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.

For every child, the right to Empowerment

How can you make a difference?

As part of Future Focus Initiative (FFI), UNICEF Maldives and Sri Lanka Country Offices have been identified in the Global PBR for a Multi-Country Office (MCO) and therefore, UNICEF ROSA proposed to initiate the MCO covering Maldives and Sri Lanka by 1 January 2027. The MCO model presents a renewed opportunity to maximize impact for children. It seeks to leverage the challenging funding context as an opportunity. UNICEF can, through the MCO, continue the shift towards focus and impact at scale via ‘upstream’ engagement, policy influencing, and systems strengthening supported by on-the-ground modelling.

For Education outcome in Maldives, the strategic shift is on improving foundational learning, expanding access to upper-secondary education through digitally enabled school ecosystems and skills, preparing students for the world of work, and building an ecosystem that links education to industry.

Purpose of the Position:

UNICEF Maldives is looking for a highly motivated and results-oriented professional who can contribute to strengthening skills development, digital learning, and education-to-work transitions for adolescents and young people. The Education Officer (Skills) will play a key role in supporting the implementation of the Education Programme, with a focus on strengthening learning and transition pathways, enhancing transferable skills and employability, and advancing an inclusive and responsive national skills ecosystem.

The role requires strong programme management, coordination and analytical skills, together with a sound understanding of skills development, digital learning and youth transitions. The incumbent will support the design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of skills and transition initiatives, while contributing to programme development, partnership engagement, evidence generation and knowledge management. The Education Officer will work closely with government counterparts, development partners, private sector stakeholders and youth-focused organizations to ensure interventions are inclusive, market-responsive and aligned with national education and workforce development priorities.

In addition, the Education Officer will support the implementation and expansion of UNICEF’s TRAIL (Technical, Resilient, Agency-Driven and Innovative Leaders) skills framework and related initiatives that equip adolescents and young people with the competencies needed for learning, employment and active participation in society. The position will contribute to effective planning, coordination, monitoring, resource management and reporting of programme activities to ensure quality implementation and sustainable results for adolescents and young people.

Key accountabilities:

Under the supervision and guidance of the Education and Skills Development Specialist, the Education Officer, Skills contributes to UNICEF's efforts to strengthen skills development, digital learning and school-to-work transitions for adolescents and young people. The role supports programme design and implementation, partnership development, monitoring and knowledge management to advance inclusive, youth-centred and market-relevant solutions through the following key areas:

Support to programme development and planning
Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
Technical and operational support to programme implementation
Networking and partnership building
Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File MAL2703 Education Officer Skills Level 2 specific_clean version VA (002).pdf

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: A University Degree in Education, Psychology, Sociology, or any other related fields.
Work Experience: A minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in Programme planning, Implementation, Management, Monitoring and/or research in education is required.
Skills: applying technical expertise, learning and researching, planning and organizing, working with people
Language Requirements: Fluency in English and a local language -Dhivehi is required.

Desirables:

Experience in skills development, technology integrated learning, adolescent and youth programming, school-to-work transition, workforce readiness or employability programming.
Analyzing data.
Relevant experience in a UN system or international organization is considered an asset.
Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

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 competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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 a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation 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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of serious misconduct.

UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable.

Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these checks. 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments are conditional on the selected candidates' willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Education Officer (Skills), NO-2, FT, #137956, Male', Maldives, APR (Open to Maldivian nationals only)