Job Opportunity for National Project Officer – Capacity Building and Program Design at UNESCO in New Delhi

About the Organization

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding and a more perfect knowledge of each other’s lives. UNESCO’s programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in the 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.

Job Description/Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the Director of the Institute and direct supervision of the Senior Program Officer, the incumbent will serve as National Project Officer – Capacity Building and Program Design (Teachers) and will be responsible for the following duties:

Capacity Building on SEL and Digital Pedagogies

• Manage and coordinate training for teachers, school management teams and government officials globally on SEL and Digital Pedagogy, including implementing a process of evaluation to assess impact in the short, medium, and long term.
• Develop and oversee the monitoring and assessment framework to evaluate master training efficacy and course indicators of success, design workshop experiences and handhold teachers during scaling and classroom use in learner, educator, and other capacity building courses.
• Modify and adapt online courses to suit in-person training where appropriate and develop micro courses and guidebooks as applicable.
• Conduct research and analysis to identify trends to improve the offerings of the courses and in-person training to measure efficacy and highlight gaps for improvement.
• Keep up with the latest trends in digital and SEL courses and general trends in the field of digital pedagogy and SEL and education field more broadly, to improve the offerings of the institute.

Programme Design and Project Management

• Participate in the conceptualization, design, planning, development, coordination, monitoring and implementation of the Institute’s programs, projects, and activities.
• Identify focus areas within national priorities, and opportunities for collaboration, proposing linkages for UNESCO and the Institute’s education initiatives at the national and regional levels for capacity building.
• Develop and manage the design, structure, and assessments of direct and Training of Teachers (TOT) programme for governments and other stakeholders to build teacher and government capacity for the use of digital pedagogies and SEL.
• Appraise and analyze education and training systems, to assist the Ministry responsible for Education and officials in formulating capacity building programs in member states in collaboration with Headquarters and field offices.
• Liaise and develop synergies with key actors and partners including Headquarters, Field Offices, other Category 1 and 2 Institutes of UNESCO, UNESCO National Commissions as well as universities and research centers to advance and promote the work of the Institute as it relates to capacity building initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration with other Missions at the institute, to help identify potential capacity building projects in member states and its impact on other missions.
• Collaborate in the design and implementation of stakeholder engagement mechanisms with Headquarters and field offices to ensure capacity building programme design matches with the member states’ strategic priorities and is aligned to the Institutes mission and vision.
• Contribute to the development of annual work plans, align capacity building plans and objectives with the Institute’s objectives and deliverables, and with UNESCO’s relevant Main Line of Actions.
• Monitor budgets of projects and programme implementation outputs and outcomes ensuring that work is implemented in a coherent and integrated manner consistent across programs.
• Carry out project management for assigned projects, including backstopping, technical, financial, and human resources management. Supervise project consultants, experts, and other service providers, and follow through on the dissemination of project results.
• May be required to manage temporary and local staff. Lead/manage cross group activities as assigned, maximize synergies in the work for the Institute, liaise with other teams to ensure coordination of work across all priority countries.
• Contribute to introducing innovative methods to assist with capacity building and implementation in support of key strategic programs and projects of the Institute.

Communication and Outreach

• Develop and execute a communication plan to raise awareness of the SEL for Learners program and its impact.
• Engage with stakeholders, including governments, NGOs and private sector partners to promote the program.
• Communicate program successes and stories to the wider community using traditional and social media.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree) in education, psychology, neuroscience/cognitive science, or related discipline

Work Experience

• Minimum 4 years of professional experience in the field of education related to research, policy, teaching, curriculum development, pedagogy, social and emotional learning, andor planning in a governmental, multilateral, academic, or civil society organization.

Skills and Competencies

• Commitment to the Organization’s mandate, vision, strategic direction, and priorities.
• Ability to use methods and tools to monitor context triggers and determine the impact of various dynamics in education outcomes.
• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to work under pressure, to manage heavy workloads and to meet tight deadlines, paying close attention to detail and quality of work.
• Integrity, reliability, accountability, and sense of commitment in the execution of duties.
• Excellent coordination and organizational skills.
• Excellent understanding of trends in the education and public service sector.
• Excellent diplomatic skills and multicultural sensitivity.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills.

Languages

Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English and Hindi.

Desirable qualifications

Education

• Advanced university degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) in Education, Policy Studies, Public Policy, International Relations, Social Sciences, Sciences of Learning, or other education-related sciences.

Work Experience

• Experience within an international environment or in the UN system.

Languages

Working knowledge of another UNESCO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish).