Junior Professional Officer

OVERVIEW
**Post Number**: JPO_US 02 ED
**Grade**: P-2
**Parent Sector**: Education Sector (ED)
**Duty Station**: Paris
**Job Family**: Education
**Type of contract**: Junior Professional Officer
**Duration of contract**: The initial appointment is for 1 year, renewable based on performance and availability of funds
**Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time)**: 31-JAN-2025
**UNESCO Core Values**: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
UNESCO Education Sector’s Futures of Learning and Innovation Division steers human-centered digital transformations in education and guides international efforts to establish new and more human-centered trajectories for education in a digital age.
In a time of rapid digital transformation, education systems are scrambling to ensure public education is supported in online and digital spaces as well as in the vital physical and social spaces of schools and universities. They are also working to ensure online education complements and enriches school education and vice-versa. But too often public education stops where the digital begins. In many countries around the world, it is not at all clear where learners, teachers and parents can go to access digital learning content that is free, quality controlled, age appropriate and aligned with the curriculum. The options that are available tend to be for-profit, riddled with advertising, poorly reflective of local customs and culture, and tailored for data extraction.
The UNESCO-UNICEF Gateways to Public Digital Leaning Initiative, managed by the Futures of Learning and Innovation Division, responds to this challenge. Lead by UNESCO and UNICEF, the Gateways Initiative helps countries establish and improve their public digital learning platforms. It seeks to ensure that that public education extends into the digital realm and that in the future every student, teacher and parent has a clear destination to access good quality digital learning content.
The Gateways Initiative was launched at the Transforming Education Summit in direct response to the Member States’ Call to Action: Assuring quality public digital learning for all. It actualizes country commitments to “establish and iteratively improve national digital learning platforms” and to “empower teachers, learners, and families” through these platforms.
In line with the Call to Action, unlocking the transformative potential of digital learning requires three keys: connectivity, capacities and content. Numerous international initiatives are working to make connectivity and devices more universal and to build the digital capacities and skills of children and adults. Content, however, is routinely overlooked. Gateways Initiative works with governments to help make free and high-quality digital learning content easy-to-find and easy-to-use.
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
The Junior Professional Officer (JPO) will work under the overall supervision of the Director of Future of Learning and Innovation Division and the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist.
Long Description
**Within this context, the JPO will be responsible for**:

- Supporting substantively and logístically the work of UNESCO’s Futures of Education team, particularly projects on digital learning futures, including the Gateways to Public Digital Learning Initiative.
- Conducting background research on AI and education to support the development of a UNESCO report about AI and the future of learning.
- Supporting categorization tasks and trends analysis related to public digital learning platforms.
- Supporting the preparation of summaries, data fact sheets and other communication materials to clarify UNESCO positions on various aspects of digital learning futures.
- Supporting the development of fundraising proposals and outreach to donors.
- Working with UNESCO staff members to help prepare and polish talking points, speeches and slide presentations.
- Assisting in data collection and data visualization projects.
- Helping to update web content about ED/FLI programmes and projects.
- Supporting the organization and implementation of ED/FLI events.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
**Education**:
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in an social science or humanities field, ideally reflecting an focus or interest in education.
**Work experience**:

- Preferably a minimum of two years of professional experience in education or other social science or adjacent fields.
- Professional writing and research experience.
- Demonstrated interest in debates about the social implications of technology and technology developments.
- Demonstrated ability to propose novel ideas.
- Experience developing and sustaining partnerships with outside individuals and organizations to advance shared objectives.

**Competencies and skills**:

- Strong analytical and drafting skills.
- Excellent communication skills (written and o