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.

Humanitarian action is of fundamental importance to UNICEF and encompasses interventions aimed at saving lives, alleviating suffering, maintaining human dignity, and protecting the rights of affected populations wherever there are humanitarian needs, as well as interventions addressing underlying risks and causes of vulnerability to disasters, fragility and conflict. UNICEF’s humanitarian action is guided by the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs) which set organizational, programmatic and operational commitments and benchmarks against which UNICEF holds itself accountable for the coverage, quality and equity of its humanitarian action and advocacy and which are mandatory for all UNICEF personnel.

Furthermore, UNICEF is committed to support humanitarian coordination through the cluster approach. Introduced as part of the humanitarian reform, the cluster approach, aims at ensuring clear leadership, predictability and accountability in international responses to humanitarian emergencies by clarifying the division of labor among organizations and better defining their roles and responsibilities within the different sectors involved in the response. As a member of the IASC, UNICEF work along with national and local stakeholders (including national and local authorities, CSOs, and communities) to support humanitarian coordination and to improve the collective impact of humanitarian response. Whether the cluster approach is activated or not, UNICEF plays a key role in both global and country-level interagency coordination for its areas of programmatic responsibility.  As Cluster Lead Agency (CLA) for Nutrition, WASH, Education (co-led), and Child Protection Area of Responsibility (AoR) within the Protection Cluster, UNICEF is committed to fulfil the core functions defined by the IASC when the clusters are activated or when UNICEF is asked to support sectoral coordination.

A well-run Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group coordination team is a formal deliverable of the Cluster Lead Agency and forms a part of the agency’s work.

For every child, education.

Purpose of the job:

Under the overall direction and guidance of the Education (Senior) Manager Cluster Coordinator (L4/ L5), the Education Specialist Cluster Coordinator will provide leadership and representation of the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group at sub-national level. They will facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent, and effective response by participants in the sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group that is accountable to those who are affected by the emergency. In their effort to provide an efficient and effective response to the humanitarian crisis, the Education Specialist Cluster Coordinator is responsible for building relationships with stakeholders, for securing the overall coordination of sectoral responses and for ensuring inter-sectoral collaboration at the sub-national level and for ensuring adequate coordination with the national level.  

How can you make a difference? 

Key function, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

The post holder is responsible for providing predictable, timely and strategic leadership and representation for the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group at sub-national level to ensure a timely and effective sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group response. The post holder is responsible for leading a range of stakeholders, beyond their immediate direct reports, to work collectively towards the realization of a shared goal based on evidence.

The post holder's main tasks and responsibilities will include but not be limited to: 

        Coordination, representation and leadership

• Ensure and maintain a coordination mechanism that facilitates the effective achievement of the cluster functions (as outlined by the IASC Reference Module) and the requirements of the HPC (HNO, HRP and CCPM) and which builds on pre-existing coordination structures where appropriate and furthers the development of current or future national and subnational capacities,
• Coordinate with the national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group, ensuring alignment of work and priorities, effective communication, reporting and engagement between the levels,
• Supervise the sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group coordination team,
• Ensure appropriate coordination and build partnerships with all relevant sector stakeholders at sub-national level including government counterparts and national authorities, local, national and international organizations, other AoRs/ Clusters/Sectors/ Working Groups and affected populations as appropriate,
• Build complementarity of partner actions within the sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group, pro-actively negotiating with partners to avoid and resolve duplication and gaps,
• Coordinate, collaborate and represent the sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group with stakeholders across all sectors, including through inter-cluster coordination fora, developing cross-sectoral relationships as appropriate.

        Needs assessment and analysis

• Contribute to the planning and implementation of needs assessment and analysis, including contributing to multi-sectoral needs assessments and joint analysis of need, at sub-national levels,
• Analyse needs assessment data and work collaboratively with the sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group partners to create analytical products, including an HNO based on evidence-based information

        Strategic response planning

• Contribute to national level strategic planning, response prioritization and the development of the sectoral response plan that is based on the HNO and aligned with national priorities, policies and plans,
• Ensure all programme delivery modalities (in-kind, cash, voucher and services) are given equal consideration in the strategic response planning and establish and implement systematic measures for supporting their consideration and use,
• Provide technical support to sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group partners to ensure activities are aligned with national priorities and communities' needs,
• Encourage participation of local and national actors in sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group activities and strategic decision-making, removing barriers to access,
• Contribute to the development of a capacity assessment and capacity strengthening strategy for Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group members and oversee implementation and harmonization of initiatives,
• Lead early warning, contingency planning, and emergency preparedness efforts for the sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group, ensuring adequate cluster participation in inter-cluster early warning, contingency planning and emergency preparedness activities.
• Ensure that sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group response planning is regularly updated according to evolving needs and that it establishes indicators by which performance of the sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group can be measured,

  Resource mobilization and advocacy

• Support partners' resource mobilization to promote the effective functioning of the sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group and its response,
• Monitor, analyse and communicate information about the sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group’s financial situation and resource mobilization and identify appropriate actions to address gaps or constraints,
• Advocate for improved sectoral outcomes, network with advocacy allies and influence stakeholders' decision-making.

