Senior Consultant – Women in Learning Leadership Project (Paris, France) contract Full Time

Type of contract : Consultant Contract

Level :  Level 3- Senior

Hiring Unit : International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)

Duty Station : Paris

Work location : Remote

Duration of contract : 11 months

Hiring open to : External candidates

Application deadline (Midnight UTC+1 Time) : 16/02/2026

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

With more than 50 years of experience developing the capacity of member states, IIEP-UNESCO is the only specialized organization with the mandate to support education policy, planning and management in the UN system.

IIEP-UNESCO contributes to this mission by producing rigorous analysis and data-driven evidence, developing cutting-edge analytical tools, and delivering technical assistance to identify, facilitate and promote the adoption of effective solutions to most pressing educational challenges.

At the backbone of its strategy and commitment to reducing inequalities in education, IIEP-UNESCO ensures the technical lead of the Gender at the Centre Initiative – CGI. Launched in 2019 at the G7 Summit, the GCI aims to strengthen the gender mainstreaming capacities of education system stakeholders and support the development of resources to achieve gender equality in and through education. 

Women in Learning Leadership (WiLL) is a joint initiative of IIEP-UNESCO, the Gender at the Center Initiative, and UNICEF – Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight. Through an approach that combines the co-creation of evidence with national capacity development, hand in hand with Ministries of Education and partners, WiLL seeks to promote the adoption of best school leadership practices while promoting equitable gender representation in school management positions in low- and middle-income countries.

Combining quantitative and qualitative methods, the research focuses on examining the opportunities and challenges concerning female school leaders, the promising interventions to advance women’s participation in school leadership, and school leadership and management practices that prove effective to improve learning and well-being at school and reduce gender gaps. At the global and country levels, WiLL adopts an approach that combines research and policy dialogue to reduce gender disparities in school leadership and improve education opportunities and foundational learning for all girls and boys in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Madagascar, Benin, Ethiopia and Guinea are among the pilot countries of the WiLL-AGREE project (Women in Learning Leadership — Advancing Gender-Responsive Education using Evidence), a component of the WiLL initiative that has been funded by GPE-KIX since April 2024. Other countries, including Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, have joined the initiative (with other funding). 

IIEP-UNESCO Dakar is recruiting a consultant to support the WiLL research agenda.

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the GCI Lead in Paris, the guidance of the GCI Gender Sensitive Education Planner in Dakar, and the overall authority of IIEP Africa’s Head of Office. WiLL includes both global level research as well as country-specific activities. The consultant will be in charge of providing technical guidance to reach the project objectives. 

Global research

Global research will be conducted mainly in partnership with the WiLL team at UNICEF Innocenti. The consultant will have to lead or contribute to:

• Identification, creation and analysis of assessment tools for measuring gender-responsive education, successful management and leadership practices, gender responsive leadership practices and women’s participation.
• Identification and analysis of assessment tools for measuring gender norms, socio-emotional skills and children’s well-being at school. 
• Analysis of education datasets and drafting policy briefs on school leadership and students’ outcomes. 

Country-level work

WiLL is led by IIEP-UNESCO in Benin, Madagascar, and, on demand, in Ivory Coast and Senegal. The consultant will lead or contribute to:

Analysis

• Analysis of primary data collected in Benin and Madagascar to examine school leadership practices and their links with teachers and students’ outcomes, as well as women’s participation in school leadership. 
• Reports, policy briefs, blog posts, conceptual notes and research protocol writing of Benin and Madagascar.
• Develop materials to share exploratory analysis of Benin and Madagascar and results with partners.
• Provide technical guidance to new WiLL data collection and analysis conducted in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. 

Data collection 

At the country level, an important part of the work will be conducted in close collaboration with staff from the Ministries of Education in Benin, Madagascar, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection are planned. Data collection activities will require the consultant to lead or participate in:

• Managing ethical and legal protocols to conduct in-country research.
• Establishing the sampling strategy to collect quantitative and qualitative data at the school level (sampling method, sample size, weights). 
• Drafting, revising and piloting qualitative survey questionnaires to be administered to headteachers, teachers, students, community members and decentralized ministry officials. Developing implementation guidelines.
• Recruiting survey firms and training enumerators.
• Supervising data collection, data storage, data entry, anonymization and data cleaning. 

Project management 

The consultant will contribute to the project management for IIEP-UNESCO. As such, he/she will be in charge of supporting the coordination with national counterparts, international organizations, bilateral agencies and other governmental and non-governmental organizations about the project. The consultant is expected to:

• Work in close collaboration with the team at IIEP UNESCO and UNICEF-Innocenti. He/she will regularly report to his/her supervisor at IIEP-UNESCO Dakar, pointing and anticipating specific difficulties.
• Contribute to policy dialogue and research design workshops with officials from MoEs, civil society, local research networks and technical and financial partners. 
  Liaise with and facilitate technical teams from MoE and country consultative groups in partner countries with the objective of fostering ownership of research by local stakeholders and to tailor the research to local priorities. 
• Collaborate with WiLL national focal points, consultants and interns.
• Participate in GPE-KIX grantees activities as required.
• Participate in fund-raising efforts by identifying opportunities, co-writing fund-raising proposals, budgets and other material required for the process. He/she will identify potential funders, support presenting the project and adapt content as needed.
• Contribute to reporting activities, as well as specific monitoring and evaluation processes as asked by donors.
• Participate in capacity strengthening and knowledge mobilization events as required by the overall project and/or institution. 

