Early Childhood Development (ECD) Associate, Ankara, Türkiye

General

Description of assignment title: Early Childhood Development (ECD) Associate

Assignment country: Türkiye

Duty stations: Ankara

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 09/12/2026

Duration: 12 months(with possibility of extension)Long-term benefits and allowances

Sustainable Development Goal: 3. Good health and well-being

Host entity: UNICEF

Modality: Onsite

Type: International

Volunteer category: Associate UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives:

• For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF believes that all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfil their potential - to the benefit of a better world. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Context:

• UNICEF is seeking a motivated and committed International UN Volunteer to support its work in early childhood development in Türkiye, supporting more than 9 million young children and their families. Children need early childhood support because the experiences they have in the first years of life shape the foundations for their health, learning, behavior, and well-being throughout childhood and into adulthood. This period is a one-time window of opportunity that cannot be fully compensated for later.
• UNICEF Türkiye's Early Childhood Development (ECD) Programme supports national systems to ensure that all young children—particularly those affected by poverty, displacement, disability, or social exclusion—can survive, thrive, and realize their full developmental potential from pregnancy through the early years of life. The programme applies a multisectoral and systems-strengthening approach in line with the Nurturing Care Framework. Through multisectoral programming, systems strengthening, and partnerships, UNICEF ECD Programme support building an equitable human capital development to ensure that no child is left behind.
• The ECD Programme collaborates closely with line ministries, municipalities, academia, civil society organizations, and international partners to support policy development, coordination across sectors, capacity-building of the ECD workforce, and scaling up of evidence-informed and inclusive ECD models. Since 2024, country is developing a new model for provision of Early Childhood Services, enabling timely identification of risks or disabilities and ensuring comprehensive support.
• The International UN Volunteer ECD Associate role gives a unique opportunity to the programme by providing programme implementation support, including assisting with planning, implementation, monitoring, and documentation of ECD interventions; supporting partner coordination and cross-sectoral collaboration; contributing to data collection, analysis, and reporting; and helping integrate global best practices and UNICEF standards into country-level programming. Through this assignment, the ECD Associate will support advancing equitable, high-quality ECD services, generating knowledge to inform sustainable national policies and programmes and making a difference in quality of life and developmental outcomes of young children in Türkiye.

Task description:

• The UN Volunteer will be part of the Early Childhood Development Section at the UNICEF Türkiye Country Office. The assignment contributes to initiatives that strengthen systems and expand access to essential services for early childhood development and parenting support.
• Under the direct supervision of ECD Manager, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Support in implementation of cross-sectoral ECD programme, including support with digital solutions for parenting and child development support.
• Assist in coordination with government counterparts, municipalities, and partners to promote a multisectoral approach to ECD.
• Assist with organizing meetings, trainings, workshops, and field visits related to ECD activities.
• Support organization of key events, including National and International Breastfeeding Weeks, Parenting Month and the National Congress in Early Childhood in September, 2026.
• Support internal and external reporting, presentations, and communication materials for the ECD Section.
• Support monitoring, data collection, and documentation of programme results, including contributions to progress reports, briefs and development of the first data collection tool for ECD centers.
• Contribute to documentation of good practices, lessons learned, and knowledge products.
• Support inclusion focused activities targeting vulnerable groups, including refugee children and children with disabilities.
• Provide administrative and operational support as required.
• During the first month of the assignment, the UN Volunteer will work closely with his/her direct supervisor to finalize an agreed-upon work plan. The work plan should outline key objectives and activities and include regular check‑ins with the supervisor to review progress and receive performance feedback.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 1 month

Donor priorities:

• .

Nationality: Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Additional eligibility criteria:

• This assignment is funded by the Government of Korea and therefore specific criteria apply:
• - Candidates must be Korean nationals. Fluency in Korean is required.
• - Candidates must be between 22 and 29 years of age at the time of application.
• - Candidates who have already served as UN Youth Volunteer funded by the Government of Korea are not eligible to apply (former UN University Volunteers are eligible).
• - Serving UN Volunteers will not be considered for other UN Volunteer assignments until they reach three (3) months before the end of contract date of their current UN Volunteer assignment. This provision applies equally to first and subsequent contracts.
• - Candidates may apply to a maximum of three assignments and indicate the order of preference in the 'Additional remarks' field when filling in the application form.
• - Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The selection will be done by the UN Host Entity at the level of the country of assignment.
• APPLICATION DEADLINE: 19 July 2026
• +++ UN Volunteer entitlement calculator: https://app.unv.org/calculator +++

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience:

• 1 month

Languages:

• English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level:

• Bachelor's degree in one of the following fields is required: education, public administration, public health, nutrition, economics, psychology, sociology, human development, child development, family studies, or another relevant technical field.

Competencies and values:

• Accountability
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Building Trust
• Client Orientation
• Commitment and Motivation
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Communication
• Creativity
• Empowering Others
• Ethics and Values
• Integrity
• Judgement and Decision-making
• Knowledge Sharing
• Leadership
• Managing Performance
• Planning and Organizing
• Professionalism
• Respect for Diversity
• Self-Management
• Technological Awareness
• Vision
• Working in Teams

Skills and experience:

• Demonstrated interest or experience (up to three years) in:
• Understanding of early childhood development principles, nurturing care, and age appropriate learning
• Demonstrated interest in Early Childhood Development (ECD), including a commitment to promoting nurturing care, positive parenting, and inclusive services for young children and their caregivers
• Interest or prior experience supporting Early Childhood Development (ECD) initiatives, including programme support, community-based activities, research, monitoring, or coordination related to young children and families
• Skills in:
• Strong coordination, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse partners, including adolescents and young people
• Excellent writing, documentation, visualization and analytical skills
• Data management and basic data analysis skills (e.g. organizing datasets, tracking indicators, supporting reporting) are considered an asset
• Basic understanding of digital platforms (mobile apps, web tools, learning management systems)
• Ability to work with developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and safe digital solutions

Area(s) of expertise:

• Development programmes, Community development, Crisis and emergency response

Driving license:

• -

Other information