UNOPS

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/Multi-Country Office (if applicable)
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 programs 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.

In Namibia, despite significant expansion of pre-primary education in recent years, ECD system remains severely underdeveloped for its youngest children. Only 29% of children aged 0-4 access early learning centres, one in three children under five is stunted, and government contributes just 2% of operational costs - leaving centres funded almost entirely by parent fees and excluding the great majority of children altogether.

In 2025, following the 2022 National Conference on Education, the Government formalised its transition plan to transfer the ECD mandate to MEIYSAC — integrating early learning within the education sector, establishing minimum quality standards, and embedding, for the first time, a fully resourced and accountable ECD system at the heart of Namibia's education architecture. Inspired by EOF's work in South Africa, the Government of Namibia approached EOF to explore how an outcomes-based financing approach could help translate this new mandate and increase in spending into measurable impact for children.

Job Specific Context

The Education Outcomes Fund (EOF), in partnership with the Government of Namibia Ministry of Education, innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture (MEIYSAC), is set to launch an innovative outcomes fund to support education for children in Namibia in Q1/2 2027.  

The prospective $12 M+ outcomes fund focuses on transforming early childhood development (ECD) in Namibia, strengthening ECD centers through holistic interventions spanning workforce professionalization, learning environment improvements, and dedicated nutrition and feeding programs.

The Country Lead will lead the delivery of EOF’s outcomes fund in Namibia, providing strategic guidance to ensure its successful implementation and collaborating with local donors, government and partner stakeholders to ensure a smooth and sustainable implementation of the programs. They will represent EOF nationally and lead the programs’ implementation. The Country Lead will lead stakeholder engagement (including Government, other national partners, evaluators, implementing partners), and will work to identify new opportunities to further EOF’s goals within Namibia as well as securing long-term programs sustainability and evidence uptake into public systems/policy implementation.

Required

• A first-level, Bachelor’s degree in Education, International Development, Public Policy, Social Sciences, Project Management, or related field.

Desired

• Master’s degree in Education, International Development, Public Policy, Social Sciences, Project Management, or a related field.

Required

• A minimum of 9 years experience leading programs in Namibia, ideally in the education sector.
  

• Direct experience working with the Government of Namibia.

• Experience leading a team and managing multiple stakeholders across complicated, strategic projects.

Desired

• Prior experience working with donors and international organizations in the education (or related) sector in Namibia.

• Experience with results-/outcomes-based financing, innovative finance or innovative delivery models, and/or large donor-funded initiatives.

• Experience in evaluation design and/or management.

• 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.