Education Officer, Manila

General

Description of assignment title

Education Officer

Assignment country

Philippines

Duty stations

Manila

Work location

On UN premises

Expected start date

12/01/2026

Duration

12 months (with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal

4. Quality education

Host entity

UNICEF Philippines

Modality

Onsite

Type

National

Volunteer category

Expert UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule

Full-time

Number of Assignments

1

Details

Mission and objectives

UNICEF works to promote and protect the rights of every Filipino child, with a particular focus on those who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

We work with the Philippine government to improve national policies, programmes and services for children and adolescents. Together with partners, we address common barriers to the realization of their rights.

Context

UNICEF’s fundamental mission is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, through its programmes, advocacy and operations. Its equity strategy prioritizes the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, ensuring all children have the opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential without discrimination. Addressing inequities not only advances children’s rights but also contributes to sustained development and stability. This focus on equity is central to UNICEF’s universal mandate under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its commitment to leave no one behind. UNICEF has worked continuously in the Philippines since 1948, supporting the Government to strengthen policies, programmes and services so that all Filipino children can realize their rights. UNICEF’s vision is closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals: that every child is free from hunger, has access to health services, quality education, clean water and sanitation, and grows up protected in an inclusive, just and peaceful society. UNICEF supports the Government to expand and implement policies and legislation benefiting children, particularly the most disadvantaged; strengthen investments and financing for children; adapt national programmes to diverse contexts, including remote rural and underserved urban communities and areas affected by hazards and conflict; and improve national capacity to monitor results for children. Under the 9th Country Programme of Cooperation (2024–2028), UNICEF Philippines works for and with children from early childhood through adolescence. In education, priorities include pre-primary education and early learning, foundational literacy and numeracy, and education and skills development for marginalized adolescents. UNICEF also works to ensure equitable education opportunities for girls and children affected by emergencies, while recognizing the growing importance of digital learning and quality education data. UNICEF takes an education systems approach to achieving sustainable impact. This includes strengthening school and preschool infrastructure, policies and legislation, financing, and the education workforce. It also involves improving data and monitoring so policymakers can identify what works, who benefits and who is being left behind, alongside social and behavioural approaches that promote enrolment, participation and retention.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Education Specialist, the Education Officer will carry out the following tasks:

1. Support the design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of UNICEF’s education programme by contributing to situation analyses, programme strategies, results-based planning, and proposal development aligned with UNICEF priorities, national policies, and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
2. Collaborate with government, donors, academia, NGOs, UN agencies, and other partners to identify priorities, strengthen partnerships, and achieve sustainable results. Contribute to programme management by establishing monitoring frameworks, reviewing progress, conducting field visits, identifying bottlenecks and lessons learned, and ensuring timely reporting and accountability. Monitor the effective use of programme resources in compliance with organizational policies and donor requirements.
3. Provide technical and operational support to partners, prepare policy briefs and strategic documents, and contribute to programme development, implementation, and contingency planning. Promote advocacy, resource mobilization, and knowledge exchange through effective communication and representation in inter-agency forums.
4. Advance innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building by introducing best practices, supporting policy development, strengthening stakeholder capacities, and fostering sustainable improvements in education systems and outcomes.

Eligibility criteria

Age

18 - 80

Required experience

7 years

Nationality

Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience

7 years

Languages

• English, Level: Working knowledge, Required
• Filipino, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

Master's degree in Education Policy, Planning, Program Management

Competencies and values

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism

Skills and experience

• Knowledge in basic education, foundational learning, digital learning/education (incl. system strengthening), pedagogy and management in multigrade setting
• Expertise in programme development, management, monitoring and research
• Experience to work/engage with Department of Education is desirable

Area(s) of expertise

Community development, Education, Project management, programme development, strategy

Driving license

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the insurance plan. The assignment is based in Manila, Philippines. Official travel within the Philippines, including BARMM may be required, subject to UNICEF rules, operational needs and security procedures.

You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.

The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Reasonable accommodation

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.