Statistician

Job Posting Organization:
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) was established in 1999 and serves as UNESCO’s statistical agency for 193 member states and 12 associated members. UIS is dedicated to providing internationally comparable data in various fields including education, science, culture, and communication and information. The organization operates under three main pillars: Standards and Methodologies, Data Production, and Brokering and Outreach. UIS aims to ensure that policymaking is informed by reliable statistics, which helps countries track their progress towards national and global goals. The organization is involved in significant initiatives such as the UN Transforming Education Summit and collaborates with various partners including UNICEF, World Bank, and OECD to address emerging priorities, particularly in the context of national education responses to COVID-1

• UIS also plays a crucial role in the SDG 4 benchmarking process, assisting countries in setting and monitoring targets for 2025 and 2030.

Job Overview:
The position of Statistician at UIS involves working under the direct supervision of the UIS Director and the administrative oversight of the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut. The incumbent will be responsible for strengthening the coverage and quality of core UIS indicators specifically in the Arab States. This role includes supporting national capacity development, enhancing monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and promoting UIS’ visibility and partnerships. The successful candidate will develop and implement work plans aimed at improving data collection and validation, ensuring effective feedback mechanisms between headquarters and country teams, and supporting regional programs that monitor SDGs and the Education 2030 Agenda. The role also requires organizing training sessions and workshops to enhance national capacity in data collection, analysis, and reporting, as well as contributing to UIS reporting and partnerships.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Strengthen Data Collection and Validation: Develop and implement a work plan to improve coverage and quality of core UIS indicators. Monitor country response rates and data quality, coordinating actions to improve performance. Facilitate country validation of data, ensuring effective feedback between HQ and country teams. Support regional programmes monitoring SDGs and the Education 2030 Agenda, promoting data-driven policymaking. Implement UIS programmes in education, literacy, learning outcomes assessment, science, technology & innovation, culture, and communication & information.
• Enhance National Capacity Development: Collaborate with the UNESCO Regional Bureau in the Arab States to develop regional medium-term plans prioritizing SDG reporting and monitoring. Map key stakeholders and expand UIS partnerships for data collection and quality. Implement a regional resource mobilization plan to support capacity development. Assist Member States in strengthening legislative, institutional, financial, technical, and human resources for sustainable data systems. Support national and regional studies and policy briefs on SDG 4, SDG 9.5, and SDG 11.4.
• Deliver Technical Support and Coordinate with UIS HQ: Organize and lead training sessions and workshops to strengthen national capacity in data collection, analysis, and reporting. Maintain close coordination with UIS HQ teams to ensure joint planning, timely feedback, and consistent implementation of activities.
• Contribute to UIS Core Work: Contribute to UIS reporting, including preparing technical documents and inputs for UIS and UNESCO governing bodies, donors, and development partners. Support statistical and methodological development by piloting tools and standards across sectors and providing feedback from field implementation.
• Partnerships and Visibility: Promote UIS visibility and strengthen partner awareness of UIS data, standards, tools, and analytics. Represent UIS in regional forums and technical working groups. Coordinate with the Regional Bureau for Education, UNESCO national and cluster offices, and the Regional Bureau of Science and Culture to ensure effective implementation of UIS activities in the region. Perform other duties as required to support UIS’ mandate and the successful delivery of its work.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires an advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in statistics, economics, demography, education, or social sciences with a strong applied statistics/data science component, or equivalent professional experience. Candidates should have a minimum of four (4) years of progressively responsible experience as a statistician working with administrative, finance, survey, or assessment data in one or more UIS sectors, including at least two years at regional or international level strengthening education data capacity. Experience in developing-country contexts, especially with National Statistical Offices or ministry planning units, is essential. A proven record in developing partnerships and mobilizing resources for data initiatives is also required.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in statistics, economics, demography, education, or social sciences with a strong applied statistics/data science component. A PhD degree or equivalent in these fields is highly desirable, along with special training in applied statistics or data science.

Experience:
The role requires a minimum of four (4) years of progressively responsible experience as a statistician, specifically working with administrative, finance, survey, or assessment data. At least two years of this experience should be at a regional or international level, focusing on strengthening education data capacity. Experience in developing-country contexts, particularly with National Statistical Offices or ministry planning units, is crucial. Candidates should also have a proven track record in developing partnerships and mobilizing resources for data initiatives.

Languages:
Candidates must have excellent knowledge of English or French, along with a working knowledge of the other language. Additionally, a working knowledge of Arabic is required. Knowledge of another official language of UNESCO, such as Chinese, Russian, or Spanish, is considered desirable.

Additional Notes:
The position is a Project Appointment with an initial duration of 2 years, with the possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance. The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 106,581 USD, and benefits may include 30 days of annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, and a pension plan. UNESCO emphasizes the importance of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence, and integrity in its staff members and applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. The organization is committed to achieving equitable and diverse geographical distribution and gender parity among its staff members.