Senior Project Officer (Learning Assessment)

Job Posting Organization:
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) serves as the official source of internationally comparable data on education, science, culture, and communication. Established to support global efforts in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), UIS focuses on ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all. The organization is dedicated to developing measurement frameworks and technical tools that assess learning outcomes, such as literacy and numeracy. UIS operates globally, collaborating with various countries and organizations to enhance educational data quality and comparability.

Job Overview:
The Senior Project Officer (Learning Assessment) will act as the Principal Technical Lead for the Learning Assessment Programme at UIS. This role is crucial in developing and implementing global standards and psychometric tools that ensure the reliability and validity of assessments related to SDG reporting and national assessment strategies. The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring data quality and comparability, translating complex technical methods into practical guidance, and building the capacity of partners to produce usable, policy-relevant learning data. This position requires a deep understanding of the challenges associated with measuring learning outcomes on a global scale, particularly in countries that may lack the necessary resources and methodologies for effective assessments.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Methodological Development and Global Reporting: The Senior Project Officer will maintain and refine frameworks and standards, including the Global Proficiency Framework (GPF) and Minimum Proficiency Levels (MPLs). They will lead the design and application of tools and methods that align national assessments with global standards, ensuring comparability without imposing overly demanding requirements on participating countries.
• Technical Implementation and Partnership Management: The role involves leading technical engagement with global partners, managing the implementation of partnerships, and ensuring that deliverables align with UIS methodological standards. The officer will synthesize complex technical outcomes into high-level policy recommendations for senior management.
• Validation, Quality Assurance, and Standardization: The incumbent will implement a Vetting Mechanism to evaluate assessment submissions against established criteria, ensuring technical integrity and quality control. They will define global standards for assessment eligibility and quality, promoting construct validity and sustainability.
• Research and Capacity Building: The officer will coordinate the design of specialized technical products and lead a research agenda focused on psychometric innovation and foundational skills measurement. They will support countries in planning and conducting high-quality assessments and contribute to technical blueprints that guide national assessment design.
• Implementation and Strategic Coordination: The Senior Project Officer will provide technical coordination and secretariat support to UIS-led bodies, offering guidance on data management, analysis, and technical documentation.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced degree in statistics or a related quantitative field, such as demography, economics, or applied mathematics. Equivalent professional experience may be accepted if supported by authored technical outputs that demonstrate relevant expertise. The role requires a minimum of seven years of experience in the full learning assessment cycle, including framework design, item development, sampling, administration, analysis, and reporting. Preferred candidates will have at least one year of international experience with a UN agency or similar organization, along with proven ability to translate complex psychometric concepts into policy guidance and documentation.

Educational Background:
An advanced degree in statistics or a related quantitative field is required. Candidates with equivalent professional experience may be considered if they can provide evidence of relevant expertise through authored technical outputs such as reports or publications.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of seven years of experience in the full learning assessment cycle, which includes framework design, item development, sampling, administration, analysis, and reporting. Candidates with international experience, particularly with a UN agency or similar organization, are preferred. Experience in methodological research for indicator development and harmonization is essential, along with skills in strategic planning and performance measurement.

Languages:
Candidates must have an excellent command of English or French, with working proficiency in the other language. Good knowledge of another official UNESCO language, such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, or Spanish, is considered desirable.

Additional Notes:
The contract is a project appointment for an initial duration of two years, with the possibility of extension based on funding availability and satisfactory performance. The position is open to both internal and external candidates. The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 115,323 USD, and benefits may include 30 days of annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, and a pension plan. UNESCO emphasizes the importance of diversity and encourages applications from candidates of various backgrounds, including those from under-represented Member States, minority groups, indigenous groups, and persons with disabilities.