Education Specialist (Adolescent Skills and Employability) at UNICEF

Job Number: 528214
Locations: Africa: Kenya
Work Type : Temporary Appointment

For every child, opportunity

The Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) provides oversight, quality assurance and technical assistance to 21 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. Additionally, ESARO builds partnerships and generates evidences to support UNICEF programming in the region and the wider global education community.

Under the cross-cutting element – adolescent skills and employability - of the pillars of ESARO Education Section’s work, the Regional Office will focus on supporting Country Offices to accelerate programming on adolescent skills and employability and to enhance more integrated and robust second decade programming in the region.

How can you make a difference?

Under the general supervision of the Regional Education Adviser, the Education Specialist is expected to provide solid technical assistance, quality assurance and knowledge building to ESAR countries to support the improvement and acceleration of adolescent skills and employability in the region, including strong integrated adolescent programming at secondary-age education, STEM opportunities and alternative pathways, particularly for out-of-school adolescents.

Major duties and responsibilities:

1. Lead the development of evidence and regional analysis/es on adolescent skills and employability for programme development, advocacy, partnerships
2. Strengthen partnerships and identify opportunities in the region focused on enhancing adolescent skills and employability;
3. Provide guidance to Country Offices on how UNICEF can support governments and strategic partnerships (e.g. through the global LTAs for skills development) and opportunities in the region on adolescent skills and employability through country visits or remote support (e.g. CPD development processes).
4. Organize, facilitate or participate in meetings and workshops/seminars related to adolescent skills and employability to support good programming practices and innovative models, with partners, including the private sector and resource mobilization by partners, donors, and National Commissions.

Key expected results:

• Strengthened research, evidence and data for the region on adolescent skills and employability to support Country Offices with new models and best practices.
• A robust partnership network for programme implementation, innovative solutions and resource mobilization to advance adolescent skills and employability in the region.  
• Improved quality and coordinated adolescent programming and direction across the region, based on global guidance, technical assistance and strategic planning with Country Offices.
• Enhanced representation in relevant internal and external meetings to coordinate, position and promote UNICEF’s work in the complex landscape with multiple actors.  

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in social studies, education or a related field (Master or above), with strong understanding of and expertise in learning, secondary age education, skills and employability.
• A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional work experience at an international level, some of which is preferably in a developing country, in fields relevant to education and adolescent programmes, with a strong background in learning, skills development and employability. Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is an added advantage.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The functional competencies required for this post are Leading & Supervising, Formulating Strategies & Concepts, Analyzing, Relating & Networking, Deciding & Initiating Action, and Applying Technical Expertise.