Learning and Scaling Lead, South Africa

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

About the Region

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

About the Country Office

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality services, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approaches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

About the Country/Multi-Country Office

Education is one of the most powerful drivers of progress, yet seven out of ten children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read with understanding by age 10. Meanwhile, half of education programmes show no measurable impact on learning or employment.

Global spending on education is falling short by an estimated $100 billion each year. Traditional approaches have not delivered the transformation required to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4.

The Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) was created to address these challenges — by shifting how education is funded, how success is measured, and how systems are held accountable. We are part of a global movement to turn education financing into real learning and employment outcomes, especially for the most disadvantaged children and youth.

Job Specific Context

The Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) is a global initiative transforming how education and skills are financed and delivered. We partner with governments, donors, investors, and implementers to make education systems more effective, equitable, and accountable. Through our Outcomes Partnership model, funding is tied to measurable results, aligning incentives across all actors to ensure that resources lead to real improvements in learning and employment outcomes. EOF’s approach is grounded in systems change - we align incentives, strengthen data and delivery capacity, and foster collaboration across public, private and social sectors. By embedding results-based principles within national systems, we help governments shift from inputs to outcomes, ensuring that every investment leads to a measurable, lasting impact for learners.

The Learning and Scaling Lead will support the Country Lead to develop and implement a learning, scaling, and evidence synthesis agenda that translates programme evidence into operational insights and actionable policy recommendations.

The Learning and Scaling Lead will undertake the following responsibilities:

Contribute to Design of a Learning, Scaling and Evidence Synthesis Agenda

• Support the Country Lead to design the Learning, Scaling and Evidence Synthesis Agenda by defining learning priorities, research questions, decision cycles and validation mechanisms.

• Contribute to the development of tools, dashboards and systems to track progress against learning and scaling milestones.

• Recommend and help set-up tools to standardize reporting and data collection, to enable real‑time evidence sharing across program partners.

Program Learning and Evidence Generation

• Coordinate with government counterparts, the independent evaluator, implementing partners and technical partners to collect data and generate evidence on what works throughout program delivery and surface lessons learned.

• Contribute to synthesising monitoring, evaluation, research and operational data into clear, policy‑relevant insights to support program adaptation and decision-making.

• Support the collection and analysis of data on how outcomes-based contracts influence organizational practices and system collaboration.

• Assist the Country Lead in facilitating cross-partner knowledge exchange, such as by convening peer-learning workshops and documenting emerging insights, challenges and adaptive practices shared by implementing partners and pre-financers.

• Contribute to drafting reports that consolidate cross-partner evidence into actionable recommendations for EOF strategic decision-making and for government planning, funding strategies and policies, both during and after implementation.

• Support the dissemination of key evidence and learnings through sector-wide dialogues and help identify opportunities for coordination across related initiatives.

• Participate in evaluation meetings and make links for learnings

• Review baseline and endline reports and make links for learnings

Program Scale-Up Support

• Assist the Country Lead in working with government and program partners to identify learning and sustainability priorities, ensuring data collection and research outputs align with these priorities.

• Assist the Country Lead to identify opportunities for scale and analyse system readiness for program expansion by conducting desk research and market assessments

• Produce reports outlining risks, mitigation strategies and recommended actions for scale-up.

• Support the coordination of multi-stakeholder learning, design and policy sessions related to program scale-up and future program conceptualization.

• Support the Country Lead to develop frameworks and strategies for scaling successful interventions and models.

• Under the supervision of the Country Lead, identify key drivers of program success and assess scalability across different geographic and operational contexts.

• Support internal and external program teams in adapting evidence-based approaches for expansion.

• Monitor and document scaling efforts, capturing lessons and emerging evidence.

• Present findings, recommendations, and learning products to leadership, donors, government stakeholders, and partners.

• Build partnerships with research institutions, universities, and sector stakeholders to strengthen evidence generation.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in International Development, Public Policy, Education, Business, Economics, Political Science, Finance or similar.

Desired

• Master’s degree in International Development, Public Policy, Education, Business, Economics, Political Science, Finance or similar.

Required

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience with bachelor’s degree, or a minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience required with master’s degree in education, skills-for-employment, development and/or policy programs.

• Experience working with national and/or provincial governments, preferably within the education, skills-for-employment or broader development sectors.

Desired

• Strong understanding of education and/or skills-for-employment policy and systems strengthening, including pathways for program scale-up and sustainability.
• Proven track record of producing high-quality analytical reports, policy briefs and evidence-based recommendations.

• Experience with innovative financing mechanisms (particularly outcomes funds), performance management frameworks or large donor-funded programs is an asset.

• Experience working in the Early Childhood sector and familiarity with ECCE data and indicators

• Experience should ideally include evidence generation, policy analysis, system reform or scaling innovative practices.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
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• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments.
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• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
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