Education Specialist – Learning Passport Digital Content Lead (P4), PG – Education (Temporary Appointment 364days) #00125091 (Fully Remote)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

“Ideally, this position will be based in New York. However, the position has the option for a fully remote work modality. This will be determined based on the preferred candidate’s location and availability to relocate. In the event, that a remote work modality is selected, no installation to the duty station will be applicable and relevant entitlements will be adjusted based on lower of the two costs between the remote work location and the duty station.”

The Learning Passport (LP) is the flagship Digital Learning Programme of UNICEF, developed as a partnership between UNICEF and Microsoft. The Learning Passport delivers digital learning experiences to children around the world, in both connected and unconnected environments. While working on the offline deployment model for unconnected learners, the program initiated an online, web-based deployment in response to the global COVID-19 emergency, as the closure of schools, institutions, and facilities resulted in the need to reach children outside of school with educational content. As a result there is now a vibrant LP online community of 3.5m+ learners across 30 countries, each with specific content needs and support. In addition, the Learning Passport offline program continues, with pilot countries coming on through 2023 as we seek to enter a scale phase in 2024

In this context, there is a continued crucial need for centralized capacity to deliver digital content strategies, guidance, and partnerships in support LP mission, advising countries on what good looks like and, more importantly, how to get it.

The Learning Passport aims to improve learning outcomes of learners by offering a customizable digital platform to serve all means of content, from national curriculum to supplemental resources, to user groups identified by UNICEF country offices and the governments they support. The LP team supports countries in utilizing locally sourced content with best practices and technical advisory services, and in addition maintains a global library of content for adaptation and use by requesting offices. The LP team also has several content partners and a newly developed Content Studio, meeting on demand country and organizational requests for content support and services.

For every child, Education for all……

Under the guidance of the P-4 Education Specialist (Learning Passport Global Program Manager), this position is accountable for providing technical support to the LP Global Team in the major content workstreams in place both at HQ, regional, and country levels, including, but not exclusive to, supporting country content portfolios in their LP programmes and leading the global LP content studio. Significant coordination with LP content partners will also be a core component of the role.

The Specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and achievement of results on Learning Passport programme to improve learning outcomes and equitable and inclusive education, especially for children who are marginalized, disadvantaged and excluded in society.

The Specialist contributes to achievement of results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), as well as UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance, and accountability framework.

How can you make a difference?

Content Development and management:

• Deliver on the LP content strategy, guiding Country Offices and implementing organisatoins on best-in-class content standards and digital learning approaches.
• Develop guidance on content quality for teachers, teachers training programs, formal and non-formal education, in line with the support requested by the Global LP Team.
• Work with the Global LP Team and Country Offices to support the design and develop LP compliant e-learning content, such as videos, games, ppts, quizzes, etc.
• Manage LP content-specific partnerships and coalitions, serving Country Office requests. Continue to develop content partnerships for use by countries and other bodies in UNICEF
• Document technical issues related to content, which were encountered on the online and offline instances, and work with both the LP and Microsoft technical teams to address issues and deliver excellent experiences to users.
• Scan emerging and available sources of quality content available nationally, regionally, and globally, enabling its utilization and sharing via the LP Global Digital Library.

Support coordination with national and international stakeholders:

• Regular communication with the UNICEF Regional Offices, UNICEF Headquarters in New York, as well as other Country Offices.
• Serve as a best practice ‘clearing house’ for Country Office content strategies and partnerships
• Build, maintain and sustain close working partnerships with relevant civil society, government counterparts, national stakeholders, global partners, and academia through active networking, advocacy and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results on the Learning Passport.
• Share best practices between Learning Passport participating countries and other countries in the regions with similar efforts..
• Prepare communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships and support fund raising for education programmes.
• Participate and/or represent UNICEF in appropriate forums and inter-agency discussions on education and related issues to digital learning, ensuring organizational position, interests and priorities are fully considered.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Apply and introduce innovative approaches and good practices to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable Learning Passport programme results related to content development and management.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of content related best practices to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable digital content development and adoption.
• Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of stakeholders to promote sustainable content development and management strategies on Learning Passport programme.

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

• Advanced University degree in IT, Education, Educational technology, Child Development, International Relations, Social sciences, or another relevant field is required.
• Minimum 8 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in education technology, digital content management, and capacity building of learners and educators is required.
• Demonstrated experience in creating and editing content; experience creating content for web, for young people, or for use by secondary-level students is highly desired.
• Strong understanding of how to evaluate and measure content quality and effectiveness.
• Knowledge of the latest developments in digital (education) solutions and platforms is desired.
• Experience in digital learning design and interaction design concepts will be great value.
• Experience leading and/or supporting international programmes would be an advantage.
• Very good technical understanding and familiarity with information and/or learning management systems.
• Working knowledge of at least Office 365 tools, MS Teams, SharePoint.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, French or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability (CRITA), and sustainability

Please click Here to view UNICEF’s core values and Here to view our competency framework.

UNICEF competencies required for this post are.

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to including everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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.

UNICEF is committed to promoting 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. 

Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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 only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”

For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEF’s Entitlements’ page.  If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online Salary Estimate Calculator

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.