Learning and Scaling Lead, Rwanda at UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services: (Deadline 30 Aug 2026)

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

About the Region

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

About the Country Office

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality services, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approaches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

About the Country/Multi-Country Office 

Education is one of the most powerful drivers of progress, yet seven out of ten children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read with understanding by age 10. Meanwhile, half of education programmes show no measurable impact on learning or employment.

Global spending on education is falling short by an estimated $100 billion each year. Traditional approaches have not delivered the transformation required to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4.

The Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) was created to address these challenges — by shifting how education is funded, how success is measured, and how systems are held accountable. We are part of a global movement to turn education financing into real learning and employment outcomes, especially for the most disadvantaged children and youth. 

Job Specific Context

The Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) is a global initiative transforming how education and skills are financed and delivered. We partner with governments, donors, investors, and implementers to make education systems more effective, equitable, and accountable. Through our Outcomes Partnership model, funding is tied to measurable results, aligning incentives across all actors to ensure that resources lead to real improvements in learning and employment outcomes. EOF’s approach is grounded in systems change - we align incentives, strengthen data and delivery capacity, and foster collaboration across public, private and social sectors. By embedding results-based principles within national systems, we help governments shift from inputs to outcomes, ensuring that every investment leads to a measurable, lasting impact for learners. 

Nkuza Neza is a national initiative supporting improved early childhood development outcomes in Rwanda, with a particular focus on school readiness, inclusion of children with disabilities, strengthening service delivery systems, and advancing sustainable pathways for scale.

As Nkuza Neza moves into its next phase, there is a growing need to ensure that evidence generated through implementation directly informs government decision-making, system strengthening, resource mobilization, and long-term sustainability. The programme has identified a set of sustainability pathways that will guide efforts to institutionalize successful approaches, strengthen government ownership, improve financing mechanisms, and support nationwide scale.

The Learning and Scaling Lead will support the Country Lead to develop and implement a learning, scaling, and evidence synthesis agenda that translates programme evidence into operational insights and actionable policy recommendations. 

1. Sustainability Pathways Learning Agenda

• Operationalize the Sustainability Pathways Learning Agenda.

• Refine priority learning questions with government and programme stakeholders.

• Develop annual learning plans and the roadmap to integrate learnings within the system in alignment with programme milestones and government decision cycles.

• Establish mechanisms for tracking progress against sustainability indicators.

• Ensure learning activities are aligned with NST2 priorities and national ECD strategies.

2. Evidence Generation and Synthesis

• Lead the collection, synthesis, and interpretation of implementation evidence.

• Collaborate with Monitoring, Evaluation and Research partners to analyze quantitative and qualitative data.

• Identify emerging lessons, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement.

• Support the Country Lead to produce periodic evidence syntheses and strategic insights for programme leadership.

• Contribute to translating findings into actionable recommendations for policy and implementation.

3. Government Systems Strengthening and Institutionalization

• Support the Country Lead to work with relevant government institutions and implementing partners to identify pathways for institutionalization.

• Assess readiness for integration of programme components into government systems.

• Document lessons related to workforce development, service delivery models, inclusion practices, supervision systems, and quality assurance mechanisms among others.

• Support development of transition and institutionalization plans.

4. Scaling and Sustainability Analysis

• Conduct analyses of scale potential, cost drivers, implementation models, and sustainability options.

• Support the Country Lead to identify barriers and enablers to scaling successful interventions.

• Support development of business cases and investment cases for scale.

• Assess opportunities for leveraging government financing and partner investments.

5. Learning and Knowledge Exchange

• Design and facilitate quarterly learning forums and peer-learning exchanges.

• Convene stakeholders from government, civil society, donors, research institutions, and implementing partners.

• Capture and disseminate lessons learned across districts and implementation sites.

• Promote communities of practice around school readiness and inclusion.

6. Policy Engagement and Evidence Translation

• Draft policy briefs, learning notes, and strategic recommendations.

• Support the Country Lead to interpret and apply evidence in planning and decision-making processes.

• Contribute evidence inputs to national policy discussions and technical working groups.

• Support dissemination of findings through national and regional platforms.

7. Knowledge Management and Communications

• Develop and maintain a learning repository for programme evidence and resources.

• Document case studies, implementation stories, and promising practices.

• Produce annual learning and sustainability reports.

• Coordinate dissemination products for internal and external audiences.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in International Development, Public Policy, Education, Economics, Political Science, or similar.

Desired

• Master’s degree in International Development, Public Policy, Education, or similar.

Required

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in education, skills-for-employment, development and/or policy programs. 

• Demonstrated experience in education, ECD, systems strengthening, or social sector programming.

• Experience working with national and/or sub-national governments, preferably within the education, skills-for-employment or broader development sectors.

• Experience in education and/or skills-for-employment policy and systems strengthening, including pathways for program scale-up and sustainability, or closely related experience.
  
  

Desired

• Experience in evidence generation, policy analysis, system reform, scaling innovative practices or other closely related experience

• Experience with innovative financing mechanisms (particularly outcomes funds), performance management frameworks or large donor-funded programs is an asset

• Proven track record of producing high-quality analytical reports, policy briefs and evidence-based recommendations.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.