Vacancy Announcement: Project Officer

• Publication Date: 5 December 2017
• Title of post: Project Officer
• Deadline for application: 19 December 2017
• Duration of appointment: 1 year with the possibility of renewal
• Duty station: Bonn, Germany
• Preferred starting date: as soon as possible
• Payment: The salary for this post is based on TvöD grade 14 (exempt from local taxation)

Background

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre assists UNESCO Member States to achieve high quality, relevant, lifelong and cost effective technical and vocational education and training for all. Its aim is to maximise learner’s prospects in the labour market. It creates synergies with UNESCO Headquarters, UNESCO Institutes/Centres and Field Offices; and works in close partnership with other international and national agencies in the field of technical and vocational education and training. The Centre is the main hub of the international UNEVOC Network made up of UNEVOC centres in UNESCO Member States.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs provide a new framework for development cooperation in the next 15 years, emphasizing, among others, the ideas of interdependence, integration and interlinkages of development challenges and the view that effective responses and strategies to address these challenges also need to be integrated, holistic and based on effective partnerships and coalitions.

UNESCO-UNEVOC is implementing a project entitled Developing TVET institutions for entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability. It aims to assist selected TVET institutions to develop into centres of excellence and equip them with capacities to enhance youth employment and that will enable them to act as local hubs for sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation in their local communities and to support them in engaging in international cooperation. UNESCO, will provide both a platform for dialogue and peer learning and technical expertise to selected TVET institutions to develop their capacities in the fields of sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation, and to become centres of excellence and engage in international partnerships. A set of TVET institutions will work collaboratively on these three topics with the aim to become hubs for innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability within their communities and local areas.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Office of the International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (UNESCO-UNEVOC), the incumbent will perform the following functions:

Duties and requirements

Under the direct supervision of the Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC and in close collaboration with the Section of Youth, Literacy and Skills Development at UNESCO Headquarters, the incumbent will help evolve a strategy for developing TVET innovation hubs, coordinate and manage the implementation of all project activities under the project. S/he shall directly collaborate in the overall planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting, evaluation and documentation of the project. Specifically, s/he will undertake the following tasks and responsibilities:

Project Management related duties

• Manage the project’s detailed work plan and monitor its progress against set indicators and timeframes
• Lead the process of developing concept and approach of the project and its activities, by providing technical knowledge and expertise on application of innovation in TVET institutions through entrepreneurship and sustainability-related approaches and gathering feedback from members of the project team
• Coordinate the implementation of the project; working closely with UNEVOC’s Regional and Global Network Focal Points on matters involving the regional networks; and with thematic coordinators on UNEVOC’s thematic programmes
• Identify project partners and explore new partnerships with potential TVET institutions that are not yet members of the UNEVOC Network
• Apply knowledge in conceptualizing strategies and approaches for creating TVET innovation hubs
• Manage the project’s steps and process of building capacities of TVET institutions to become innovation hubs including development of a set of indicators and/or criteria
• Establish regular communication and consultations with teams in UNEVOC including in the design of capacity development interventions
• Facilitate actions that lead to the development of TVET innovation strategies within the project’s framework and raising the motivation of target institutions to work collaboratively with other Centres
• Ensure that activities carried out and their outputs and outcomes are in line with and contribute to the Network strategy of UNEVOC and to the attainment of the project’s objectives
• Coordinate and manage administrative and financial requirements in cooperation with relevant programme and administrative staff at UNESCO-UNEVOC and UNESCO HQs
• Organize and coordinate seminars, conferences, consultation meetings and other capacity development activities related to the project’s objectives; ensuring the quality of the outputs is up to UNESCO qualitative standards
• Manage national and international consultants in close coordination with other concerned project team members;
• Prepare reports and communication materials on project activities for UNESCO, the donor and partners. This includes briefs and website information to ensure visibility of the project

• Conduct research and undertake capacity development by providing technical knowledge and expertise which will feed into the project and generally UNEVOC’s programmes and services. This may include thematic researches, knowledge generation or development of analytical reports
• Assist in other programmatic activities of UNESCO-UNEVOC

• Carry out any other tasks that may be assigned by the Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC

• An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in education, social sciences, development studies or related area

• Minimum of five to seven years of relevant work experience in the field of education at national and international levels; of which at least two years were acquired at the international level
• Experience in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability as applied in TVET is preferred
• Understanding of TVET contexts in African and/or Asian regions
• Ability to coordinate and manage complex education and training projects
• Ability to work in teams and establish excellent communication with different network and programme focal points
• Strong sensitivity and adaptability (cultural, gender, religion, race and nationality)
• Strong strategic and analytical skills
• Excellent communication skills, including writing and oral expression
• Ability to interact with a wide range of high–level partners
• Experience in building and strengthening networks and partnerships would be an advantage
• Excellent knowledge of English; knowledge of other UN languages would be an advantage

Please send your full CV, the P11 form and motivation letter by email to unevoc.hr(at)unesco.org.

We will acknowledge receipt of your application; however, only candidates under serious consideration and contacted for an interview will receive written notice of the final outcome of the selection process.

Please note

All travel, interview and relocation costs incurred to take up an appointment at the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre in Bonn are at the expense of the applicant. It is the candidate’s own responsibility to obtain a work visa if required.

UNESCO is a non-smoking organization.