Current vacancies

Contract Duration- 18 Months

Working arrangement: Home Based

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

Pacific Island leaders have made substantial progress in advancing Early Childhood Development (ECD), reflecting strong political commitment and a coordinated, whole-of-society approach to nurturing young children. Guided by the Pasifika Call to Action on ECD, countries across the region have scaled investments, implemented multi-sectoral national ECD policies, and strengthened systems and services in early learning, health, nutrition, WASH, child protection, social protection, and parenting support.

Since its establishment in 2019, the Pacific Regional Council for Early Childhood Development (PRC4ECD) has convened Ministers and Permanent Secretaries from finance, education, health, and social sectors to strengthen political leadership and accountability for ECD across the region. The Council has gained global recognition as a pioneering model for coordinated, multi-sectoral ECD action—mobilizing capacity-building, technical assistance, south–south cooperation, and financing (including emerging climate-related opportunities), while driving regional initiatives that enhance collaboration and accelerate country-level implementation.

In 2025, ECD become a standing agenda item of the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PILM), and PRC4ECD Ministers have endorsed the convening of the next Pacific ECD Forum in the Cook Islands in 2027[1]. In this context, the Pacific Technical Advisor for Strategy and Coordination of ECD and Inclusion Education Consultant, is essential to ensure continuity of UNICEF’s PRC4ECD secretariat functions through mid-2027—particularly during the transition to new co-chairs from the Governments of the Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, and Solomon Islands, and in the context of strengthened coordination with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) as the Council moves toward a co-secretariat modality.

At the same time, Pacific Ministers of Education have reaffirmed their commitment to Inclusive Education (IE) through the Pacific Regional Inclusive Education Framework (PRIEF) and have elevated IE as a standing agenda item for the Pacific Heads of Education Systems (PHES). The Regional IE Taskforce, recognised as part of the regional education architecture in 2020 and elevated to ministerial level at that time requires additional strategic and secretarial support to improve momentum of the implementation of the PRIEF and the PHES endorsed Joint Statement of Priorities for Inclusive Education  Due to its remote-operating modality, the Taskforce has faced challenges sustaining engagement. Strengthened coordination and technical guidance are urgently needed in the lead-up to the 2026 PHES Meeting and the 2027 Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM).

The Pacific Technical Consultant or Strategy and Coordination of ECD and Inclusive Education will therefore play a strategic role in:

• Ensuring UNICEF fulfills its PRC4ECD secretariat responsibilities, including policy coordination, strategic planning, and reporting;
• Supporting the organization of the 2027 Pacific ECD Forum and completion of outstanding PRC4ECD commitments;
• Strengthening coherence between ECD, IE, and regional education priorities such as PacREF and the 2050 Strategy for a Blue Pacific Continent; Reinforcing the Regional IE Taskforce, including its monitoring, technical advisory role, and contributions to PHES and CPEM; and
• Providing continuity of trusted, regionally grounded technical expertise essential for sustaining momentum on two flagship regional priorities—ECD and Inclusive Education.

Through this consultancy UNICEF Pacific will be able to maintain high-quality, coordinated, and strategic secretariat support across both ECD and Inclusive Education, ensuring that regional commitments are translated into meaningful action for children and families across the Blue Pacific.

Scope Work

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide strategic, technical, and coordination support to UNICEF Pacific in its role as Secretariat to both the Pacific Regional Council for Early Childhood Development (PRC4ECD) and the Pacific Regional Inclusive Education Framework (PRIEF). The consultant will strengthen regional mechanisms that advance ECD and Inclusive Education, ensure continuity across upcoming high-level milestones, and help translate political commitments into practical, country-level action.

The consultant will provide technical and operational guidance to the PRC4ECD, including the implementation of its workplan, strategic coordination with PIFS under the emerging co-secretariat modality, and facilitation of effective engagement with incoming co-chairs. A core responsibility will be supporting the planning, coordination, and execution of the 2027 Pacific ECD Forum, as well as the delivery of actionable guidance, tools, and resources that enable governments to accelerate ECD commitments across sectors.

The consultancy will also provide technical and operational support to the Pacific IE Taskforce, including implementing its workplan, strengthening follow-up to ministerial decisions, and monitoring progress on PRIEF implementation through PacREF and related initiatives. This includes developing technical inputs and background papers for the PHES and CPEM meetings, coordinating with the PacREF Facilitating Unit, and ensuring alignment with broader regional education priorities. The Pacific Disability Forum will serve as a key partner in the convening and follow-up of IE Taskforce activities.

The consultant is expected to work closely with Pacific Island governments, promoting participation from relevant ministries and ensuring clear communication and alignment with national priorities. Close collaboration with regional organizations—including the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the Pacific Community (SPC), and the University of the South Pacific (USP)—as well as other development partners and international organizations will be essential to strengthen coherence, avoid duplication, and support coordinated regional action.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  Terms of Reference TMC0003325.pdf

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• Advanced diploma in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Early Childhood Development, Education, Family Health, or a relevant field.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 15 years of professional experience in social development planning and management including education, early childhood development, inclusion and/or other related areas at the international level.
• Experience designing and implementing participatory processes engaging a diverse range of stakeholders, including high-level senior government officials.
• Work experience in the Pacific Islands region, including experience with the Pacific regional architecture, is required, with strong preference for experience with PRC4ECD and/or CPEM/PHES.

Language Requirements:

Fluent in spoken and written English

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:

• Experience working with UNICEF, a UN system agency or a CROP agency is an asset.
• Experience in a secretariat or equivalent role, including protocols for high-level engagement as well as standard practice for effective functioning of regional bodies and consultation and decision-making processes.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills required.

Desirable:

• Candidate resides in any Pacific Island country.

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)  Financial proposal TMC0003325.docx

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.