Associate Project Officer (Education)

OVERVIEW

Position Number: ED/PA 258

Grade: P-2

Parent Sector: Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Education

Contract Type: Project Appointment

Duration of contract: 1 year

Recruitment open to: Internal and external candidates

Application deadline (Midnight Paris Time): 02/04/2026

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

Under the overall authority of the Assistant Director General for Education and  the Director of the Division for Peace and Sustainable Development, the overall guidance of the Chief of Section on Global Citizenship and Peace Education, and the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist/Team Leader for Memory and Non-discrimination, the incumbent is responsible for supporting the coordination of education programmes that deal with addressing racism, including  EU-funded programmes to address antisemitism and racism through education, embedded in UNESCO’s wider programs on Global Citizenship Education and ensuring alignment with the 2023 Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development.

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Background

UNESCO promotes Global Citizenship Education (GCED) as a central pillar of its mandate to foster peace, human rights, equality, and social cohesion. Persisting and rising forms of racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, and related intolerance continue to undermine inclusive societies and learners’ dignity, safety, and well-being.

The 2023 UNESCO Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development provides a comprehensive normative framework guiding Member States in transforming education systems to address structural discrimination, historical injustices, and contemporary manifestations of racism and exclusion. The Recommendation calls for education that is human rights-based, gender-transformative, culturally responsive, historically grounded, and oriented toward social justice, democratic participation, and sustainable development.

Long Description

UNESCO’s work on Global Citizenship and Peace Education aligns with the 2023 Recommendation by strengthening education systems’ capacity to:

• Address systemic and structural racism;
• Promote critical thinking and media and information literacy to counter hate speech and disinformation;
• Foster intercultural dialogue and pluralism;
• Support educators in creating inclusive, safe and equitable learning environments;
• Equip learners with the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviors to challenge prejudice and discrimination.

Within this normative and programmatic framework, the incumbent will contribute to advancing UNESCO’s anti-racism education agenda, with focus on the EU-funded programme for Europe and, besides, with particular attention to discrimination against Muslims as an initial thematic focus, while situating this work within broader efforts to address multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.

KEY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The contract-holder will contribute to the conceptual development, implementation, coordination, and monitoring of UNESCO’s work on GCED and anti-racism education in alignment with the 2023 Recommendation, in partnership with relevant stakeholders in the field and in academia.

The incumbent will work as part of the Global Citizenship and Peace Education team and will contribute to analytical, coordination, and technical support to ensure effective programme delivery. This will include notably, but not exclusively:

• Contribute to the design, development, and revision of technical guidance, policy briefs, training materials, and knowledge products addressing  discrimination and racism in and through education, ensuring alignment with the 2023 Recommendation.
• Provide analytical inputs to support the integration of anti-racism and anti-discrimination approaches across GCED initiatives.
• Support background research, literature reviews, and policy analysis to inform programme design and strategic positioning.
• Support the planning, organization, and delivery of workshops, expert meetings, consultations, and webinars aimed at strengthening Member States’ capacities to address racism through education.

Long Description

• Support resource mobilization, partnership mapping and background research on potential partnerships and fundraising opportunities for anti-racism education work.
• Contribute to drafting briefing notes, agendas, background papers, project proposals, reports, communication materials.
• Assist in liaising with relevant civil society organizations and national and international bodies in charge of addressing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination within education systems, including the European Commission, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

• Contribute to monitoring programme implementation and tracking outputs against work plans and performance indicators.

• Provide support, as required, to broader Section’s initiatives related to education for peace, countering hate speech and disinformation, intercultural dialogue, and dealing with violent pasts.
• Support communication, outreach, advocacy on all above-mentioned activities.
• Perform any other relevant duties assigned by the Chief of Section or the immediate supervisor to ensure coherence and impact of the programme’s work.

Long Description

Long Description

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)
• Professionalism (C)
• Building partnerships (M)
• Driving and managing change (M)
• Strategic thinking (M)
• Making quality decisions (M)
• Managing performance (M)
• Leading and empowering others (M)

Short Description

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION   

• Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in the field of History, Education, Social or Human Sciences, Political Science or related fields

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum two (2) years of relevant professional experience in the field of anti-racist education, discrimination policy, human rights education, or related research and programme development, of which preferably one (1) year of experience acquired at international level.

Long Description

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES 

LANGUAGES

• Excellent knowledge (verbal and written) of English or French and good knowledge of the other language. 

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

LANGUAGES 

• Knowledge of another official working language of UNESCO (Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Russian)

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Experience in resource mobilization and partnership development
• Specialization, and proven prior engagement, in anti-racism studies, intercultural education, or discrimination law/policy

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 86 647 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.