Female candidates from all Member States are particularly encouraged to apply.

VACANCY  ANNOUNCEMENT TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL

Organizational Context

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development in the next fifteen years. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions. Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Departments/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

The position is located under the Agro-Industries Technology division (PTC/AGR/AIT) an integral part of the Department of Agri-Business Development (PTC/AGR). The Department provides a range of technical cooperation services to assist developing countries add value to the output of their agricultural sector and generate employment opportunities in off-farm activities for rural communities, thereby contributing to increased food security and a sustainable reduction of poverty. The conceptual framework is that of agribusiness value chains: comprehensive analyses offer a rigorous base for the deployment of specialized services targeting the weaker links of the chain: agricultural mechanization, modern processing technologies, packaging of perishable products, the promotion of food safety in the processing and regulatory environment; and interventions to improve competitiveness and productivity.

PROJECT CONTEXT UNIDO PROJECT ID: 160082 UNIDO has received funding from the EU to implement a project to support the Government of Liberia strengthen technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the country. To achieve this goal, the project will work closely with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) in the delivery of its key mandate, which is to provide efficient, quality and relevant education and training. The project will support six (6) schools located in the counties of – Montserado County (Monrovia), Margibi (Kakata), Grand Gedeh (Zwedru), Sinoe (Greenville) and Maryland (Harper). The project will support the development of TVET systems as follows:  Curriculum Development  Human Resource Development for Instructors  Institutional management  Pedagogical skills development  Education Infrastructure and technology for TVET  Private-public partnerships  TVET approaches for apprenticeships  TVET financing  TVET access to rural areas (i.e. South East Liberia)  Entrepreneurship development UNIDO PROJECT ID: 140095 UNIDO has received funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) to implement a project to support the Government of Liberia strengthen technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the country. To achieve this goal, the project will work closely with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) in the delivery of its key mandate, which is to provide efficient, quality and relevant education and training. The project will support (1) school located in the counties of – Lofa County (Voinjama Multilateral Highschool). The project will support the development of TVET systems as follows:  Curriculum Development  Human Resource Development for Instructors  Institutional management  Pedagogical skills development  Education Infrastructure and technology for TVET  Private-public partnerships  Inclusive education and learners with special needs Duty station: Kakata, Liberia EOD: 01 June 2019; COB 31 May 2020 (with possibility of extension)

