Strategic Partner Engagement Consultancy, Programme Group/Education Section, NYHQ remote, Req#

About UNICEF

UNICEF is the world’s leading children’s rights organization, dedicated to promoting children’s survival, protection and development. UNICEF operates in 190 countries and territories and is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

Consultancy Title: Strategic Partner Engagement Consultancy

Division/Duty Station: Programme Group/Education, NYHQ

Duration: 1 October 2025 – 31 March 2026

Home/Office Based: Remote

Background

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The global learning crisis is widening, with a growing disconnect between education and essential skills. This is compounded by humanitarian emergencies, climate change, and systemic education failures, disrupting learning for millions of children. UNICEF’s Education Strategy (2019–2030), Every Child Learns, positions innovation as a key driver of educational access and quality.

Within this framework, the Learning Passport—UNICEF’s flagship digital learning platform, co-developed with Microsoft—has emerged as a critical solution for delivering flexible, high-quality education, especially in crisis-affected and underserved contexts. It is active in over 48 countries and reaches more than 11 million learners. As it scales, a comprehensive strategic partnership approach is essential to ensure sustainability, reach and continued innovation of the programme.

To advance its Digital Learning Strategy (2025–2030), UNICEF is establishing a new Strategic Partner Engagement Consultancy. This consultancy will focus on managing critical partner negotiations, roadmaps and events, and delivering joint strategies and agreements to build the technical and programmatic foundations of the Learning Passport programme. The successful results will advance UNICEF’s Digital Learning Strategy and contribute to the goals of the upcoming Strategic Plan.

The consultant will work closely with the Learning Passport Global Lead to support targeted partnership negotiation and engagement workflows, guiding the technical strategic direction of agreements to deliver programmatic results, with a focus on executive engagements of UNICEF and its Learning Passport partners.

Additionally, the consultant will support the management of the Learning Passport Leadership Council under the direction of the Global Lead, collaborating with major Learning Passport partners. These efforts will contribute to the successful implementation of UNICEF’s Digital Learning Strategy by managing private sector engagements needed to scale digital learning initiatives globally.

Scope of Work

The consultant will provide time-bound, technical support to strategic donor engagement and partnership activities that enhance the growth, visibility and sustainability of UNICEF’s Learning Passport. This role supports the Digital Learning Strategy (2025–2030) by leveraging private sector expertise to scale digital learning solutions and integrate them into national systems. A key focus is managing and advancing UNICEF’s strategic partnership with a key donor, including renewal and design of Phase III of the collaboration, ensuring alignment with the Digital Learning Strategy’s pillars of system strengthening, AI integration, and teacher empowerment.

Additional tasks may include supporting donor recognition materials and maintaining tools such as a partnership tracker to inform stewardship efforts.

Key Activities

1. Support the Learning Passport Lead in engaging with existing high-value partners, ensuring fulfillment of contractual commitments including bespoke donor reporting, visibility deliverables, participation in thought leadership opportunities, and tracking of agreed programmatic metrics.
2. Assist in renewal and expansion of existing strategic engagements with key partners by supporting proposal development, strategic communications, and materials aligned with donor priorities.
3. Provide technical and logistical support to the Learning Passport Leadership Council, including preparing briefing materials and facilitating communication and coordination with UNICEF focal points and Council stakeholders.
4. Contribute to donor-facing briefs and written inputs to support UNICEF’s strategic positioning in digital learning, including participation in high-level advocacy and cross-sector dialogues on EdTech, digital public goods, and education in emergencies as appropriate.
5. Collaborate with relevant teams to support development of visibility and recognition materials for the Learning Passport, ensuring alignment with UNICEF guidelines and elevating partner engagements and events.

Note: Some activities may be scheduled only if additional resources become available. This Terms of Reference (ToR) is advertised for six months, with possible extension depending on funding.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables Work Assignment Overview / Deliverables / Outputs / Delivery deadline

1. Strategic Partnerships & Donor Engagement
2. Deliver 2 detailed proposal documents (1 Excel costing sheet, 1 Word narrative) to support Azure credit extension and sponsorship renewal. Draft 1 by Nov 2025; Final by March 2026.
3. Produce 1 visioning document (Word, min. 3 pages), 1 stakeholder presentation (PowerPoint), and 1 draft proposal (Word) for one key partnership expansion. Visioning document by Nov 2025; Presentation by Dec 2025.

Additional items across sections 2–4 are described in the original ToR and include timelines, workshop planning, donor reporting, field visits, and coordination with various UNICEF teams. The deliverables include donor proposals, briefing decks, meeting notes, visibility campaigns, and donor reports with associated deadlines (e.g., Dec 2025, Jan 2026, Feb 2026, Mar 2026).

1. 2. Additional Strategic Partnerships and Donor Engagement
2. 3. Mobilizing Resources & Continued New Business Development
3. 4. Learning Passport Leadership Council Coordination

Travel and field visit details: four official missions are listed ( Nigeria, Lebanon, Netherlands, New York ).

Qualifications

Education

• An advanced university degree (Master’s) in international relations or related field (e.g., political science, health, education, economics, international business, international development).
• In lieu of a master’s degree, a bachelor’s degree plus 4 years of additional work experience will be considered.
• Proficiency in MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and MS Outlook.

Knowledge / Expertise / Skills

• Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships, engaging with the private sector, and leading resource mobilization at national or international level.
• Experience in developing and managing shared value partnerships across the UN with private and public sector partners, including multi-year, multi-million-dollar agreements; ability to lead strategic technology partnerships with private sector stakeholders.
• Experience establishing high-level advisory councils or technical working groups focused on digital learning or EdTech is a strong asset.
• Experience with UNICEF or another UN Agency is preferred; knowledge of UNICEF context essential.
• Experience with Learning Passport or similar digital platforms is an asset.
• Experience scaling EdTech solutions in the UN system is advantageous.

Requirements

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

- Upload copies of academic credentials

- Financial proposal detailing costs per deliverable and total lump-sum (in US$), travel costs, visas, health insurance and living costs as applicable, and indicate availability

- Any emergent/duty travel expenses covered by UNICEF

- Current health insurance required at contract award

- Payment will be made on agreed deliverables and UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment for substandard or late deliverables

U.S. Visa Information

Consultant and household members may need to switch to a G4 visa if residing in the United States; an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) may be required for household members in some cases.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

For every Child, UNICEF’s values and competencies include Commitment, Diversity and Integrity, and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. If you need accommodation during selection or assignment, disclose this in your application.

UNICEF maintains a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will undergo background checks and may be required to provide additional information for verification.

Remarks

Consultants are not staff members and are not entitled to UN staff benefits. Terms of service follow the contract and General Conditions for the Services of Consultants. Consultants are responsible for tax liabilities and must ensure visa/health insurance coverage for the contract period. Selected candidates must be fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) per WHO-endorsed vaccine if required for the assignment and not applicable for remote-only consultants.

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