategy 2019–2030 and the 2026 Education Strategy, Shaping the Future of Learning, and Country Programme, standards of performance, and accountability framework.

Key functions and responsibilities:

• Support to programme development and planning

• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results

• Technical and operational support to programme implementation

• Networking and partnership building

• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Generic Job Profile_ Education Specialist NOC_Kigali, Rwanda.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Education, Technology, Economics, Development studies and any other related fields is required.
• A Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in a relevant area combined with two (2) additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• Work

Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required. Proven expertise and/or experience in secondary education, accelerated learning curriculum and flexible alternative learning pathways and programmes for out of school youth, is required. Experience working and coordination of programme delivery with multiple partners (government and non-governmental partners, academic and communities) is required.
• Skills: Proven technical skills in management, planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of large programme are a requirement. Ability to supervise staff and coordinate teams for effective programme delivery. Education and policy sector analysis capacity and ability to support policy dialogue and strategies to address issues related to resilience is required.
• Language

Requirements

• Proficiency in English is a requirement.

Desirables:

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

• Experience working in the private sector is considered an asset.

• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or major development organization is considered desirable.

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

• 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

• 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. 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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of serious misconduct. UNICEF is committed to pro