Responsibilities or duties

Under the guidance of the Senior Education Adviser for Gender and Equity (UNGEI), the Education Specialist (Gender Equity) will lead strategic initiatives and provide high-quality technical assistance to UNICEF regional and country offices, governments, and global partners to advance gender equality in and through education.

You will play a central role in strengthening national education systems to achieve gender equality, supporting Gender-Responsive Education Sector Planning (GRESP), fostering gender-transformative leadership, and addressing harmful gender norms and school-related gender-based violence. You will also contribute to advancing gender equality in education in emergencies and protracted crises, while supporting capacity-strengthening initiatives across UNGEI’s global network.

In this role, you will provide strategic leadership and coordination for global initiatives such as the Gender at the Centre Initiative (GCI) and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Gender Technical Assistance Initiative, working closely with governments, donors, and partners to deliver impactful and sustainable results.

You will generate and apply evidence to inform policy and programming, lead research and learning agendas, and support the development and dissemination of global standards and analytical tools for gender-responsive education systems. You will also engage in high-level advocacy, partnerships, and global platforms to influence policy and mobilize action for girls’ education and gender equality.

Working collaboratively across UNICEF and UNGEI platforms, you will strengthen partnerships with governments, civil society, and youth movements, contributing to a coordinated and results-driven effort to remove gender-related barriers across the education lifecycle.

Through your leadership, you will help embed gender-transformative approaches into education systems, policies, and programmes, contributing to improved access, learning outcomes, and skills for girls and marginalized learners globally. Your accountabilities include:

Leadership, Management, and Coordination

Techincal Advisory Services and Support

Research, Learning, Monitoring, and Evaluation

Advocacy, Networking, and Programme Partnership Building

Programme and Staff Management, Monitoring of Results

Under the guidance of the Senior Education Adviser for Gender and Equity (UNGEI), the Education Specialist (Gender Equity) leads strategic initiatives and provides high-quality technical assistance to advance gender equality in and through education across UNICEF programmes and partnerships.

The role drives key global initiatives, including the Gender at the Centre Initiative (GCI) and the GPE Gender Technical Assistance Initiative, while supporting governments, partners, and UNICEF offices in strengthening gender-responsive education systems and policies.

The incumbent provides technical advisory services on gender-responsive planning, contributes to research, evidence generation, and monitoring, and supports advocacy and partnership-building to influence policy and scale impact.

Working collaboratively across UNICEF and UNGEI platforms, the Specialist promotes integrated, gender-transformative approaches, addresses harmful gender norms and school-related gender-based violence, and contributes to sustainable results for girls and marginalized learners globally.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

Experience needed

Minimum requirements

Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Education, International Business Relations, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Gender development, women's studies and any other related fields.

Work Experience: At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience leading policy, programme, advocacy, or research initiatives that advance gender equality in and through education.

Skills: Gender-responsive education sector planning, Policy advisory and systems strengthening, Partnership and stakeholder coordination, Research and evidence generation, Advocacy and global coalition building, Programme management and delivery.

Language Requirements: Proficiency in both English and French is required.

Desirables

Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) or a local language

Experience with complex, multi-country, multi-donor interventions with strong research and learning agendas.

Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

• Lead strategic initiatives and provide high-quality technical assistance to UNICEF regional and country offices, governments, and global partners to advance gender equality in and through education.
• Strengthen national education systems to achieve gender equality, supporting Gender-Responsive Education Sector Planning (GRESP), fostering gender-transformative leadership, and addressing harmful gender norms and school-related gender-based violence.
• Contribute to advancing gender equality in education in emergencies and protracted crises, while supporting capacity-strengthening initiatives across UNGEI’s global network.
• Provide strategic leadership and coordination for global initiatives such as the Gender at the Centre Initiative (GCI) and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Gender Technical Assistance Initiative, working closely with governments, donors, and partners to deliver impactful and sustainable results.
• Generate and apply evidence to inform policy and programming, lead research and learning agendas, and support the development and dissemination of global standards and analytical tools for gender-responsive education systems.
• Engage in high-level advocacy, partnerships, and global platforms to influence policy and mobilize action for girls’ education and gender equality.
• Strengthen partnerships with governments, civil society, and youth movements, contributing to a coordinated and results-driven effort to remove gender-related barriers across the education lifecycle.
• Help embed gender-transformative approaches into education systems, policies, and programmes, contributing to improved access, learning outcomes, and skills for girls and marginalized learners globally.
• Leads strategic initiatives and provides high-quality technical assistance to advance gender equality in and through education across UNICEF programmes and partnerships.
• Drives key global initiatives, including the Gender at the Centre Initiative (GCI) and the GPE Gender Technical Assistance Initiative, while supporting governments, partners, and UNICEF offices in strengthening gender-responsive education systems and policies.
• Provides technical advisory services on gender-responsive planning, contributes to research, evidence generation, and monitoring, and supports advocacy and partnership-building to influence policy and scale impact.
• Promotes integrated, gender-transformative approaches, addresses harmful gender norms and school-related gender-based violence, and contributes to sustainable results for girls and marginalized learners globally.

• Gender-responsive education sector planning
• Policy advisory and systems strengthening
• Partnership and stakeholder coordination
• Research and evidence generation
• Advocacy and global coalition building
• Programme management and delivery

• Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Education, International Business Relations, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Gender development, women's studies and any other related fields.
• At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience leading policy, programme, advocacy, or research initiatives that advance gender equality in and through education.
• Proficiency in both English and French is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
• Experience with complex, multi-country, multi-donor interventions with strong research and learning agendas.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.