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Project Officer (Education for Health and Wellbeing)

OVERVIEW

Position Number: 6ZAED 0018PA

Grade: P-3

Parent Sector: Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Johannesburg

Job Family: Education

Contract Type: Project Appointment

Duration of contract: 1 year

Recruitment open to: Internal and external candidates

Application deadline (Midnight Paris Time): 05/03/2026

 

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

Duration of contract: 1 year with possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

UNESCO’s Education for Health and Well-being Strategy sets the overarching framework for coordinated action by UNESCO and its partners. The strategy is grounded in a simple truth: children and adolescents who are healthy, well-nourished, and safe are better positioned to learn and thrive. Increasingly, countries are acknowledging the strong links between health and education, and the potential of education systems to advance a wide range of positive health outcomes. Recognising that the education sector cannot achieve improved health and well-being outcomes in isolation, UNESCO places strong emphasis on cross-sector collaboration—particularly with the health sector. UNESCO will also work closely with political leaders and Regional Economic Communities, especially the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to ensure sustained commitment, strengthened coordination, and robust accountability.

 

Within this context, the Project Officer (Education for Health and Well-being) will support the Senior Project Officer in managing programmes across the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region, notably the Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme, supported by Sweden and other donors. The incumbent will provide technical expertise and contribute to effective programme management, planning, implementation, and monitoring across UNESCO’s Education for Health and Well-being portfolio. This includes initiatives focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights, school-related gender-based violence, and comprehensive sexuality education.

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Education, guidance from the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, and the direct supervision of the Senior Project Officer (Education for Health and Wellbeing), the Project Officer (Education for Health and Wellbeing) will be responsible for supporting the Senior Project Officer in managing Education for Health and Wellbeing programs in the ESA region, specifically, the “Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future” (O3) Programme. S/he will be responsible for providing technical expertise on key thematic areas advancing comprehensive sexuality education, such as, curriculum development and support, pre- and in-service teacher training, key populations and human rights. More specifically, the incumbent will undertake the following tasks and responsibilities:

KEY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Programme and Technical Support

 

  • Contribute to the implementation of regional Education for Health and Wellbeing programmes, with a focus on curriculum development, teacher training, and promoting the International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education. 
  • Provide technical support and capacity building to partners in areas such as school health, prevention of school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV), HIV prevention, and response to early and unintended pregnancies (EUP). 
  • Support strategic planning and budgeting for UNESCO’s EHW programming in ESA, aligned with UNESCO’s role as a UNAIDS Cosponsor; identify engagement opportunities and facilitate in-house capacity building as needed. 
  • Ensure timely preparation of narrative and financial reports for assigned programme elements, both internally within UNESCO and to external donors.

Long Description

Scale Up and Strengthen the Delivery of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)

 

  • Build capacity among curriculum developers, teachers, and teacher educators—including those supporting learners with disabilities—to deliver gender- and social norms-transformative CSE and school violence prevention, leveraging ICT-based solutions. 
  • Oversee in-country teacher training initiatives, including in-person and online courses, communities of practice, mentoring programs, and college hub models. 
  • Lead the development and dissemination of high-quality digital and non-digital teaching and learning resources on gender- and social norms-transformative CSE and school violence prevention. 
  • Advocate for the integration of digital tools into national teacher Continuous Professional Development (CPD) systems, school curricula, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) policies, including participation in high-level forums on online safety and digital inclusion. 
  • Expand and strengthen the CSE Community of Practice for teachers and practitioners in the ESA region.

Long Description

Digital Solutions for Empowering Adolescents and Young People (AYP)

 

  • Oversee the conceptualization of digital innovations to empower AYP in school and out-of-school settings, incorporating a three-tier technology access model (Low-Tech, Mid-Tech, and Hi-Tech). 
  • Coordinate the management of existing regional and country-specific digital tools, such as chatbots (e.g., Dzidzo paDen, Ola Zed, Sinawe) and mobile apps (e.g., Future+, OwnU), including assigning tasks to external vendors or internal UNESCO IT support. 
  • Manage procurement processes for new digital tools and resources focused on AYP empowerment, ensuring quality control, accessibility, online safety, and compliance through vendor oversight and risk assessments. 
  • Maintain digital tools to ensure content is current, licensed appropriately, age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and aligned with community standards.

Long Description

Community Engagement in Gender and Social Norms Transformative Education

 

  • Lead outreach initiatives targeting parents, religious leaders, traditional leaders, and community leaders to promote gender- and social norms-transformative education on EUP, gender-based violence (GBV), and child marriage. 
  • Collaborate with UNESCO’s Communication and Information (CI) Sector to engage community radios in disseminating resources addressing EUP, GBV, and child marriage. 
  • Support National Programme Officers (NPOs) in interventions for CSE tailored to learners with disabilities, those in emergency settings, learners with HIV, and LGBTIQ+ learners. 
  • Organize and deliver capacity-building programs for religious and community leaders on gender-transformative CSE and violence prevention. 
  • Strengthen partnerships with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to enhance community engagement and advance the health and well-being of young people.

COMPETENCIES - Core (C) & Managerial (M)

  • Communication (C)
  • Accountability (C)
  • Innovation (C)
  • Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)
  • Planning and organizing (C)
  • Results focus (C)
  • Teamwork (C)

Short Description

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

  • Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in a relevant field, such as education, health, social sciences, public health or related areas.

 

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

  • Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience in a relevant field, such as education, health, social sciences, public health or related areas of which preferably two (2) years acquired at the international level.
  • Experience in curriculum development, teacher training, or monitoring and evaluation in an international or regional context.
  • Experience in joint programming.
  • Experience in design and development of user-centric applications and administration of online learning in a health education environment.
  • Prior experience working with the UN or other international or regional organizations will be considered an asset.

 

Long Description

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

  • Strong technical expertise in comprehensive sexuality education, human rights, and key populations.
  • Excellent analytical, planning, and budgeting skills.
  • Proficiency in project management, including proposal development and reporting.
  • Ability to work collaboratively in multicultural teams and with diverse partners.
  • Good communication and inter-personal skills, including ability to develop and maintain collaborative relations with various stakeholders.
  • Ability to think critically, with a strong innovation orientation.
  • Ability to multi-task, prioritize and deliver to deadline, as well as work under pressure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

LANGUAGES

  • Excellent knowledge (oral and written) of English.
  • French will be an added advantage.

 

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 89 953 USD

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

SELECTION AND HIRING PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information, by the above deadline.

To apply, please visit the UNESCO Careers website. No modifications can be made to the application once submitted. 

The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications.  

Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course. 

Short-listed candidates may also be added to Talent Pools; subject to their consent (i.e. Data Privacy Statement).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
  • UNESCO applies to a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.
  • UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply.
  • lndividuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
  • All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
  • Geographical mobility is required for staff members appointed to UNESCO’s international posts.
  • In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. UNESCO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO. The list can be accessed through the link: https://www.whed.net
  • The statutory retirement age at UNESCO is 65 years.
  • UNESCO appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by the Organization, is required for International Professional positions.
  • UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

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