Associate Project Officer (Education Finance)

Organizational Context

UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) is the sole specialized UN organization dedicated to supporting educational policy, planning, and management. Established in 1963, IIEP assists ministries of education globally through training, technical assistance, research, and knowledge sharing. The Institute operates with offices in Paris, Dakar, and Buenos Aires, and its activities are funded by voluntary contributions and project grants.

Job Purpose

The Associate Education Programme Specialist will implement funded projects and activities aimed at enhancing the capacity of Ministries of Education and other partners in planning and managing education sectors. This role involves providing direct technical support to governments, contributing to research and analytical work, developing training programs, and facilitating knowledge sharing. The specialist will focus on strengthening planning and management capacities, particularly in education finance, costing, and budgeting, or public financial management within the education sector. The position requires supporting complex programs and projects to ensure effective and impactful educational planning and management strategies are developed and implemented.

Responsibilities

Support and coordinate technical assistance to Ministries of Education in areas of education financing, costing, and budgeting. This includes conducting public expenditure reviews, sector financial management diagnoses, developing costed sector plans, and implementing results-oriented budgeting reforms to ensure high-quality and timely delivery across multiple country engagements. Conduct education sector finance analysis, identifying and assessing financing sources and public financial management challenges to inform sector diagnostics and planning. Utilize financial simulation models and costed Multi-Year Operational Plans for costing education sector plans. Integrate gender, equity, and climate change considerations into education sector programming, costing, and budgeting. Collaborate with IIEP's Education Finance team to align research, development, training, and capacity development activities, focusing on program effectiveness, resource mobilization, and strategic impact. Assist IIEP's training team by designing training materials and analytical tools for national capacity-strengthening programs and delivering direct training. Contribute to public discussions and engage with stakeholders in education financing. Work with the Research and Knowledge Mobilization team to define priorities and promote a cohesive approach to research and knowledge sharing. Facilitate consultations among IIEP offices and with partners regarding country-facing research, capacity development, and technical cooperation activities.

Work Experience

A minimum of two years of relevant professional experience, with at least one year at the international level. Experience should be in technical cooperation, preferably within Ministries of Education or Finance, focusing on education financing and public financial management. This includes budget planning, reporting, financing diagnostics, financial modeling, simulation, budgeting, and PFM. Experience in analyzing education costs, finances, and budgets, or in Public Financial Management (PFM) within the education sector is required.

Skills

Demonstrated knowledge of education and education financing issues in developing and emerging countries. Understanding of global education trends and effective strategies for education planning and management, including in crisis contexts. Proven ability to design and implement training programs and research. Strong analytical and writing skills for policy briefs and training materials. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and statistical packages (e.g., STATA, R, Python). Excellent coding skills for data analysis. Strong project management skills for complex projects.

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