Early Childhood Development (ECD) Programme Specialist, Cairo, Egypt

General

Description of assignment title: Early ChildhoodDevelopment (ECD) Programme Specialist

Assignment country: Egypt

Duty stations: Cairo

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 09/01/2026

Duration: 12 months(with possibility ofextension)Long-term benefits and allowances

Sustainable Development Goal: 4. Quality education

Host entity: UNICEF

Modality: Onsite

Type: National

Volunteer category: Expert UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives:

• UNICEF work in Egypt is focused on promoting sustainabledevelopment with multidimensional equity for children, embodyingthe fair chance for every child principle. In line with nationalpriorities, UNICEF work in Egypt focuses on Early ChildhoodDevelopment bridging the first 1000 days through the first years offormal education, as a key means by which multiple threats tochildren may be addressed through cross-sectoral linkages. Theexpected results of UNICEF's work in Egypt will contribute tonational efforts and priorities and the 2030 National SustainableDevelopment Strategy; as well as the United Nations Partnership forDevelopment Framework (UNPDF 2018-2022).
• UNICEF's programme in Egypt contributes to strengthen theknowledge base for more child-sensitive social protection, andimprove three fundamental elements of the early childhood years(health, nutrition and development). UNICEF's work on learning andprotection covers all children of all ages, focusing on the mostvulnerable children, children with disabilities and adolescentgirls.

Context:

• This UNV assignment is part of UNICEF Egypt's Early ChildhoodDevelopment (ECD) Programme, which supports the Government of Egyptin ensuring that young children survive, thrive, and achieve theirfull developmental potential. The programme promotes integrated ECDinterventions across health, nutrition, early learning, childprotection, and parenting support systems.

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• The ECD Programme contributes to national priorities andUNICEF's Country Programme through policy development, systemsstrengthening, capacity building, service delivery improvements,developmental monitoring, caregiver support, and evidencegeneration. UNICEF collaborates with key government partnersincluding the Ministry of Health and Population, Ministry of SocialSolidarity, Ministry of Education and
• Technical Education, National Council for Childhood andMotherhood, academic institutions, civil society organizations, anddevelopment partners.
• The UN Volunteer will support the planning, implementation,monitoring, coordination, and reporting of ECD interventions,contributing to strengthened developmental outcomes for youngchildren in Egypt.

Task description:

• Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of theECD Manager or his/her designated representative, the UNV EarlyChildhood Development (ECD) Programme Expert will:
• 1. Support the planning, implementation, and monitoring ofUNICEF-supported ECD interventions and activities in accordancewith annual work plans and programme objectives.
• 2. Contribute to the development and review of technicaldocuments, concept notes, implementation plans, training materials,operational guidelines, and reports related to ECDprogramming.
• 3. Support coordination and engagement with governmentcounterparts, implementing partners, academic institutions, andother stakeholders involved in ECD programming.
• 4. Monitor programme implementation, track progress againstplanned indicators and targets, and support data collection,analysis, and reporting.
• 5. Participate in field monitoring visits, technical missions,stakeholder consultations, and training activities to assessprogramme performance and identify implementation challenges.
• 6. Assist in documenting lessons learned, best practices,evidence generation, and knowledge products related to ECDinterventions.
• 7. Support knowledge management activities and facilitateinformation sharing among UNICEF sections and externalpartners.
• 8. Assist with programme management processes including workplanning, partner engagement, budget monitoring, activity tracking,and follow-up implementation.
• 9. Perform any other related duties as assigned by thesupervisor.
• Responsibilities:-
• Support the development and refinement of the MOSS profile forECD, ensuring alignment with national standards and programmaticpriorities;
• Coordinate closely with Hayat Kareema Foundation and internalUNICEF teams to strengthen collaboration and integration of ECDinterventions;
• Support the scaling up of the ECD centers model, includingdocumentation of approaches, lessons learned, and replicationstrategies;
• Work closely with two consultants to ensure timely delivery ofkey outputs, providing coordination, feedback, and technical inputsas needed;
• Facilitate internal coordination across sections (e.g., Health,Nutrition, SBC, Education, Social Protection) to ensure integratedprogramming;
• Contribute to the preparation of briefing materials,presentations, and concept notes related to ECD initiatives;
• Support field engagement and monitoring visits linked to ECDscale-up and Hayat Kareema activities.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 7 years

Nationality: Candidate must be a national, legal residentor hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience:

• 7 years

Languages:

• English, Level: Fluent, Required
• Arabic, Level: Fluent, Desirable

Required education level:

• Master's degree in in Early Childhood Development, Psychology,Child Development, Public Health, Education, Social Sciences,International Development, or a related field.

Competencies and values:

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Skills and experience:

• At the national and/or international level in Early ChildhoodDevelopment, child development, public health, education, childprotection, social policy, programme management, or relatedfields.
• Experience supporting programme planning, implementation,monitoring, and reporting.
• Experience working with government institutions, developmentpartners, academic institutions, or civil society organizations isan asset.
• Knowledge of integrated ECD approaches and child developmentprinciples is highly desirable.
• Experience in capacity building, training, stakeholdercoordination, and technical support is an asset.
• Experience working with UNICEF, the United Nations system, orother international development organizations is desirable.
• Coordination Skills: Strong ability to work across teams andstakeholders, including consultants and external partners
• Excellent drafting, analytical, formulation, and reportingskills.
• Accuracy and professionalism in document production andediting.
• Strong interpersonal and coordination skills with the abilityto engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to work inclusively and collaboratively inmulticultural environments.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiplepriorities under tight deadlines.
• Solid computer literacy, including proficiency in MicrosoftOffice applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).
• Experience in data management, analysis, monitoring, andreporting.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work with minimumsupervision.
• Sound security awareness.

Area(s) of expertise:

• Administration, Communication, advocacy, public information,Legal affairs

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