Planning & Monitoring Specialist (NO-3)

About UNICEF and the Role

UNICEF operates globally in over 190 countries, protecting children's rights and supporting their development from early childhood through adolescence. The organization offers staff meaningful opportunities for professional growth within a diverse and mission-driven environment, aiming to uphold children's rights with dedication and passion.

This specific role is situated in Nairobi, Kenya, within UNICEF's Country Office. It is part of the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) Section dedicated to the Resilience in Secondary Education (RISE) Programme, funded by the Mastercard Foundation. This initiative focuses on enhancing resilience, access, retention, and learning for vulnerable adolescents in secondary education across systems affected by crisis or stress.

Role Purpose and Responsibilities

The Planning and Monitoring Specialist acts as the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) technical lead for the RISE programme, collaborating closely with UNICEF teams (Education, Child Protection, PME, Innovation) and Consortium partners. The position manages evidence generation, operational MEL coordination, and ensures the use of data supports results-oriented management.

Key functions include:

• Developing and maintaining a suitable Management Information System (MIS) alongside an external MIS contractor to support programme data needs.
• Overseeing routine and ad hoc data collection exercises involving partners, ensuring data quality and completeness.
• Analyzing monitoring data to prepare actionable reports and briefs to inform decision-making by UNICEF and partners.
• Facilitating learning and adaptive management mechanisms throughout the Consortium to promote continuous improvement.
• Coordinating field visits and partner reporting to support accountability and quality assurance.
• Ensuring ethical conduct in all MEL processes with adherence to safeguarding and data protection norms.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Education, Social Sciences, Statistics, Economics, Public Administration, Information Management, Monitoring and Evaluation or related disciplines.
• Minimum of five years’ relevant experience in Monitoring and Evaluation, Data Analytics, Programme Coordination, Results-based Management or related fields.
• Strong skills in coordination, data systems management, technical writing and editing, planning, organization, analysis and synthesis, along with a results-oriented mindset and comfort managing uncertainty.
• Fluency in English language is mandatory.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of additional official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) or local languages.
• Background in managing large programs with robust monitoring and learning components.
• Experience in coordinating decentralized field monitoring and partner reporting.
• Capability to support adaptive learning in program management.
• Previous work within UN agencies or international organizations.
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s programmatic and reporting requirements.
• Experience working in country contexts encompassing development, fragile, or humanitarian settings.

Organizational Values and Competencies

UNICEF upholds core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS). Competencies valued for this role include partnership building, ethical self-awareness, achievement focus, innovation, ability to manage complexity, strategic thinking and collaborative working.

Additional Information

UNICEF promotes equal opportunity employment without discrimination and accommodates diverse needs including neurodivergent candidates and persons with disabilities. The organization enforces strict child protection and ethical standards; successful candidates will undergo reference and background verification. Employment is subject to medical clearance and appropriate legal permissions.
UNICEF does not charge fees at any recruitment stage and reserves the right to withdraw offers if visa, medical, or mandatory vaccination requirements are not met.
Staff may be assigned roles in humanitarian missions in line with UNICEF’s strategic priorities.