Mission and objectives

UNICEF works across 190 countries and territories to reach the children and young people who are most at risk and most in need. We work to save their lives, protect their rights, keep them safe from harm, and ensure they grow up healthy, protected, and educated. UNICEF strives to give every child a fair chance to fulfil their potential and contribute to a better world. UNICEF is the world’s leading advocate for children and adolescents. In all its work, UNICEF seeks to engage and empower young people to have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives and futures. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been present in Ukraine since 1997, supporting the Government in strengthening systems and services for children across health, education, child protection, water and sanitation, and social protection. Since the escalation of the war, UNICEF has been providing life-saving humanitarian and recovery support to children and families affected by the crisis, in line with its Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action. This includes ensuring access to education, psychosocial support, learning recovery, water and sanitation, and child health services. Since 2022, UNICEF has significantly expanded its humanitarian and early recovery response to address the widespread and multifaceted impact of hostilities on children, families, and communities. The education sector has been particularly affected, with extensive damage to education infrastructure, repeated air strikes, displacement of learners and teachers, power and heating outages, and persistent safety concerns. As a result, millions of children face disrupted access to education and are at risk of prolonged learning interruptions, learning losses, and reduced psychosocial well‑being.

Context

In response, UNICEF is implementing a comprehensive Education in Emergencies (EiE) programme focused on ensuring the continuity of safe, inclusive, and quality learning while strengthening the resilience of the education system. The programme includes catch‑up education with integrated mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to address learning losses and support children’s well‑being and socialization; rapid responses to attacks on education infrastructure and rehabilitation of damaged schools and kindergartens; installation of shatter‑resistant window film; support to heating and electricity resilience of education institutions and rehabilitation of school shelters to facilitate safe in‑person learning whenever conditions allow. All interventions are implemented in close coordination with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, oblast and local authorities, partners, and are fully aligned with national education priorities and UNICEF EiE guidance. This UN Volunteer assignment will support the design, implementation, and monitoring of emergency education interventions at both subnational and national levels. Specifically, the UN Volunteer will contribute to UNICEF’s EiE response in Chernihiv, Kyiv, and Zhytomyr oblasts, and provide support to the Education in Emergencies Officer in coordination at the Country Office level. In Chernihiv, Kyiv and Zhytomir regions, key components of the role include the implementation of the catch-up and MHPSS programmes and the coordination of programmatic responses to air‑strike incidents affecting education facilities and the rehabilitation of shelters in education institutions. This is achieved by working closely with local authorities, education stakeholders, civil society organizations, implementing partners, and UNICEF’s internal construction team to ensure timely damage assessments, rehabilitation, and appropriate programmatic follow‑up. Under the guidance of the Education in Emergencies Officer, the Expert will contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and knowledge generation, including the collection and analysis of field data, tracking programme results, and documenting lessons learned and good practices to inform continuous programme improvement and evidence‑based decision‑making at the country office level. The role will involve preparing situational and donor reports that consolidate information across programme components and field offices, facilitating technical meetings, developing presentations and analytical briefs, and documenting meeting outcomes to strengthen coordination. The UN Volunteer is expected to support knowledge management across the EiE programme by managing the EiE documentation repository in Cloudshare, as well as the required data to power EiE's digital dashboards. In addition, the Education in Emergencies Programme Coordination Expert will support the Education in Emergencies Officer in the transition of the national Education Cluster coordination mechanisms towards a government‑led Education in Emergencies (EiE) Working Subgroup under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. This includes providing technical, administrative, and secretariat support to facilitate effective coordination, continuity, and institutionalization of EiE coordination functions in line with global Education Cluster guidance and national priorities.

Task Description

Under the overall guidance of the Chief of Education and the direct supervision of the Education in Emergencies (EiE) Officer, the UN Volunteer will support the design, implementation, and monitoring of UNICEF’s emergency education response in Chernihiv, Kyiv, and Zhytomyr oblasts. This includes catch‑up programmes, rehabilitation of damaged education facilities, installation of shatter‑resistant window film, and rehabilitation of shelters in education institutions. The role includes active engagement and coordination with key stakeholders, including local governments, education institutions, civil society organizations, and implementing partners, to ensure effective EiE programme delivery at subnational and national levels. Under the guidance of the EiE Officer, the UN Volunteer will ensure alignment of interventions with UNICEF guidance, EiE standards, and national education priorities. The role will contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and knowledge generation through field data collection and analysis, tracking of programme results, and documentation of lessons learned and good practices. The UN Volunteer will support the preparation of situational and donor reports, consolidating information across programme components and field offices. Responsibilities also include supporting EiE knowledge management by maintaining the EiE folder on Cloudshare and managing data inputs for EiE dashboards. In addition, the role involves facilitating technical meetings, preparing presentations and analytical briefs, supporting related documentation, and documenting meeting outcomes. The UN Volunteer will also contribute to education coordination mechanisms, including the Education Cluster, and support the transition towards a government‑led EiE Working Subgroup under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The UN Volunteer will provide technical, logistical, administrative, and communication support to the UNICEF Country Office to ensure effective delivery of education programmes at national level.

Competencies and values

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

Living conditions and remarks

Ukraine’s security situation varies by region. While some areas remain relatively stable, others continue to be affected by active hostilities. Movement restrictions, including curfews, may be in place depending on location. UNICEF maintains security procedures and provides regular updates and guidance to ensure the safety of personnel. Strict adherence to security protocols and a high level of situational awareness are essential at all times. The assignment may be implemented in a hybrid work modality, with up to two days per week of remote work, subject to operational requirements and supervisor’s approval. UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include accessible software, travel assistance for missions, or personal attendants. Applicants are encouraged to disclose their disability during the application process if they require reasonable accommodation during recruitment or throughout the assignment. As it is a national UN Volunteer's assignment, the UN volunteer shall organize his/her accommodation by themselves. The contract lasts for the period indicated in the vacancy with the possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity, and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. This is a full-time contract. Allowances: • Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA): A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) USD 2405 (equivalent in UAH) is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities, and normal cost of living expenses. This includes Well-Being Differentials for the period while the ICSC applies hardship classification to duty stations in Ukraine as “E”. • USD 350 entry lump sum, one-time payment. • USD 120 exit lump sum for each month served, paid on completion of contract. Medical and life insurance: • Medical insurance: The UN Volunteer and eligible PFU dependents will receive UNV-provided medical insurance coverage. Coverage for UN Volunteers begins from the Commencement of Service. • Life Insurance: UN Volunteers are covered by life insurance for the duration of the UN Volunteer assignment. If a UN Volunteer dies during the UN Volunteer assignment, the eligible designated beneficiaries will be entitled to receive a life insurance lump sum. Leave entitlements: • Annual leave: UN Volunteers accrue an entitlement to 2.5 days of Annual Leave per completed month of the UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave up to a maximum of 30 days is carried over in case of a contract extension within the same UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave may not be carried over in case of reassignment or a new assignment. • Learning leave: Subject to supervisor approval and exigencies of service, UN Volunteers may request up to ten working days of Learning Leave per consecutive 12 months of the UN Volunteer assignment, starting with the Commencement of Service date, provided the Learning Leave is used within the contract period. • Certified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers are entitled to up to 30 days of certified sick leave based on a 12-month cycle. This amount is reset every 12-month cycle. • Uncertified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers receive seven days of uncertified sick leave working days in a calendar year. This amount will be reset at the established interval period.