Associate Programme Specialist (Learning Design and Innovation)

OVERVIEW

Post Number : IEP/PA/163

Grade : P-2

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Project Appointment

Duration of contract : 1 year

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 22-AUG-2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Duration of the contract: One (1) year renewable with a six (6) months probationary period.
Extension of contract is subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

As the only specialized organization with the mandate to support educational policy, planning and management, the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) plays a unique role within the United Nations system. IIEP was established in 1963 as an integral part of UNESCO. It supports ministries of education and their partners around the world to plan and manage education systems through four types of capacity development programs: training, technical assistance, research and development, and knowledge sharing. The Institute launched its new Medium-Term Strategy (2022-2025) in November 2021. IIEP has offices in Paris, Dakar, and Buenos Aires. IIEP draws on voluntary contributions from core donors and project funding to achieve its goals and objectives.

Under the overall authority of the IIEP Director and the Technical Cooperation Lead, and under the direct supervision of the Guyana Lead Project Manager and IIEP Pedagogical Coordinator, and within the framework of the Institute’s Medium-Term Strategy, the incumbent will provide pedagogical and management support in the design, development, and implementation of the Leadership Academy for district and school leaders in Guyana and more broadly in learning design and innovation for training at IIEP. The incumbent will work closely with the Guyana project team to design, develop, and deliver high-quality, tailor-made training courses that respond to the specific needs, contexts, and priorities of the Guyanese education system, while ensuring alignment with IIEP’s pedagogical standards and fostering innovation and collaboration with national stakeholders and development partners.

Long Description

The Guyana project aims to implement the Guyana Partnership Compact, endorsed by the Ministry of Education and partners in February 2023. It relies on two main components: i) the creation of a leadership academy for district and school leaders, and ii) system improvements, with specific attention given to human resources policies and procedures for district and school leaders, and the development of equitable funding formulas. IIEP collaborates with the Global Partnership for Education, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Ministry of Education in Guyana to implement the Compact.  

Candidates should have expertise in one of the following two areas:
1. Online Learning and Digital Tools.
2. Project and Learning Management. 

The incumbent will have the following duties and responsibilities:

Long Description

1. Support the design of inclusive, locally tailored training for education leaders in Guyana

• Support the creation and facilitation of workshops to develop training content tailored to the specific needs and realities of district and school leadership in Guyana.
• Collaborate with course leads and content experts to design courses that reflect participant profiles, learning needs, and the national education context.
• Advise course leads, content experts, and instructors on formulating learning outcomes, preparing learning activities, and identifying assessment strategies aligned with Guyanese educational priorities.
• Coordinate consultants to develop and update culturally and contextually appropriate multimedia resources (e.g., videos, podcasts, tutorials) using tools like Articulate 360, in collaboration with IIEP Latin America.
• Work with content experts to select effective facilitation and communication strategies for Guyanese learners and various delivery modalities, ensuring support and monitoring on platforms like Moodle.
• Ensure strong communication with the Guyana project team and partners, and promote training designs that are inclusive and sensitive to gender and equity considerations

2. Contribute to the management and delivery of training via the Moodle platform

• Coordinate the work of consultants to manage the Moodle course platform and ensure timely availability of all resources and activities, in collaboration with the IIEP Latin America Country Office.  
• Assure quality assurance and testing of courses prior to launch.
• Coordinate with course project leads and external providers (e.g., content experts, graphic designers, multimedia specialists) to ensure smooth implementation of customized training content.
• Monitor course implementation and propose improvements to enhance the quality and contextual relevance of the Guyana Leadership Academy and IIEP’s broader training offer.
• Maintain regular communication with national stakeholders and development partners to ensure training activities remain aligned with evolving local needs.

3. Assist in the implementation and coordination of the national leadership training programme

• Assist in planning and monitoring training activities to ensure contextual relevance.
• Help align content, methods, and assessments across modules for pedagogical consistency.
• Support coordination among contributors and document key meetings and follow-ups.
• Contribute to managing timelines and identifying risks during implementation.
• Collect and analyze feedback to inform ongoing improvements.
• Facilitate on-site workshops and support the professional development of national trainers and facilitators through targeted pedagogical guidance, co-design workshops, and coaching.

4. Support innovation and quality enhancement in training design and delivery

• Identify and incorporate emerging trends and technologies in e-learning, including AI, to enhance teaching and learning practices tailored to the Guyanese context and more generally for the IIEP Global Campus training offer.
• Contribute to the organization of training sessions for the Project Team and IIEP Teaching Staff aimed at enhancing capacities in online teaching and learning.
• Foster a culture of continuous quality improvement by regularly refining course design and delivery based on local feedback and evidence.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of quality assurance mechanisms and tools specific to the Guyana Leadership Academy and for the IIEP Global Campus.
• Demonstrate strong coordination and communication skills with the IIEP Guyana project team, national stakeholders, and partners to ensure alignment with strategic goals and responsiveness to evolving needs.
• Integrate research-informed innovative practices into training design, document lessons learned, and share knowledge outputs and tools at conferences and practitioner events to inform similar initiatives.
• Explore responsible use of AI to enhance learner engagement and personalize learning, support internal training for IIEP teams, and align training models for scalability across regional offices.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in the field of education, educational planning and management, international development, political and/or social sciences, economics, or another related field.

Work Experience

• Minimum two (2) years in the fields of international development, planning and management of education systems of which preferably one (1) year acquired at international level. 
• Relevant work experience in the field of online learning.
• Experience in delivering on-the-job training to adults.
• Experience in designing training programmes tailored to diverse learner profiles.
• Experience working with Ministries of education and development partners.

Long Description

Knowledge, Skills and Competencies

• Knowledge of instructional design (e.g., ADDIE, Bloom’s Taxonomy).
• Experience supporting the development of training materials and workshops.
• Familiarity with adult learning principles and learner-centered approaches.
• Experience using or supporting Learning Management Systems (especially Moodle).
• Interest in or exposure to AI in education, online learning trends, and edtech tools.
• Ability to support research, documentation, and knowledge-sharing activities.
• Coordination and communication skills to liaise with content developers and tech teams
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly on mission to diverse areas.
• Strong analytical and synthetic skills and good capacity to undertake analytical and synthetic writing.
• Demonstrable organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to learn quickly and on the job and under pressure.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders in a multicultural environment.
• Strong IT skills, including knowledge of MS Office suite such as Word and Excel. 

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Work Experience

• Experience in training of trainers
• Experience in publishing best practices on online pedagogy 

Language

• Knowledge of another UN official language beyond English (Spanish).

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc.

The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 87 654 US $.

For full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as an interview. 

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

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