Associate Project Officer (Education Finance)

OVERVIEW

Position Number: IEP/PA/168

Grade: P-2

Parent Sector: Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Education

Contract Type: Project Appointment

Duration of contract: 1 year

Recruitment open to: Internal and external candidates

Application deadline (Midnight Paris Time): 12/08/2026

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

As the only specialized organization with a mandate to support educational policy, planning and management, UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) plays a unique role within the United Nations system. IIEP was established in 1963 as an integral part of UNESCO. It supports ministries of education and their partners around the world in planning and managing education systems through four types of capacity development programmes: training, technical assistance, research and development, and knowledge sharing. The Institute recently launched its new 2026-2029 Medium-Term Strategy. IIEP has offices in Paris, Dakar and Buenos Aires. To achieve its goals and objectives, IIEP relies on voluntary contributions from major donors and project funding.

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Under the overall authority of the IIEP Director, under the overall supervision of the Head of the Technical Cooperation Team and under the direct supervision of the Head of the Cost, Finance and Budget Unit, the Associate Education Programme Specialist will be responsible for the implementation of a variety of funded projects and activities that support the capacity of Ministries of Education and other partners to better plan and manage education sectors.

All IIEP’s technical experts provide direct technical support to governments on planning and management, while also contributing to research and analytical work, training programmes, and knowledge sharing activities. Candidates should have experience in supporting large and complex programs and projects to strengthen the planning and management capacities of ministries of education, in at least one of the following two areas:

1. Cost, Finance and Budget: solid foundation in education finance and proven expertise in education cost and finance, including the analysis of budgets and use of simulation/costing models and development of operational plans, medium term expenditure frameworks, cost/benefit analysis, and public expenditure reviews (PER).
2. Public Financial Management (PFM) diagnosis: including knowledge of public financial management systems, processes, and international standards, as well as expertise in conducting PFM assessments using frameworks like PEFA (Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability), and PFM diagnostic tools specific to the education sector. A strong understanding of gender-responsive budgeting principles and methodologies and the ability to analyze budget structures, fiscal policies, and public expenditure patterns through a gender lens would be an added asset.

KEY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The incumbents will support the implementation of a portfolio of technical cooperation, research and development and training activities related to education financing, costing and budgeting. In particular, the incumbents will be responsible for:

• Support and coordinate technical assistance to Ministries of Education on education financing, costing and budgeting, including public expenditure reviews, sector financial management diagnoses, costed sector plans, and results-oriented budgeting reforms, ensuring high-quality, timely delivery across multiple country engagements
• Support education sector finance analysis, identifying and assessing financing sources and public financial management challenges, to inform sector diagnostics and planning, and steer the costing of education sector plans through financial simulation models and costed Multi-Year Operational Plans.
• Support the integration of gender, equity, and climate change concerns into education sector programming, costing and budgeting.
• Support IIEP's Education Finance team to ensure alignment of IIEP's research and development, training and capacity development activities, and maintain a strong institutional focus on programme effectiveness, resource mobilization and strategic impact.
• Support IIEP's training team to provide a robust training offer in education finance and public financial management, including designing training materials and analytical tools for national capacity-strengthening programmes and engaging in direct training as part of IIEP's training programmes.
• Contribute to public debates and network with actors and organizations involved in education financing.
• Work with the Research and Knowledge Mobilization team to identify priorities and promote a coherent approach to research and knowledge sharing in support of strengthened national capacity.
• Support regular consultation across IIEP’s Offices and with IIEP partners (Member States, Donors, external institutes, etc.) about IIEP’s country facing research, capacity development and technical cooperation activities.

COMPETENCIES - Core (C) & Managerial (M)

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)

Short Description

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in economics, statistics, public policy, public finance, or related fields.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience of which preferably 1 year acquired at international level in the field of technical cooperation, acquired within or with Ministries of Education or Finance in the areas of education financing and public financial management, including budget planning and reporting, education financing diagnostics, financial modelling and simulation, budgeting and PFM.
• Working experience in one or more of the following areas of expertise: Long Description SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES LANGUAGES DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS LANGUAGES BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc. The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 85 974 EUR. For full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits. SELECTION AND HIRING PROCESS Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information, by the above deadline. To apply, please visit the UNESCO Careers website. No modifications can be made to the application once submitted. The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications. Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course. Short-listed candidates may also be added to Talent Pools; subject to their consent (i.e. Data Privacy Statement). ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
  • Analyses of education costs, finances and budget, costing and projections
  • Public Financial Management (PFM) in Education.
  • Experience in providing technical assistance in support of national or subnational entities in the analysis of education financing
  • Experience in the functioning of public administration and institutions including experience with PFM reforms in developing countries.
  • Proven experience in analyzing sex-disaggregated data and using this data to inform budget decisions in line with gender equity in education goals, including the use of gender-responsive financial diagnostic tools, such as sex-disaggregated cost-effectiveness analysis, sex-disaggregated public expenditure review, and national education accounts from a gender lens.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of issues related to education and education financing in the context of developing and/or emerging countries.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary developments in the field of global education and effective strategies to improve education planning and management, including in crisis-affected contexts.
  • Proven ability to design and implement training programmes, courses and action research.
  • Strong analytical and synthetic skills and good ability to undertake analytical and synthetic writing, including preparation of training materials and policy briefs.
  • Excellent proficiency in Microsoft Excel and statistical packages such as STATA, R, Python, etc.
  • Excellent coding skills for reproducible, automated data analysis.
  • Excellent project management skills, with the ability to support the implementation of complex and multi-component projects.
  • Excellent knowledge of English (written and spoken).
  • Working knowledge of French (written and spoken)
  • UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
  • UNESCO applies to a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.
  • UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply.
  • lndividuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
  • All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
  • Geographical mobility is required for staff members appointed to UNESCO’s international posts.
  • In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. UNESCO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO. The list can be accessed through the link: https://www.whed.net
  • The statutory retirement age at UNESCO is 65 years.
  • UNESCO appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by the Organization, is required for International Professional positions.
  • UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.