Foundational Learning in Humanitarian Settings Consultant, Amman, Jordan, Remote

Contract Duration – 12 months

Working arrangement: Remote

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.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Under the supervision of the Senior Advisor, Education in Emergencies (EiE), and in close collaboration with the Foundational Learning team, the Consultant (Foundational Learning in Humanitarian Settings) will provide specialized technical expertise to strengthen UNICEF’s global work on foundational learning in humanitarian and crisis-affected contexts.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: TMC0004367 External ToR.pdf

Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree (Masters) in Education, International Development, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in education sector planning, policy development, systems strengthening, and Education in Emergencies (EiE) or humanitarian programming.
• Proven experience integrating risk-informed, crisis sensitive, and resilience-focused approaches into education planning and policy processes.

Work Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in foundational learning, basic education, education in emergencies (EiE), humanitarian programming, learning assessment, education systems strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, advising on, or evaluating

foundational learning programmes in humanitarian, crisis-affected, fragile, displacement, and/or protracted emergency settings.

• Proven expertise in developing technical guidance, operational frameworks, tools, standards, and programmatic approaches related to foundational learning, literacy, numeracy, remedial education, accelerated learning, learning recovery, or continuity of learning, teacher qualifications and training in humanitarian settings.
• Strong experience generating, synthesizing, and translating evidence, operational learning, research findings, and promising practices into actionable recommendations, guidance, and knowledge products for practitioners and policymakers.
• Experience supporting UNICEF, governments, UN agencies, NGOs, development partners, or donors in the design, implementation, and quality assurance of education and learning programmes in emergency and resilience contexts.
• Demonstrated experience working across multiple thematic areas relevant to foundational learning, including learning assessment, teacher development and support, gender-responsive education, inclusive education, digital learning, data and evidence systems, and learning continuity.
• Experience facilitating technical exchanges, communities of practice, learning events, workshops, and multi-stakeholder consultations involving governments, country offices, regional offices, and development partners.
• Experience working in low- and middle-income countries, including fragile, conflict-affected, displacement, and crisis-affected contexts.
• Familiarity with global education architecture and humanitarian coordination mechanisms, including UNICEF, INEE, ECW, GPE, Education Clusters, refugee education responses, and related global initiatives, is highly desirable.

Technical Skills:

• Strong technical expertise in foundational learning, learning recovery, literacy and numeracy acquisition, education quality, and education in emergencies programming.
• Excellent understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with delivering foundational learning in humanitarian, displacement, conflict-affected, and protracted crisis settings.
• Knowledge of evidence-based approaches related to pedagogy, teaching and learning materials, teacher professional development, formative and summative assessment, learning measurement, and data use for improving learning outcomes.
• Strong analytical and research skills, with demonstrated ability to synthesize complex evidence and operational learning into concise and actionable guidance.
• Proven ability to develop high-quality technical guidance, frameworks, operational tools, reports, learning briefs, case studies, presentations, and knowledge products.
• Strong understanding of inclusive, gender responsive, and equity-focused approaches to foundational learning and education programming.
• Knowledge of digital learning approaches, learning continuity strategies, and innovative modalities for delivering education in crisis contexts is an asset.
• Excellent facilitation, coordination, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and global networks.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into practical recommendations for country offices, governments, implementing partners, and development partners.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of French, Spanish, and/or Arabic is highly desirable.
• Excellent drafting, presentation, and communication skills in English are required, including the ability to produce high-quality technical and knowledge products for diverse audiences.

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):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) TMC0004367 financial proposal template.xlsx

Remarks:

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.