• Implementation and monitoring

• Monitor, evaluate and report on the coverage, equity, quality and progress of the response against the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group strategy, priorities and agreed results at sub-national level,
• Contribute to gap and coverage analysis to identify spatial and temporal gaps, overlaps and coverage of the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group humanitarian response,
• Monitor the sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group’s adherence to IASC cluster approach principles, relevant humanitarian and sectoral agreements, standards, initiatives and guidelines and encourage partners to make improvements.

• Operational peer review and evaluation

• Participate in the annual cluster coordination performance monitoring (CCPM) exercise and annual review and contribute to other sectoral and humanitarian evaluations as appropriate.

• Accountability to affected populations

• Be accountable to the affected population by establishing inclusive and consultative feedback mechanisms and encouraging the involvement of affected population in the response,
• Ensure the inclusion of cross cutting issues (age, child protection, disability, gender, gender-based violence (GBV) mitigation and response and HIV & AIDS) in sub-national Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group activities throughout the HPC,
• Encourage partners to demonstrate a positive and systematic approach to inclusion and diversity,
• Adhere to child safeguarding and PSEA policies including procedures for challenging and reporting incidents and ensure other members of the coordination team comply.

       Strengthen national and local capacity

• Engage with OCHA and other AoRs/ Clusters/ Sectors/ Working Groups to contribute to the development of the HRP, representing the concerns of the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group at sub-national level.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  Education Specialist Cluster Coordinator Level 3 - El Geniena.docx

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education:

  An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, economics, pedagogy, psychology, sociology, international development, management social sciences or another relevant technical field.

• Work Experience:

  A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in education programme planning, coordination and management, and/or research is required. Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization, or in cluster coordination, is considered an asset.

  Experience of working in the humanitarian coordination system is desirable.

  Experience of working in a senior management role or in cluster coordination within a complex country programme in an emergency response or protracted crisis, including experience in first phase emergency response, is desirable.

  Experience in effective management of human resources/teams in high stress/risk environments is an advantage.

  Experience in humanitarian contexts is required with experience in development contexts an added advantage.

• Skills : 

        The post holder must demonstrate good knowledge and skills in the following areas:

        Humanitarian architecture, cluster approach and core functions

• Key process and features of the humanitarian programme cycle (HNO, HRP and CCPM), the humanitarian reform process and the transformative agenda, the Humanitarian-Development Nexus and the Grand Bargain Commitments,
• IASC Guidance Note on Strengthening Participation, Representation and Leadership of Local and National Actors in IASC Humanitarian Coordination Mechanisms, IASC Results Group 1 on Operational Response, (2021),
• IASC Reference Module for Cluster Coordination at Country Level (2015),
• IASC Guidance Note on Using the Cluster Approach to Strengthen Humanitarian Response (2006).

     Humanitarian principles, standards and guidelines

• Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, (2020), UNICEF,
• The Sphere Handbook, (2018), Sphere,
• Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability, (2014), CHSA,
• Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief, (1994), ICRC,
• Accountability to Affected Populations: The Operational Framework, (2013), IASC,
• Principles of Partnership: A Statement of Commitment, (2007), ICVA,
• Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, Quality (AAAQ) framework: A tool to identify potential barriers in accessing services in humanitarian settings, (2019), UNICEF,
• Statement on the Centrality of Protection in Humanitarian Action, (2013), IASC,
• Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, (2008), Secretary General Bulletin,
• Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action, (2015), IASC.

      Education in Emergencies principles, standards, concepts, tools and resources

• Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies Minimum Standards for Education: Preparedness, Response and Recovery, (2020), (INEE),
• Global Education Cluster Toolkit for effective cluster coordination and information management during all phases of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle,
• Emergency scenarios, their impact on children, education systems and communities,
• Rationale for EiE as a first response,
• Elements of a quality EiE response in all phases of emergencies including preparedness and DRR, access and learning environments, teaching and learning, teachers and other education personnel and education policy,
• Key issues related to student learning and well-being including curriculum selection, psychosocial needs of learners, language needs of learners, certification and recognition of learning, teacher support,
• Key issues related to access to and quality of education and the learning environment including common barriers to education, identification and support of vulnerable groups and out of school children, facilitating access to inclusive and safe learning environments and accessing cross-sectoral services and referrals,
• The role of teachers and education personnel in delivering quality EIE response, and strategies to include their voices in assessment and planning processes and to support /teacher management (including pay), professional development and well-being in a coordinated manner,
• Inter-sections and overlaps with other clusters, sectors, approaches,
• Linkages with normative frameworks and policies relating to accountability to affected populations, inclusion and cross-cutting issues including age, disability, gender and gender-identity, the centrality of protection and SGBV,
• EiE linkages with the education sector, its position in the humanitarian-development nexus and with key development concepts and agreements including Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 4: Quality Education,
• Language Requirements: Fluency in Arabic and English are required. Knowledge of other UN official languages Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is considered an asset. 

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

The 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 and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote 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, 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 may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

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, eligible and suitable females are encouraged to apply.

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.

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.