Working arrangement: Remote with travels as required
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.
How can you make a difference?
UNICEF’s Global Digital Education Team is seeking a dynamic Evidence and Evaluation Specialist to help drive the rollout of UNICEF’s Digital Education & AI Strategy 2025–2030. In this role, you will support the coordination of the research and M&E across Cohort 1 countries of the Digital Education Strategy implementation, engage closely with UNICEF’s country offices and partners, provide expert technical advisory services, manage independent research contracts, turn KPIs and monitoring data into actionable insights, and coordinate multi-country evidence generation on cutting-edge digital education programming.
The initial phase of implementation of the Strategy will support nationally aligned digital and AI-enabled teaching and learning programmes across 18 countries, referred to as Cohort 1: Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, India, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Pakistan, Philippines, Sudan, Tanzania and Ukraine. Cohort 1 represents an opportunity to move beyond pilots and demonstrate how digital and AI-enabled approaches can strengthen teaching, improve learning outcomes, strengthen education systems, and reduce inequities at scale.
The consultant will work with the UNICEF Global Digital Education and Learning Innovation Hub Team, the Education Centre of Excellence, and UNICEF Country Offices to coordinate monitoring, evaluation, and research approaches to understand progress, performance, and emerging evidence on the implementation of a range of digital education activities, with a particular focus on the effect of these implementations on learning and skilling outcomes.
The successful candidate will be a part of UNICEF’s Global Digital Education and Learning Innovation team based in Finland. The consultant may work on site or in a hybrid modality and is expected to be available during the EET time zone.
Limited travel may be required in line with the 2026–2027 workplan. For such travel, the Consultant is not required to include an estimated duty-related travel budget in the all-inclusive fee. UNICEF will provide the duty travel budget when travel is approved and will reimburse actual costs incurred upon submission of receipts, in accordance with UNICEF policies and procedures
If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: ToR Research and Evaluation Specialist.pdf
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
Education: An advanced university degree (Master’s degree) in Economics, Applied Economics, Education, Education Measurement, International Development, Public Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation, Research Methods, Social Sciences, or a related field. A strong background in applied microeconomics, with relevant professional experience in impact evaluation, education research, monitoring and evaluation, and/or learning assessment.
Work Experience:
A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in designing, managing, coordinating, or technically advising research and evaluation activities, preferably in education, EdTech, or international development contexts.
Experience advising on feasible and appropriate research methods depending on the implementation goals and resourcing available, from small case studies and feasibility studies to larger experimental and quasi-experimental designs, including implementation science, randomized controlled trials, A/B testing, and other evaluation approaches.
Language Requirements:
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:
Strong understanding of measurement issues related to learning and skills outcomes, including experience supporting the refinement, operationalization, or interpretation of education metrics and indicators, including SDG 4.
Experience coordinating third-party research, evaluation, or implementation partners, including management of deliverables, timelines, and review processes across multiple stakeholders.
Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex methodological, technical, and operational inputs into clear guidance, reports, briefs, and presentations.
Desirables:
Experience working with UNICEF and/or other UN agencies.
Experience working with ministries of education at the central, regional or local levels an advantage.
Experience coordinating third-party research, evaluation, or implementation partners.
Experience collaborating with private sector partners, including technology companies and EdTech startups.
Experience in education and EdTech research, including research related to foundational learning, digital skills, AI literacy, teacher practice, or broader competency development.
Previous experience in large-scale learning assessments an advantage.
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 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 reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. 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.
Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):
Remarks: If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not visible on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers.
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.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.