Main Functions

The Senior TVET Coordinator (STC) will work under the overall guidance and report to the Chief Technical Advisor / Project Manager (CTA/PM) based in Monrovia, Liberia in-close consultation with the UNIDO allotment holder / backstopping officer, based at Headquarters in Vienna. The STC will drive the development of training systems that will be deployed to 7 schools in 6 locations and includes the development of 10 technical training subjects. The ideal candidate will be structured, organized and a specialist in his/her field. The position calls for someone who is systematic and has the ability to concentrate on things within their area of knowledge, experience and education. The person fulfilling this role should be approachable, thorough, methodical, self-disciplined, logical, careful and diplomatic in-approach. Moderation, consistency and the ability to tie up all the loose ends and finish a task will be of importance. The ideal candidate would remain self-controlled when things do not work out as planned, be prepared to listen to what others say, deal with conflict in an accommodating manner and use practicality as method for reaching a solution. Develop a team atmosphere through hard work, calmness / self-control, tolerance, consistency, and inclusiveness attempting to fulfil the project goals with integrity. This position will be best filled by those who are supportive of the existing leadership. A mild-mannered and accommodating approach to the achievement of work-related goals is necessary for success in this position. The incumbent will undertake the following duties: General TVET advisory services  Lead and manage all skills development and education initiatives in this project. This will include: curriculum development, teacher training systems, qualification frameworks, human resource development plans, knowledge management, management of teacher training (in-country and abroad), management of human resource training for Ministry of Education and Ministry of Youth and Sports, vocational pedagogy and measurement of training results / impact. Curriculum Development and Qualifications Standards  Lead and manage the process for all curriculum development initiatives of this project. This will include the management of a national team and subject matter experts to develop curriculum for 10 trade subjects (i.e. welding, ICT, automotive, agriculture technology, heavy equipment, HVAC, electrical, machining, wood working and health, safety & environment).  Facilitate, prepare and organize all convening meetings for the curriculum development process by following guidelines outlined in the Ministry of Education Curriculum Handbook (i.e. simplified DACUM process supported by UNESCO).  Lead the process to design operating standards and assemble national trade advisory committees as a steering body for each trade subject incl. setting of qualification standards.  Liaise closely and maintain constructive relationships with officials from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Youth and Sports to drive the curriculum development process incl. school level (i.e. teachers / administrators and private sector).  Provide strategic guidance to key Ministry staff on qualification frameworks incl. appropriate frameworks that can be maintained within the current operating structure of the Ministry of Education. Human Resource Development  Lead the design, planning and execution of a human resource development plan (HRDP) for Ministry staff, teachers, principals and school administrators.  Design and deliver content that is in-line with project HRDP by deploying a number of learning methodologies that are fit for purpose (i.e. e-learning, instructor led and / or blended approaches). The project can deploy in-house or outsourced training and development to achieve capacity goals of the HRDP.  Collect, report and analyse after training feedback to ensure quality of content delivery as well as impact towards project knowledge transfer and capacity building goals.  Lead and manage a team of national training coordinators to facilitate and organize all training workshops incl. overseas training programs throughout the entire duration of this project. This will include ensuring that workshops organized are in-line with project HRDP, venues / space is adequate, organizing all training materials and monitoring / reporting on outcomes / feedback of the training. The STC will ensure that all trainings comply with UNIDO rules / admin regulations.  Identify, evaluate and select training programs eligible for scholarships abroad (i.e. technical colleges, Erasmus +, regional VET, etc.). These trainings will cover qualified teachers, administrators, principals and Ministry staff.  Establish partnerships with academic / training institutions for long-term twinning with teaching staff, principals and administrators from the target schools. This may include regional institutions or international. Evaluation will be based on qualifications, costs, long-term collaboration prospects and training impact.  Provide hands-on and one-to-one coaching for Ministry staff, teachers, administrators and principals.  Maintain constructive and proactive relationships with stakeholders engaged in the project’s HRDP for Ministry staff, teachers, principals and administrators of the target schools. This is necessary to facilitate a learning needs analysis to measure the impact of knowledge transfer at the school / ministry level.  Review and / or develop technical training material.  Recommend and develop tests or standards to measure knowledge and skill and to evaluate training effectiveness and knowledge transfer. Teacher Training Centre including Vocational Pedagogy  Lead and manage the process to establish a teacher training centre for vocational training. This will include the development of a nationally recognized TVET certificate for teachers. The TVET certificate will aim to cover teaching methods, pedagogy and classroom management. In addition, the teacher training centre will serve as a hub to provide regular continuing professional development (CPD). During implementation the following aspects of the teacher training centre is foreseen to be developed: a curriculum for the TVET certificate, learning material, testing / accreditation system, annual CPD plan, teacher code of conduct and record keeping system.  Lead process to benchmark TVET teacher training systems in the region as a way to capture lessons learned, exchange knowledge between countries and incorporate sustainable approaches into the overall design and execution of the TVET teacher training certificate in Liberia.  Provide advisory services for facilities, equipment and didactic materials to establish a fully-functional teacher training centre at the campus of the Booker Washington Institute.  Lead and manage the design and delivery of vocational pedagogy training for teachers. Although necessary, trade-specific knowledge is not sufficient for excellent teaching. Teachers must be adept at how they teach and communicate that knowledge. Vocational pedagogy is a priority for this project. Ensure that adequate learning material for effective delivery of vocational pedagogy training is developed and adopted as part of the teacher training centre incl. short-term vocational pedagogy training that can be continuously reinforced at the school level by teachers.  Undertake budget projections and analysis of running costs that will be required to maintain a teacher training centre. Support budget dialogue efforts with key line Ministries to sustain a teacher training centre that is capable to deliver continuous services past the life-cycle of the project. Knowledge Management and Learning Management System (LMS)  Design and deploy a Learning Management System (LMS) to share curriculum and learning material to be accessible for all teachers and students incl. those that did not directly benefit from the project. The STC will identify simple technology (i.e. Moodle or other appropriate method of dissemination) that will be cost effective to maintain post-project. The overall goal is to ensure that all material produced can be accessible by all stakeholders incl. prospective students. Career Guidance Information and Services  Lead and manage the process to introduce and / or reinforce career guidance services to increase awareness of technical careers and support students with the transition from training-to-work. Advisory for Facilities, Equipment and Didactic  Provide advisory services for all facility requirements, equipment and didactic training material that is necessary to ensure the learning environment for all trade subjects is adequate to delivery high quality training.  Support engineering teams and / or procurement specialists with the preparation of technical specifications that will contribute to the development of all education facilities in this project. Cross-Cutting Issues – Gender & Inclusive Education  Drive all gender cross-cutting issues required to ensure all curriculum and learning material are developed and deployed in an inclusive and gender-sensitive manner.  Provide supervision of inclusive education and special needs experts as they carry out any specialized assignment for this project. General Reporting and Coordination Requirements  Maintain regular contact with school staff. This will incl. instructors, principals and administrators. Ensure all school staff are fully aware of all key education goals in this project. STC must ensure a high-level of communication and transparency to ensure that information is available and all key stakeholders are aware of the planned, on-going and future activities of this project.  Prepare terms of references as required to support the education goals of this project. This will include specifying requirements for training, consultant JD, recruitment of specialized experts, specifications for materials required for learning, study-tours abroad and / or long-term study exchanges.  Prepare and maintain analytical reports to monitor the impact of training and general reporting of progress against the work plan.  Support the project CTA to prepare briefings / presentations of progress made on all education goals of this project as required for project steering committee meetings, high level meetings or debriefing for senior government and / or donor officials (i.e. Minister, Ambassador level).  Contribute to the project annual report in-coordination with the project CTA. Maintain complete records and organized filing of all documents  Support budget dialogue initiatives with key line Ministries to work towards sustainable management of training initiatives that will carry forward following the end of this project.  Support the project to achieve its communications and visibility goals by ensuring that the training teams maintain high quality photo and video documentation that can be used for project visibility measures.  Finalize key deliverables that can be published formally through the project LMS and used as a basis for knowledge exchange in-country, regionally and on international platforms where appropriate (i.e. World Skills International).

