Service Contract – Education for Sustainable Development (Paris, France) contract

Type of contract : Service Contract

Level :  4

Hiring Unit : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station : Paris

Work location : On site

Duration of contract : 6 months

Hiring open to : External candidates

Application deadline (Midnight UTC+1 Time) : 23/02/2026

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

The work of the Section of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is organized around three major pillars:

• Leading and coordinating the global agenda on ESD: to influence global processes related to major sustainability challenges on the role of education as a solution (e.g. climate crisis, biodiversity loss and growing socio-economic inequalities, etc.) and consolidate the partnerships with key education and sustainable development stakeholders.

• Providing guidance, standards, and technical support: to develop institutional capacity at the country level.

• Monitoring & evaluation: to develop evidence informed advocacy, policy and practice

To respond to the urgent calls for action from young people to ensure every learner is equipped to tackle climate change and to promote sustainable development, as enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.7, UNESCO launched an ambitious project to green education policies, curricula, teacher training, schools and communities. The Greening Education Partnership (GEP), launched at the UN Transforming Education Summit is a global platform for coordination of quality climate change education grounded in the ESD approach. The GEP secretariat is hosted by UNESCO under ED/PSD/ESD.

Currently in its fourth year of work, the GEP has launched several policy guidance tools, including the Green Schools Quality Standard and the Greening Curriculum Guidance. The Partnership is now working towards implementation of these global frameworks as well as on monitoring and evaluation efforts of the impact of the GEP work.

Under the overall authority of the Assistant-Director General for Education, the overall guidance of the Director of the Division for Peace and Sustainable Development, and the direct
supervision of the Chief of Education for Sustainable Development, the incumbent will perform the following duties:

1. Support the coordination of the membership of the Greening Education Partnership, in particular working group 4 on greening communities, including:

• Supporting the co-coordinators to organize regular working group meetings;
• Supporting the implementation of the Greening Communities Guidance;
• Supporting the organisation of the quarterly meetings, including technical backstopping, including requests for interpretation services, webcasting, and recording.

2. Support the development and delivery of the training of trainers programme, including:

• Liaise with UNESCO Field staff, external partners and consultants;
• Review draft course modules and provide feedback
• Assist with the delivery of the training where appropriate

3. Support the organization of and provide technical backstopping to meetings and webinars on climate change education including:

• GEP capacity building webinars
• GEP Advisory group meetings
• Agile group meetings
• Other high-level events, including GEP events during COP 31

4. Support the ESD Section with the preparation of the ESD World Conference taking place at the end of 2026, including:

• Support the organization of regional and expert consultation meetings ahead of the event
• Support the communication with participants including Member States representatives and other stakeholders
• Support the drafting of conference documents and communication materials

5. Any other tasks as assigned by the team leader to support the work of the ESD programme of work.

6 months

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowlegde sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)

   

  For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

EDUCATION

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in education, sustainable development, social sciences or related fields

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum one year of relevant working experience in the fields of education for sustainable development, climate change education or similar.
• Experience of working with a variety of stakeholders, building networks and coordinating partnerships, preferably at global level.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrated analytical and drafting skills
• Capacity to work independently and under tight deadlines
• Ability to maintain effective relationships in a multi-cultural work setting
• Flexibility and adaptability to work effectively in a changing environment with competing prioritiesExcellent knowledge of written and oral English and working knowledge of French; knowledge of other UN languages would be an advantage

LANGUAGES

Excellent knowledge of written and oral English and working knowledge of French; knowledge of other UN languages would be an advantage.

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).

• UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of personnel shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.
• 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.
• The statutory retirement age at UNESCO is 65 years.
• UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the hiring process.