Project Manager - Life Skills and Career Guidance Project

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does - in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. UNICEF in Albania translates its commitment to children’s rights into action by working with and through adolescents to equip them with the 21st century skillset needed to successfully transition from learning to earning, with a strong emphasis on career guidance and employability. UNICEF’s approach focuses on progressively developing skills across the life cycle, starting from foundational learning and socio-emotional development, and advancing towards life skills, digital competencies, and informed career pathways. Central to this is the strengthening of career guidance systems and educator capacities to support young people in making informed education and employment choices by fostering the development of the 4Cs: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. By investing early and continuously, UNICEF ensures that interventions are not remedial but catalytic empowering young people, especially the most vulnerable, to navigate transitions, seize opportunities, and enter education, training, or decent work with confidence and relevant skills.

UNICEF has started a partnership with the Central Finance and Contracting Unit (CFCU) and has initiated the implementation of the project Building Skills, Shaping Futures - on the path to EU integration. This is an 18-month intervention, financed by the European Union aiming to build and institutionalize a Life Skills and Career Guidance model in close partnership with the Ministry of Education. Through the design of models based on EU best practices, teacher training, and targeted interventions in 30 schools to implement the newly developed Career Guidance and Life Skills model, UNICEF aims to support the education system in Albania and students to develop relevant 21st century skills, make informed education and career choices, and successfully transition into further education, training, and decent employment opportunities in line with evolving labour market needs. The Education Sector in UNICEF Albania is seeking a Project Manager for the EU-Funded Life Skills and Career Guidance Project. The funding is provided by CFCU in Albania which acts as the contracting authority for EU-funded projects, responsible for managing procurement, contracting, and financial oversight for implementing partners in line with EU rules. The selected Project Manager will work under the supervision of UNICEF Education Specialist and will play a central role in ensuring the effective planning, coordination, reporting and delivery of all project components. This includes managing the design and contextualization of pedagogical content for the Career Guidance and Life Skills model, such as digital learning modules and training methodologies, while ensuring alignment with national priorities and EU best practices. The Project Manager will coordinate the development of policy frameworks, accreditation processes of teacher’s modules, and the integration of digital solutions into existing education systems, working closely with the implementing partner organization and in close collaboration with UNICEF team, Ministry of Education and ASCAP as well as managing inputs from international and national experts. In addition, the Project Manager will coordinate with the implementing partner/s regarding the implementation of capacity-building and system-strengthening activities, including Training of Trainers (ToT), cascade trainings in schools, and ongoing mentoring and coaching support for teachers, counsellors, and school leaders. The role also involves overseeing stakeholder engagement processes, such as consultations, study visits to EU partner institutions, and collaboration with key education actors. Furthermore, the Project Manager will ensure that the project activities will have a seamless alignment with CFCU rules aligning under Financial and Administrative Framework Agreement (FAFA) agreement signed by UNICEF and EU. Through strong coordination, monitoring, and reporting, the Project Manager will ensure the project achieves its objective of enhancing students’ competencies for life and work while strengthening institutional capacities to provide quality Career Guidance and Life Skills for every student.

Under the direct supervision of Education Specialist at UNICEF, the Project Manager will undertake the following tasks: 1. Project Coordination & Governance - Provide coordination of project implementation across all phases, prepare yearly activity plans ensuring timely and quality delivery of results in line with project objectives, scope, and resources. - Closely coordinate with UNICEF, CFCU, implementing partners, UNICEF Brussels office, Ministry of Education (MoE), and all relevant stakeholders engaged in the project. - Support and coordinate Project Steering Committee meetings and ensure effective decision-making and follow-up. - Familiarize and ensure full compliance with CFCU under UNICEF and EU FAFA agreement; - Oversee contracting, procurement processes, and vendor management in coordination with relevant teams. - Monitor project progress, support project evaluation, monitor budget implementation, manage risks, and ensure adherence to timelines, reporting obligations, and quality standards. 2. Content Development & Pedagogy - Lead the technical design and development of Life Skills and Career Guidance curricula, ensuring alignment with national education standards and policies. - Manage the overall development process of training materials, tools, and digital modules for teachers and students. - Coordinate technical working groups and ensure coherence between national-level policy frameworks and local-level implementation. - Facilitate collaboration between international and national experts for curriculum design, methodology development, and contextualization. - Ensure timely submission and coordination of accreditation processes and integration of developed modules into relevant education systems. 3. Training & Capacity Building - Oversee the design and implementation of capacity-building programs, including Trainings of Trainers (ToT) and cascade training models. - Coordinate the delivery of training sessions, including logistics, facilitation, and follow-up mentoring and coaching support for teachers and school staff. - Ensure quality assurance of all training content and delivery methodologies. - Promote knowledge sharing, peer learning, and networking among educators through both in-person and digital platforms. 4. Monitoring, Evaluation & Knowledge Management - Track progress against project objectives and ensure systematic monitoring of implementation across all components. - Lead stocktaking exercises and integrate EU best practices into project implementation. - Oversee data collection, documentation, and reporting of all project activities, including training, mentoring, and outreach. - Ensure timely preparation of high-quality yearly working plans, technical and financial reports in line with CFCU under UNICEF/EU agreements such as FAFA etc. - Support UNICEF program manager on donor relation through regular reporting, review meetings, and provision of technical inputs. 5. Awareness & Outreach - Oversee the design and implementation of awareness-raising activities, including career guidance workshops, school-based initiatives, and communication campaigns. - Ensure inclusive, gender-responsive, and youth-centered approaches across all outreach activities. - Promote active engagement of students, teachers, and stakeholders in line with safeguarding and participation principles. - Ensure compliance with EU visibility guidelines and consistent attribution to the EU, CFCU, and UNICEF across all communications, materials, and events. 6. Technology & Equipment Deployment - Oversee the development and deployment of digital tools supporting Life Skills and Career Guidance programs. - Ensure sustainability, maintenance, and technical support mechanisms for all equipment and digital solutions introduced under the project.