UNESCO is recruiting an Associate Programme Officer to support education planning and inclusive education initiatives through the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO) Africa office in Dakar, Senegal.
The position is a 12-month, on-site Service Contract at SC8 level and is open to external candidates. The application deadline is 6 September 2026.
UNESCO Associate Programme Officer 2027 Overview
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Organization | UNESCO |
| Position | Associate Programme Officer |
| Contract | Service Contract |
| Level | SC8 |
| Hiring Unit | Education Sector |
| Duty Station | Dakar, Senegal |
| Work Location | On site |
| Contract Duration | 12 months |
| Eligibility | External candidates |
| Deadline | 6 September 2026 |
| Language | English or French, with knowledge of the other language |
Non-Senegalese candidates must have the legal authorization to work in Senegal at the time of application.
About the Position
The position is based within the IIEP-UNESCO Africa office in Dakar, a specialized UNESCO institute that works to strengthen the capacity of Member States to plan and manage education systems.
The Africa office supports African countries through education-sector analysis, sector development plans, methodological tools, capacity building and knowledge production.
The Associate Programme Officer will support the implementation of the regional programme “Planifier pour l’éducation inclusive”, which focuses on making education systems in West Africa more inclusive and ensuring equal access and learning opportunities for children and young people with disabilities.
The programme is being implemented in Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone and consists of four major components:
- Hybrid training
- Knowledge sharing
- Evidence generation
- Technical support to countries
What Will the Associate Programme Officer Do?
The successful candidate will contribute to the coordination, implementation and monitoring of the regional programme.
Key responsibilities include supporting the organization and monitoring of programme activities, preparing technical documentation for workshops, meetings and events, following up on action points, supporting field missions and preparing presentations and summary documents.
The officer will also contribute to monitoring and evaluation by:
- Updating annual operational plans
- Supporting monitoring and evaluation plans
- Collecting programme data
- Checking data quality
- Cleaning and validating information
- Analysing and presenting programme data
- Preparing monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports
- Documenting and sharing lessons learned
Training and Inclusive Education Responsibilities
The position also supports the programme’s training component, including the course on Foundations of Education Sector Planning for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.
Responsibilities include helping develop training resources, identifying relevant materials, supporting accessibility policies, ensuring training quality and documenting contributions from participants.
The Associate Programme Officer will also help monitor participation by persons with disabilities in the programme’s third training cohort and document the support provided to participants.
Community of Practice
Another important part of the position involves supporting the Community of Practice on Education Sector Planning for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.
The successful candidate may assist with:
- Recruiting community members
- Organizing webinars and learning labs
- Communicating about online events
- Coordinating virtual events
- Curating documents and resources
- Updating the community platform
- Identifying strong contributions and potential “champions” within the community
Work Across Senegal, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau
The Associate Programme Officer will also support implementation of programme components in Senegal, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau.
This includes assisting with technical meetings and workshops, monitoring recommendations and action plans, supporting national partners and consultants, reviewing technical deliverables, facilitating communication between stakeholders and preparing technical reports and mission notes.
The position also involves contributing to the preparation, processing, analysis and visualization of programme data, including tables, graphs and technical analytical products used to support decision-making.
UNESCO Associate Programme Officer Requirements
Education
Applicants should have a university degree, at least a Bachelor’s degree, ideally a Master’s degree, in one of the following areas:
- Education planning
- Statistics
- Economics
- Social sciences
- Public policy
- A related field
Work Experience
Applicants must have at least three years of experience in implementing or monitoring programmes in the education sector, ideally involving inclusion or disability.
Professional Skills
UNESCO is looking for candidates with:
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Strong analytical abilities
- The ability to work in diverse and multicultural environments
- Strong organizational skills
- Attention to detail and quality
- The ability to work under pressure
- Ability to learn quickly
- Autonomy and proactivity
- Good knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Language Requirements
Candidates should have very good written and spoken communication skills in English or French, together with a good knowledge of the other language.
Knowledge of Portuguese is listed as a desirable qualification.
Desirable Experience
Additional experience that could strengthen an application includes:
- Working with international organizations
- Experience in the education sector
- Regional or multi-country projects
- Monitoring, evaluation and learning
- Managing online communities of practice
- Disability and inclusion-related work
- Statistical analysis using Stata and/or SPSS
UNESCO Associate Programme Officer Salary
The vacancy information provided identifies the position as a Service Contract at SC8 level, but does not state a specific salary amount in the supplied vacancy details.
Applicants should therefore avoid relying on an estimated salary figure unless UNESCO provides the applicable remuneration information during the recruitment process.
How to Apply
Candidates must complete an online application through the UNESCO Careers website and provide complete and accurate information before the deadline.
The recruitment process may include:
- Pre-recorded video interviews
- Written assessments
- Panel interviews
- Reference checks
- Requests for additional information relating to the position’s qualifications
UNESCO states that applications cannot be modified after submission.
UNESCO Associate Programme Officer Deadline
The application deadline is:
6 September 2026
The position is based on site in Dakar, Senegal, with a contract duration of 12 months.
Important Information for International Applicants
Candidates who are not Senegalese nationals must already have the legal authorization to work in Senegal when they submit their application.
UNESCO also states that it does not charge applicants a fee at any stage of the hiring process.
Why This UNESCO Opportunity Stands Out
This opportunity could be particularly relevant for professionals working in education planning, programme management, monitoring and evaluation, public policy, statistics and inclusive education.
The role combines programme coordination, data analysis, education policy, stakeholder engagement, regional project implementation and disability inclusion, while providing experience within UNESCO’s education sector in Africa.
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