Publication and Dissemination of Research Results

The WiLL initiative for 2026 places strong emphasis on the publication, dissemination, and knowledge mobilization of research findings to ensure that quantitative and qualitative evidence effectively informs policy dialogue, programming, and global debates on gender-responsive school leadership.

In this context, the consultant will be responsible for contributing to the publication and dissemination of research outputs generated, in close collaboration with IIEP-UNESCO, UNICEF Innocenti, and national partners.
The consultant will be expected to:

• Contribute to the drafting of high-quality analytical outputs based on WiLL global and country-level analyses.
• Ensure rigorous integration of quantitative and qualitative findings, including triangulation of data and clear articulation of methodological choices and limitations.
• Support the preparation of knowledge products for diverse audiences, including blog posts, briefs, presentations, and synthesis notes.
• Support  the coordination with IIEP-UNESCO and UNICEF Innocenti on publication timelines, editorial processes, and institutional clearance procedures.
• Contribute to the dissemination of findings through seminars, webinars, workshops, conferences, and policy dialogue events at national, regional, and global levels.
• Ensure that all publications adhere to ethical standards, data protection requirements, and institutional guidelines, including appropriate anonymization of quantitative and qualitative data.

All publications produced under the assignment will remain the intellectual property of IIEP-UNESCO and its partners, in accordance with UNESCO policies, and will be subject to internal review and validation prior to external dissemination.

Quality Assurance 

The Senior consultant will be responsible for ensuring the quality, rigor, and reliability of the institutional analysis conducted in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. This component aims to guarantee that all research activities adhere to the highest methodological and ethical standards while providing actionable insights for policymakers. 

Internal and external quality controls will also be conducted, including by IIEP staff. An internal committee will be established for this purpose, and the consultant will be expected to work closely with this committee and take their feedback into account.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Methodological review and validation (ensure the institutional analysis framework is aligned with the methodologies developed within WiLL, review and refine research tools, including interview guides, data collection instruments, and analytical frameworks).
• Data quality control (ensure analysis meets the expected quality standards)
• Capacity strengthening on quality standards (provide mentorship to consultants and GCI on data collection and analysis best practices)

Specific work assignments will depend on project constraints and workload allocation. 

The consultancy will run for 11 months and requires a full-time commitment. The consultant is expected to start during the first quarter of 2026.

The consultant will submit each month an activity report stating all the activities and outcomes he or she conducted for the project during the last month. 

• 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.

Criteria are mandatory and will be used as eliminatory criteria during the eligibility screening.

EDUCATION

• Advanced university degree (Master or PhD) in education, economics, social sciences, gender or related fields. 

WORK EXPERIENCE

• At least ten years of professional experience in quantitative research and report writing in education and gender,
• At least two of professional experience at the international level.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrated expertise in quantitative data analysis, including the use of statistical software and education datasets.
• Demonstrated experience in research design and implementation, including development of analytical frameworks, tools and protocols.
• Strong analytical and writing skills, with a proven track record of analytical outputs (e.g. research reports, policy briefs, technical notes, publications).
• Proven experience working with Ministries of Education, international organizations, or development partners.
• Experience in sub-Saharan Africa, including collaboration with national counterparts and local stakeholders.

COMPETENCIES

• Strong analytical and writing skills. Track record of publications.
• Strong experience working with high-level counterparts.
• Demonstrated experience in managing research projects and leveraging funds.
• Good knowledge of educational issues in Africa.
• Good knowledge of gender issues in Africa.
• Good knowledge of statistical software.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to travel internationally, including in fragile and challenging context countries.

LANGUAGES

• Excellent written and oral proficiency in French and English.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Criteria are not eliminatory and will be used for the technical scoring of eligible candidates.

Technical competencies

• Demonstrated experience in qualitative research methods, including interviews, focus groups and qualitative data analysis.
• Demonstrated capacity to integrate and triangulate quantitative and qualitative findings within mixed-methods research designs.
• Experience in managing or contributing to complex, multi-country research projects, including coordination with multiple partners.
• Experience contributing to resource mobilization, including proposal writing, budget development or donor reporting.
• Experience contributing to or leading the publication and dissemination of research findings, including policy-oriented outputs and/or peer-reviewed publications.

Years of experience

• 2 years of experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection is a strong advantage.

Candidates who meet the required qualifications are invited to apply by submitting:

• An updated CV (maximum five pages) via UNESCO CAREERS
• A technical and a financial offer (maximum 3 pages) to GCI.consultant@iiep.unesco.org

NOTE : The CV MUST be sent via UNESCO CAREERS and the technical and financial offers MUST be sent to the email address GCI.consultant@iiep.unesco.org for the file to be eligible. 

The technical and financial offer should briefly outline:

• The consultant’s appreciation of the mission, its scope, its feasibility, and the challenges for its implementation.
• The consultant’s understanding of the assignments, highlighting his/her relevant experience.
• The consultant’s proposed remuneration monthly rate. 

The applications that do not include this information will not be considered for the following phases of the counting process.

Deadline to apply: February 16, 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The consultant may be selected before the date indicated above.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.
Payment is conditional on the completion of the tasks and the satisfactory submission of the deliverables within the deadlines defined above, unless otherwise agreed with the project leader.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• The position is home-based with frequent travels to partner countries.
• Travel expenses will be covered by IIEP according to UN travel rules (airplane tickets + DSA).
• All travel will have to be organized by the consultant him/herself, including the visa required. Secondary cost associate (visa processing, etc.) must be included in the monthly fee proposed as a separate item.

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.