UNICEF Maldives has an exciting vacancy for an Education Officer, Adolescent Skills Development, at NO-2 level, (Temporary Appointment). All interested and qualified nationals are invited to apply!
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
Education Officer- Adolescent Skills Development, NO-2, Temporary Appointment, Male' Maldives #136754 (only for Maldivian Nationals), Internal/External.
For every child, the right to quality education
UNICEF Maldives works closely with the Government to advance equitable, high‑quality education and ensure that every child and adolescent develops the skills required to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Adolescents in the Maldives are navigating emerging challenges and opportunities shaped by digital transformation, climate vulnerability, shifting labour‑market demands, and evolving social dynamics. In response, the education system is undergoing major reforms to expand access to upper‑secondary education, integrate hybrid and digital learning, strengthen 21st‑century skills, enhance employability pathways, and promote meaningful youth engagement.
As part of these efforts, UNICEF’s Country Programme 2027–2031 introduces a strategic shift that prioritizes education transitions and skills development. This shift focuses on strengthening pathways from lower secondary to upper secondary education, especially for adolescents in remote islands, by scaling blended and digitally enabled learning, and by embedding 21st‑century, digital, and green skills across the system. The aim is to reduce transition bottlenecks, improve employability and self‑reliance, and reinforce connections between education and labour‑market needs.
Within this evolving landscape, the Education Officer – Adolescent Skills Development plays a key role in enabling adolescents to successfully transition to upper secondary education and access high‑quality skill‑building opportunities. The Officer will provide technical expertise, lead programme design, coordinate partnerships, and support evidence generation to advance transferable skills for work and life particularly digital and green skills. Through this work, the Officer will help strengthen national systems and drive the implementation of impactful adolescent skills initiatives across the country.
Purpose of the Job - How can you make a difference?
1- To provide technical and programmatic support for establishment of satellite schools to scale up a blended and digitally enabled learning ecosystem to bridge geographic and resource divides, making upper secondary education accessible across all atolls.
2- To provide programmatic support to build an ecosystem linking education to industry by scaling up green and 21st Century skills and leveraging global and local skills development platforms and initiatives.
If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: 
Education Officer -Adolescent Skills Development NOB JD - VA.pdf
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
Education:
- University degree in Education, Social Sciences, International Relations, International Development, or another related field.
Work Experience:
- At least 2 years of relevant work experience in advocacy/ campaigning and communications focused on young people is required.
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in English & Dhivehi is required.
Desirables:
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
- Experience in both development and humanitarian/emergency contexts is an added advantage
- Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
-
Skills:
- Working knowledge / experience of Ed-Tech.
- Digital learning (policy, planning and programming)
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.
UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.
Remarks:
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.
Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.