Associate Project Officer (Education for Health and Wellbeing) (Lilongwe, Malawi) contract

Position Number: 6MWED 0015PA

Grade: P-2

Parent Sector: Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Lilongwe

Job Family: Education

Contract Type: Project Appointment

Duration of contract: 1 year

Recruitment open to: Internal and external candidates

Application deadline (Midnight Paris Time): 29/04/2026

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

Duration of contract is 1 year with possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

UNESCO’s new strategy, Education for Health and Well-being, provides the overarching framework for concerted action by UNESCO and its partners at global, regional and country levels during 2016-2021. While the strategy reflects UNESCO’s continued commitment to HIV, it also reflects the shift towards situating HIV within the framework of comprehensive sexuality education. Furthermore, UNESCO recognizes that the education sector cannot achieve better health and well-being alone and thus will also support education sector collaboration with other sectors and with the health sector in particular. UNESCO will engage political leaders and the Regional Economic Communities, especially Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to sustain the response and provide a platform for collaboration and accountability.

The Associate Project Officer will be responsible for implementation, monitoring and reporting of programs/projects/activities related to UNESCO’s expanded work on Education for Health and Wellbeing in Malawi.

The incumbent will support the in-country Project Officer in the implementation of the “Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future” (O3) Programme for Education for Health and Wellbeing in Malawi and represent the project office on UN Joint programmes and technical working groups at country level. His/her work will be directly supervised by the Regional Advisor – Education for Health and Wellbeing for Eastern & Southern Africa.

The main contacts of the appointee will be the Project Officer (EHW) for Malawi, the Malawi Ministry of Education officials, HIV and AIDS stakeholders in Malawi (including government partners), in-country CSOs including youth organizations.

Under the authority of the Regional Representative and Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, general guidance of the Regional Advisor on EHW and the direct supervision of the Project Officer on EHW in Malawi, the incumbent is responsible for implementation, monitoring and reporting of programs/projects/activities related to UNESCO’s expanded work on Education for Health and Wellbeing in Malawi.

The Associate Project Officer will support the in-country Project Officer in the implementation of the “Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future” (O3) Programme for Education for Health and Wellbeing in Malawi and represent the project office on UN Joint programmes and technical working groups at country level.

More specifically, the incumbent will undertake the following tasks and responsibilities:
• Support the Government of Malawi in developing, reviewing and/or implementing policies and guidelines on the provision of CSE and ASRH services to young people.
• Support UNESCO’s efforts to facilitate delivery of high-quality comprehensive sexuality education that is gender transformative, evidence–based, culturally and age appropriate including teacher education and curriculum support.
• Support the scale-up of efforts to address Early and Unintended Pregnancy, Gender-based Violence, Child Marriage and other emerging issues around sexual reproductive health.
• Build capacity of Teacher Educators, Primary Education Advisors and CSO Partners responsible for teacher training in the College-Hub Model towards the delivery of high quality CSE in classroom settings.
• Support the government of Malawi in the development and implementation of programs and policies that prevent and respond to violence in and through education;
• Support development of activities to improve community and youth engagement in young people’s access to comprehensive sexuality education & services;
• Support the development of research, monitoring & evaluation around CSE/SRH for young people aged 10 – 24
• Support the monitoring, evaluation and reporting on UNESCO’s work on Education for Health and Wellbeing

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

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

EDUCATION

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in education, social sciences, public health, or related field.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 2 years of relevant professional experience in the field of education, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, including CSE, HIV and AIDS programming of which preferably one year should have been acquired at the international level;
• Experience in working with Government, international/national Non-Governmental Organizations and UN Agencies.
• Experience in training, coordination and/or institutional and human capacity building.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strong knowledge of the country context, with a particular focus on education and public health landscape;
• Extensive professional knowledge and experience on HIV and AIDS;
• High level of technical writing skills on issues related to education and HIV and AIDS;
• A track record in resource mobilization, ability to manage budgets and report on implementation;
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation;
• Excellent strategic and analytical skills;
• Good computer and other IT skills including excellent skills in MS office.

LANGUAGES

Excellent knowledge of English (oral and written).

UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc. 

The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 78 688 USD.

For full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits.

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 staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• UNESCO applies to a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.
• UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply.
• 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.
• Geographical mobility is required for staff members appointed to UNESCO’s international posts.
• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. UNESCO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO. The list can be accessed through the link: https://www.whed.net
• The statutory retirement age at UNESCO is 65 years.
• UNESCO appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by the Organization, is required for International Professional positions.
• UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.