Director, Education Cannot Wait, D-1

Director, Education Cannot Wait, D-1

UNICEF – The United Nations Children’s Fund

Geneva, Switzerland

How can you make a difference?

The Director provides strategic leadership to ensure ECW delivers on its mandate to mobilize political commitment and financial resources to deliver safe, inclusive, quality education for children and youth affected by conflict, displacement, and disasters. The Director leads a multi-disciplinary team and oversees implementation of ECW’s investments, including multi-year programme, emergency funding mechanisms, and catalytic initiatives.

As a non-resident fund without legal personality, ECW depends on strong leadership to maintain a coherent vision, accountability to partners, and impact at country level through joint efforts with UN agencies, civil society, host governments, and donors. The Director plays a key representational role in positioning ECW within the global aid and multilateral architecture, ensuring alignment with broader education, humanitarian, and development priorities.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

The Director of Education Cannot Wait is responsible for the strategic, operational, financial, and managerial leadership of the Fund. The Director leads the Secretariat and ensures the effective implementation of ECW’s strategy, in line with guidance from the High-Level Steering Group (HLSG) and Executive Committee (ExCom), and in accordance with the Operational Manual and Hosting Agreement between UNICEF and ECW.

Strategic Leadership and Governance Support

• Provide overall vision and strategic leadership to guide ECW’s priorities, policies, and delivery models;
• Support the HLSG in fulfilling its role as the strategic oversight and political leadership body of ECW;
• Support the ExCom in reviewing and approving operational plans, budgets, investment decisions, and policy frameworks;
• Ensure timely reporting, documentation, and high-quality inputs to enable governance bodies to make informed decisions;
• Implement decisions and recommendations of the HLSG and ExCom, ensuring accountability and follow-through.

Secretariat Management and Operational Oversight

• Lead and manage the ECW Secretariat, ensuring effective coordination across functions including programme support, partnerships, finance, grant management, monitoring and evaluation, and communications;
• Ensure internal coherence, staff performance management, and team wellbeing within a results-based and values-driven culture;
• Oversee operational systems and processes to ensure efficiency, compliance with UNICEF rules, and delivery on ECW’s workplan;
• Manage risk, safeguard integrity, and ensure fiduciary oversight across all activities and country-level investments.

Programme Oversight and Results Delivery

• Ensure effective design, implementation, and monitoring of ECW’s investments, including the Multi-Year Resilience Programmes (MYRPs), First Emergency Response (FER) grants, and other strategic initiatives;
• Oversee development of investment guidelines, quality assurance processes, and monitoring systems to track delivery and impact;
• Champion innovation and learning to improve ECW’s delivery model and catalytic role in the education in emergencies sector.

Resource Mobilization and Financial Stewardship

• Lead the development and execution of a global resource mobilization strategy for the next strategic phase 2027-2030 in coordination with the HLSG Chair and ExCom;
• Cultivate partnerships with traditional and non-traditional donors, including governments, philanthropic foundations, and the private sector;
• Ensure effective management of ECW’s financial resources in accordance with approved budgets and donor agreements;
• Report transparently to governance bodies and donors on ECW’s financial status, fundraising performance, and return on investment.

Partnerships, Advocacy, and Representation

• Serve as the principal representative of ECW to governments, donors, multilateral organizations, civil society, and the private sector;
• Promote ECW’s visibility, credibility, and influence within the broader global education, humanitarian, and development communities;
• Foster alignment with key partners, including the Global Partnership for Education, UN agencies, international NGOs, and youth-led organizations;
• Advocate for education in emergencies as a political and financing priority in global fora.

Hosting and Institutional Relationship Management

• Serve as the focal point for the relationship between ECW and UNICEF, the hosting entity, ensuring mutual accountability and alignment;
• Ensure Secretariat staff operate in full compliance with UNICEF’s administrative, legal, and financial frameworks;
• Liaise with relevant UNICEF divisions and offices to facilitate administrative support, HR services, and financial operations.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

The Director of ECW must demonstrate exceptional capabilities in strategic leadership, partnership engagement, fundraising, and advocacy, while managing a high-performing Secretariat in a complex, politically sensitive, and results-driven environment. The role requires sound judgment, adaptive leadership, and a relentless focus on delivering results for crisis-affected children and youth.

Strategic Leadership and Vision

• Ability to define and drive a bold vision for education in emergencies and protracted crises within a shifting global aid landscape;
• Capacity to lead long-term strategy development and translate global goals into implementable priorities, aligned with ECW’s governance framework;
• Aptitude for steering organizational positioning within the broader multilateral and global education architecture.

Resource Mobilization and Advocacy

• Strong record of success in mobilizing substantial financial resources from governments, philanthropic institutions, and the private sector;
• Ability to design and lead multi-year fundraising campaigns, articulate compelling investment cases, and build sustained donor confidence;
• A credible and persuasive public voice who can speak with authority and inspiration on global stages, in media, and in political settings to elevate the cause of education in crisis contexts;
• Proven ability to align political advocacy with technical objectives and funding strategies.

Stakeholder Engagement and Political Acumen

• Diplomatic skill and political sensitivity to navigate governance dynamics and multi-stakeholder partnerships at global and national levels;
• Capacity to build strategic alliances and foster collective ownership among donors, host countries, UN agencies, civil society, and youth organizations;
• Experience in engaging high-level political leadership, including ministers, UN principals, and parliamentary champions.

Management and Organizational Leadership

• Demonstrated success in leading diverse, high-performing teams across disciplines and geographies;
• Ability to foster a values-based, inclusive, and results-oriented workplace culture;
• Experience in managing institutional change, organizational development, and performance frameworks.

Results-Based Programme and Financial Oversight

• Strong command of programme design, grant management, risk mitigation, and results-based management systems;
• Experience overseeing large, multi-partner investment portfolios with a focus on accountability, impact, and learning;
• Financial acumen to align strategic priorities with budget realities and donor reporting obligations.

Resilience, Integrity, and Accountability

• Personal resilience and ability to lead under pressure, in politically complex and high-stakes environments;
• Demonstrated integrity, ethical judgment, and adherence to transparency and safeguarding principles;
• Commitment to the core values and humanitarian principles of the United Nations and UNICEF, including equity, inclusion, and sustainability.

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master’s degree (or equivalent) in one or more of the following disciplines: social sciences, business administration or management, public administration, education, or other related fields. First level university degree may be considered with two additional years of experience;
• Work Experience: A minimum of 13 years of progressively responsible experience that combines strategic and managerial leadership in administration, business management, planning and operations in a large international and/or corporate/social enterprise organization. Experience working with diverse stakeholder groups or multi-stakeholder partnerships is highly desirable;
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English. Another U.N. working language is an asset.

Desirables:

• Proven ability to deliver results in complex emergencies, ensuring timely, high-quality, and coordinated education investments;
• Strong strategic advisory skills to support governance bodies with evidence-based decision-making;
• Credibility in resource mobilization and accountability, with the capacity to sustain and grow donor confidence;
• Exceptional partnership-building and political acumen to leverage UN, government, civil society, and private sector collaboration for collective impact;
• Global leadership stature to position ECW as a credible and complementary actor within the international education and humanitarian landscape.

Apply NowDeadline 20 September