Core Competencies

INTEGRITY: To work honestly, openly, impartially and in accordance with the values of the United Nations. PROFESSIONALISM: To work in a competent, committed and calm manner. RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY: To work effectively, respectfully and inclusively with people from different backgrounds and with different perspectives. RESULTS ORIENTATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY: To be accountable and responsible for achieving results and meeting performance standards. PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: To plan, organize and manage work effectively and efficiently. COMMUNICATION AND TRUST: To communicate effectively and build trust. TEAM ORIENTATION: To cooperate at various levels. CLIENT ORIENTATION: To be responsive towards those to whom services are provided internally and externally. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION: To realize continuous improvement, support innovation, share knowledge and skills and learn from others.

Minimum Requirements

Education

Advanced university degree in one of the following areas: technical and vocational education and training (TVET), education, technical teaching, technology, curriculum development, engineering, human resource management, human resource development and /or related field. In the absence of an advanced university degree, a first level university degree with 15 years of relevant professional experience can be considered in lieu of the advanced degree.

Languages

• Fluency in both written and spoken English is required.

Computer Skills

Field of Expertise

Technical Experience (required): • A minimum of 10 years of professional work experience in the management of technical and / or vocational education programmes in government, academia / education, TVET institution, private sector, engineering, consulting firms, industry or international organizations working on technical training or within the education sector. • Thorough knowledge of international TVET systems and competency-based education and training (CBET). • Project management experience. • Assessment and moderation skills required incl. knowledge of qualifications framework. • Experience as a skills development facilitator. Technical Experience (considered an asset): • Experience in the field of vocational pedagogy (i.e. experience as teacher, teacher trainer, etc.) • Previous direct work experience in a vocational training institution. • Experience working in the field of technical education in Africa will be considered an asset • Experience as a training manager in industry will be considered an asset. • Knowledge about the TVET Sector in ECOWAS, SADC and EAC will be asset. • Experience developing technical training programmes in the electro-mechanical field will be considered an asset. Professional Certifications (considered an asset): • Trade Certificate Assessor and Moderator • DACUM certification • SCID certification • Skills Development Facilitator Certification • Assessor Training Certification • Moderator Training Certification • Health, Safety and Environment Certification • ISO 9001 lead auditor • Occupational directed education training and development practices certification • Coaching (one-on-one) training certification. General Functional Skills: • Strong communication, facilitation, analytical and writing skills; • Must have good report writing skills • Ability to work as a member of a team with good inter- personal communication skills. • Experience in working and collaborating with diverse sets of stakeholders, including ministries, employers’ organisations and others; • Must be persistent and able to challenge positively. • Eye for both the bigger picture and details • Strong analytical skills • Strong problem-solving attitude • Confident in excel incl. pivot tables • Willingness to travel and spend time working in remote and rural locations of Liberia as the service may require.

<strong>This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal. </strong>