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

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.

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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:

1. Support to programme development and planning
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
4. Networking and partnership building
5. 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 promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable. Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these checks. 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 are conditional on the selected candidates' willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

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, we particularly welcome applications from individuals who can bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to our team.

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.

Visa residence requirements: i.e. 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.

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.