Education Specialist (Learning and Skills Assessment), P-4

About the role

UNICEF's Global Programme Division in Nairobi is recruiting a Programme Specialist (Learning and Skills Assessment) at P-4 level for a fixed-term appointment. The role advances learning and skills assessment across education systems worldwide, working with governments, Country and Regional Offices and partners to strengthen national assessment systems, improve education and skills outcomes and support evidence-based policy and financing decisions. It contributes to UNICEF's Every Child Learns Education Strategy 2019-2030 and the Strategic Plan 2026-2029.

Key responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and programme support to governments, Country and Regional Offices and partners
• Design, implement and strengthen assessment systems and evidence-generation initiatives
• Generate evidence for policy and decision-making and contribute to policy dialogue and capacity development
• Support partnerships, advocacy, innovation, monitoring and quality assurance

Required profile

• Advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in psychometrics, education, statistics, economics, learning and skills measurement, social sciences or a related field
• At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience in learning and skills assessment, education and labor market monitoring or related fields
• English at proficient or fluent level; French is desirable; another UN official language or a local language is an asset
• Proven experience designing and implementing national or large-scale learning and skills assessments or tracer studies
• Experience in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts, and with assessments in emergency, displacement or fragile contexts

Required skills

• Working knowledge of psychometrics, test development and sampling
• Working knowledge of global reporting frameworks such as SDG 4.1.1a/b and 4.7 indicators
• Data analysis and visualization with statistical software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R) and Visual Basic for Applications
• Ability to turn technical findings into actionable policy recommendations
• Understanding of education policy, sector planning and financing, and familiarity with digital assessments and computer-based testing

Desirable: experience with global assessment programs (LLECE, PASEC, SACMEQ, SEA-PLM, PISA), proficiency in data visualization platforms (Tableau, Power BI), and knowledge of intersectional equity in assessment.