HEAD OF SECTION

Montréal

Organization: UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Location: Montréal
Grade: Senior level - P-5, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
- Managerial positions
- Education - Education Statistics
Closing Date: Closed

Under the overall authority and direct supervision of the Director of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the incumbent shall ensure the successful implementation of the UIS work programme. S/he will lead the Section of Education Standards and Methodology (ESM). The incumbent will be responsible for the development and maintenance of international norms and standards, including classification and indicator methodologies in the field of education, for both administrative and survey data, in particular, for monitoring the Education 2030 goals and targets.

S/he will perform the following functions\:

Develop and contribute to partnerships and capacity development, including the work of the Technical Cooperation Group and the Inter-Agency and Expert Group. Establish an Inter-Agency Group on Administrative Data (IAG-AD) and act as its secretariat. Represent the UIS in other relevant groups including the UN’s Expert Group on International Classifications and the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Gender Statistics.
Lead and oversee the development and maintenance of international norms and standards for the use of both administrative and household survey data, revise key classifications such as the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), oversee the production and updating of technical documentation and guidelines.
Lead the development of the Institute's Data Quality Framework, oversee the production and monitoring of key performance indicators, in collaboration with the Education Survey and Science, Culture and Communications Sections to ensure the continuing improvement in data quality and coverage of data disseminated by the Institute.
Develop the Institute's capacity to produce education indicators from household surveys. Oversee the establishment of a global repository for cross-nationally comparable data.
Support the work of the Inter Agency Group on Education Inequality Indicators. Ensure the development of standards, guidelines and tools.
Advise the UIS Director and Senior Management on trends and developments in education norms, standards and methodologies, and recommend appropriate courses of action.

EDUCATION

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in statistics or related field (such as mathematics or economics), or in the fields of education or social sciences with an applied statistics component, or a first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible relevant professional experience of which preferably at least five years at international level, in the field of education or statistics within a UN or another international organization, or a Government Ministry or equivalent.
Proven experience in the development and use of statistical norms, standards and methodologies.
Proven experience in managing staff and teams.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

Demonstrated ability to lead, manage and motivate staff and teams.
Strong analytical skills.
Solid communication skills (written and spoken).
Proven ability to develop statistical norms and standards and to provide complex technical advice and guidance on their use.
Ability to take initiative and develop new ideas and approaches Sound judgement and decision-making taking account of prevailing evidence and risks.
Ability to interact and effectively communicate with a wide range of high-level partners and stakeholders.