Professional staff

UNESCO has two categories of Professionals:

  • International Professional staff are hired internationally and work in expert and/or managerial roles that require a significant level of technical expertise. Professional staff are expected to work across the globe.

  • National Professional Officers are nationals of the country in which they serve and perform functions of a professional nature requiring local knowledge, expertise and experience.

Who we are looking for?

We are looking for competent, dynamic and flexible professionals with strong personal integrity, who are fair, impartial and respectful of cultural diversity. In addition, they must be able to think creatively, be proactive and responsive.

UNESCO employs professionals in :

 

UNESCO works to improve education worldwide believing it to be key to social and economic development.

The Education Sector aims to help build a sustainable world with just societies that value knowledge, promote peace, celebrate diversity and defend human rights, achieved by providing Education for All (EFA). It aims to foster partnerships to strengthen countries’ capacity to offer quality education for all. The Education Sector monitors progress by publishing an annual Global Monitoring Report tracking the international community’s progress towards the six “Education For All” goals.

 

UNESCO aims to advance and promote science in the interests of peace, sustainable development and human security and well-being, in close collaboration with its Member States and a wide variety of partners. It is the only United Nations specialized agency with a specific mandate for science. UNESCO has acted as a catalyst for the establishment of many preeminent scientific unions and bodies such as CERN; and initiatives with far-reaching implications for sustainable human security and well-being, such as the Man and the Biosphere Programme, the International Hydrological Programme, and the International Oceanographic Commission, were launched in UNESCO's first decades.

 

The mission of UNESCO's Culture Sector is to promote culture through the advancement of knowledge, standards and intellectual cooperation in order to protect, safeguard and manage tangible and intangible heritage. It promotes the diversity of cultural expressions and the dialogue of cultures with a view to fostering a culture of peace.

 

 

The Communication and Information Sector (CI) has three principal strategic objectives, namely the promotion of the free flow of ideas and universal access to information, the promotion of the expression of pluralism and cultural diversity in the media and world information networks, and the promotion of access for all to ICTs. The Sector consists of a section on "Freedom of Expression and Media Development" and "Knowledge Societies Division". The Sector collaborates with UN agencies, bilateral development agencies, international and regional non-governmental agencies.

 

In order to ensure the successful delivery of the UNESCO programmes in Science, Education, Culture and Communication, the organisation counts on specialists in the fields of management, finance, human resources, law, procurement and IT.

 

The Social and Human Sciences Sector acts a think tank for the world’s nations. It aims to advance knowledge, standards and intellectual cooperation in order to facilitate social transformations conducive to the universal values of justice, freedom and human dignity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have the right profile?

Education: An advanced university degree in education, culture, science, social and human sciences, communication, business administration or a related field.
Languages: Fluent English or French (the two working languages of UNESCO) and a good working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of Arabic, Chinese, Spanish or Russian is an additional asset.
Prior experience:
  • Junior level (P1/P2 or NOA/NOB): 2 to 4 years of experience;
  • Middle level (P3/P4 or NOC/NOD): 4 to 10 years of experience;
  • Senior level (P5 and above or NOE): 10 to 15 years of experience (including management experience).
Values: Integrity, professionalism, respect for diversity and a strong commitment to UNESCO's mission.

UNESCO is committed to achieving geographical representation and gender equality within its staff.  Women and nationals from non-represented and under-represented Member States (see our current Geographic distribution table) are strongly encouraged to apply (for International professional positions).