Foundational Learning in Humanitarian Settings Consultant, Amman, Jordan, Remote

About the role

The Consultant (Foundational Learning in Humanitarian Settings) will provide specialized technical expertise to strengthen UNICEF’s global work on foundational learning in humanitarian and crisis-affected contexts.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise to support the development and implementation of foundational learning programs in humanitarian settings.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of technical guidance, operational frameworks, tools, and standards related to foundational learning.
• Support the generation, synthesis, and translation of evidence, operational learning, and research findings into actionable recommendations, guidance, and knowledge products.
• Facilitate technical exchanges, communities of practice, learning events, workshops, and multi-stakeholder consultations involving governments, country offices, regional offices, and development partners.
• Assist in the design, implementation, and quality assurance of education and learning programs in emergency and resilience contexts.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including governments, UN agencies, NGOs, development partners, and donors.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Masters) in Education, International Development, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in education sector planning, policy development, systems strengthening, and Education in Emergencies (EiE) or humanitarian programming.
• Proven experience integrating risk-informed, crisis-sensitive, and resilience-focused approaches into education planning and policy processes.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in foundational learning, basic education, education in emergencies (EiE), humanitarian programming, learning assessment, education systems strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, advising on, or evaluating foundational learning programmes in humanitarian, crisis-affected, fragile, displacement, and/or protracted emergency settings.
• Strong experience generating, synthesizing, and translating evidence, operational learning, research findings, and promising practices into actionable recommendations, guidance, and knowledge products for practitioners and policymakers.
• Experience supporting UNICEF, governments, UN agencies, NGOs, development partners, or donors in the design, implementation, and quality assurance of education and learning programmes in emergency and resilience contexts.
• Demonstrated experience working across multiple thematic areas relevant to foundational learning, including learning assessment, teacher development and support, gender-responsive education, inclusive education, digital learning, data and evidence systems, and learning continuity.
• Experience facilitating technical exchanges, communities of practice, learning events, workshops, and multi-stakeholder consultations involving governments, country offices, regional offices, and development partners.
• Experience working in low- and middle-income countries, including fragile, conflict-affected, displacement, and crisis-affected contexts.
• Familiarity with global education architecture and humanitarian coordination mechanisms, including UNICEF, INEE, ECW, GPE, Education Clusters, refugee education responses, and related global initiatives, is highly desirable.

Technical Skills

• Strong technical expertise in foundational learning, learning recovery, literacy and numeracy acquisition, education quality, and education in emergencies programming.
• Excellent understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with delivering foundational learning in humanitarian, displacement, conflict-affected, and protracted crisis settings.
• Knowledge of evidence-based approaches related to pedagogy, teaching and learning materials, teacher professional development, formative and summative assessment, learning measurement, and data use for improving learning outcomes.
• Strong analytical and research skills, with demonstrated ability to synthesize complex evidence and operational learning into concise and actionable guidance.
• Proven ability to develop high-quality technical guidance, frameworks, operational tools, reports, learning briefs, case studies, presentations, and knowledge products.
• Strong understanding of inclusive, gender-responsive, and equity-focused approaches to foundational learning and education programming.
• Knowledge of digital learning approaches, learning continuity strategies, and innovative modalities for delivering education in crisis contexts is an asset.
• Excellent facilitation, coordination, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and global networks.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into practical recommendations for country offices, governments, implementing partners, and development partners.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of French, Spanish, and/or Arabic is highly desirable.