Project Coordinator (Intersectoral & Field Operations) (Abuja, Nigeria) contract Full Time NEW

Type of contract : Service Contract

Level :  SC10

Hiring Unit : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station : Abuja

Work location : On site

Duration of contract : 12 months

Hiring open to : External candidates

Application deadline (Midnight UTC+1 Time) : 20/03/2026

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

The UNESCO Office in Abuja is implementing a multi-sectoral programme portfolio designed to strengthen societal stability through education and environmental conservation. Effective implementation of these programmes requires strong operational coordination, intersectoral coherence, quality assurance, and strategic visibility.

The Project Coordinator will support the management of extrabudgetary programmes, strengthen collaboration across UNESCO sectors, ensure the quality and consistency of programme deliverables, and coordinate communication and visibility efforts across the portfolio.

Under the Education and Youth Empowerment in Nigeria project, support will focus on Outcome 2: expanding teacher education programmes with a particular emphasis on resilience in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. This includes curriculum reform, digital pedagogy, and strengthened support for special needs education.

Under the authority of the Head of Office, the incumbent will:

i. Intersectoral Coordination and Programme Coherence

• Serve as a focal point for intersectoral programming within the Office by convening sector teams, identifying synergies, and ensuring alignment and complementarity of outputs.
• Prepare consolidated analytical briefs and inputs for internal coordination, reporting, and HQ submissions.

ii. Project Coordination and Management

Education Sector

• Oversee the expansion of teacher education curricula in collaboration with the National Commission for Colleges of Education, the National Teachers’ Institute, and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, ensuring the integration of resilience and fragile-context pedagogy.
• Coordinate the training of more than 18,000 teachers in digital literacy and multigrade teaching methodologies, ensuring the continued functionality and accessibility of the project’s e-learning platform.
• Lead capacity-building initiatives for teachers working with visually impaired learners under the new national curriculum framework.
• Consolidate high-quality technical and donor reports, including reporting under the European Union funding instrument, integrating both quantitative results and qualitative impact narratives.

Other Programme Operations

(Mainly related to Outcomes 1 and 3 of the Education and Youth Empowerment in Nigeria project)

• Serve as the primary coordination interface between UNESCO and key international partners, including the European Union, Embassies of donor countries and other stakeholders involved in the project.
• Facilitate coordination with donors and their Embassies to ensure timely reporting, appropriate visibility, and strategic alignment with agreed project objectives.
• Develop and implement a sustainability roadmap aimed at progressively transferring responsibilities and capacities to national institutions and partner structures.

iii. Quality Assurance

• Review and harmonize technical documents, concept notes, policy briefs, and donor deliverables to ensure clarity, coherence, and alignment with UNESCO standards.
• Ensure timely submission of high-quality reporting using standardized formats.

iv. Communications and Visibility

• Draft and edit communication materials, including press releases, web stories, briefing notes, and social media content.
• Coordinate with HQ, the Regional Office, and partners to ensure coherent outreach and visibility.
• Support multimedia content development and dissemination.

v. Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

• Contribute to partner mapping, preparation of donor briefs and concept notes, and development of funding proposals.
• Maintain and regularly update a stakeholder and donor database.

vi. Knowledge Management and Capacity Building

• Document lessons learned and good practices.
• Support capacity-building activities for project teams and implementing partners.
• Ensure systematic archiving of project documentation.

vii. Other Duties

• Perform additional tasks as assigned by the Head of Office.

• Monthly intersectoral briefing notes and a minimum of four cross-sectoral concept notes per year.
• Consolidated quarterly and annual workplans, including monitoring dashboards.
• Complete donor progress reporting packages (interim and final).
• Communication packages for major milestones (press release, one-page success story, social media toolkit).
• Updated documentation and lessons-learned summaries at the end of each project cycle.

• Duration: One year, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds.
• Duty station: Abuja, Nigeria, with regular travel to project sites within the country and occasional travel within the Economic Community of West African States region.
• This is a full-time position. Flexibility may be required during field missions and major programme events.

• 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 degree or equivalent) in international development, project management, communications, social sciences, or a related field.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Excellent drafting and editing skills in English; knowledge of French is an asset.
• Strong planning, organizational, and coordination abilities.
• Ability to synthesize complex technical material for diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with communication tools and basic multimedia production.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in multicultural environments and under pressure.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Excellent drafting and editing skills in English; knowledge of French is an asset.
• Strong planning, organizational, and coordination abilities.
• Ability to synthesize complex technical material for diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with communication tools and basic multimedia production.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in multicultural environments and under pressure.

LANGUAGES

Fluency in English; knowledge of French would be an advantage.

EDUCATION

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international development, project management, communications, social sciences, or a related field.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Relevant professional experience in programme or project coordination, preferably within international organizations or United Nations agencies.
• Knowledge of extrabudgetary project management, donor reporting, and intersectoral coordination is considered an asset.
• Experience in communications, drafting documents, and programme visibility functions is desirable.
• Familiarity with UNESCO Global Priorities and Nigeria’s education sector is advantageous.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate remote implementation through institutional focal point models.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Excellent drafting and editing skills in English; knowledge of French is an asset.
• Strong planning, organizational, and coordination abilities.
• Ability to synthesize complex technical material for diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with communication tools and basic multimedia production.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in multicultural environments and under pressure.

LANGUAGES

Fluency in English; knowledge of French would be an advantage.

Application and Submission

Interested candidates should submit:

• a detailed CV,
• a cover letter outlining relevant experience, and
• contact details of two professional references.

Deadline: 19 March 2026

Submission: Applications should be sent to: abuja@unesco.org

• Salary SC10

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.