Middle
Application deadline (Midnight UTC+5 Time) : 13/10/2026
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
OVERVIEW
UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — works to build peace, eradicate poverty, and foster sustainable development through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. The UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, based in New Delhi, oversees UNESCO's programmes and partnerships across India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, working closely with governments, civil society, and partners to advance these goals.
The Regional Office's Communications and Public Engagement (CPE) function is responsible for amplifying the visibility and impact of UNESCO's work across the region. This includes producing and disseminating content across digital and social media platforms, covering events and field activities, designing publications and communications materials, and managing UNESCO's regional brand presence. The CPE team works across all of UNESCO's programme sectors — education, culture, sciences, and communication and information.
To support this mandate, the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia is seeking qualified individuals to join a Creative Services Roster. Rostered candidates will be selected for projects on an 'on-call' basis, with no guarantee of assignment, to provide Graphic Designing services across a range of communications and public engagement activities.
The roster will be valid from 01 January 2026 to 31 December 2027, or until further notice. UNESCO reserves the right to extend or close the roster at any time.
Individual Consultant (Non-Staff). Contracts may be issued to individuals depending on the nature and scale of the assignment” to “The roster is open to individual consultants. Individuals affiliated with an agency or firm may also apply in their individual capacity, provided they are legally permitted to undertake consultancy work independently. Contracts will be issued directly to the selected individual consultant
Geographic Coverage
The roster is open to candidates of any nationality who are based in South Asia . Candidates must clearly indicate in their application:
- Their country of residence/base; and
- The region(s) within India and/or countries in South Asia where they are available to undertake assignments.
Long Description
Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights (All Categories): All copyright and intellectual property rights in materials produced under this assignment shall vest in UNESCO. The selected candidate/consultant shall provide UNESCO with all final and editable/source files. UNESCO shall have the exclusive worldwide right to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, distribute and otherwise exploit the materials, in any form or on any platform. No material may be used, published, or reproduced by the candidate/consultant without prior written permission from UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, New Delhi. All work must be original and must not infringe third-party rights. AI-generated visual content is prohibited “unless expressly authorized by UNESCO.
COMPETENCIES - Core (C) & Managerial (M)
- Communication (C)
- Accountability (C)
- Innovation (C)
- Knowlegde sharing and continuous improvement (C)
- Planning and organizing (C)
- Results focus (C)
- Teamwork (C)
For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework .
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
To enhance the visibility and impact of UNESCO's work in the region, the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia (UNESCO New Delhi) is seeking qualified individuals and agencies to join a roster of graphic designers. Rostered candidates will be engaged on an 'on-call' basis to provide design and layout services for UNESCO publications, campaigns, events, and digital communications.
A significant and growing proportion of UNESCO's design needs are for social media: static tiles, animated posts, infographics, campaign visuals, event graphics, and digital toolkits. Candidates should be proficient in designing for digital and social platforms alongside traditional print formats.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Conceptualize and develop creative, visually engaging designs for print and digital products, including publications, reports, brochures, infographics, social media assets, presentations, websites, e-newsletters, motion graphics, animations, and other communication materials.
- Design social media content — static tiles, animated posts, campaign visuals, story formats, and infographics — optimized for Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
- Present design concepts for UNESCO review and produce customized visual solutions that effectively communicate UNESCO's key messages and programme priorities.
- Ensure all designs comply with UNESCO's Graphic Standards and Logo Toolkit, reflect gender equality and cultural diversity, and are respectful of different communities.
- Use interchangeable and transferable fonts (from Adobe Creative Cloud or Google Fonts) and avoid politically sensitive map representations unless approved by UNESCO.
SCOPE OF WORK AND RATE PROPOSALS
Candidates must propose their service rates as flat rates per page (for publications and documents) or per work (for communication materials and social media assets). Please indicate clearly in the rate form whether the rate is per page or per work.
The assignment will be remote-based (off-site). Candidates must maintain regular communication with the UNESCO Responsible Officer via email and online meetings throughout the assignment.
EDUCATION
University degree and/or professional training in graphic design, visual communication, digital design, illustration, or related fields.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Minimum of three (3) years of demonstrable professional graphic design experience, including experience in social media content design and digital communication materials. Experience with publications and institutional communications is an asset.
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
- Proficiency in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop; familiarity with Canva, Adobe Express, or equivalent digital-first design tools is an asset;
- Demonstrated experience designing for social media platforms, including knowledge of platform-specific dimensions, formats, and visual best practices;
- Strong understanding of design principles: typography, colour theory, composition, and visual hierarchy;
- Experience with motion graphics or animation (Adobe After Effects or equivalent) is an asset;
- Ability to work with brand guidelines and institutional style standards;
- Ability to manage artwork files and coordinate with printers where required;
- Ability to work independently and efficiently under tight deadlines and revision cycles; and
- Familiarity with UNESCO or UN visual identity standards is an advantage.
LANGUAGES
Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested candidates and agencies should apply through the UNESCO careers website (https://careers.unesco.org/) and follow these steps:
- Create or log in to your account on the UNESCO careers website.
- Download and complete your 'Employment History Form'.
- Prepare the following documents:
- Cover letter: highlighting your most relevant skills and experiences and explaining how your qualifications make you suitable for the assignment(s) applied for. Please indicate the category code (CPE-GD) to which you are applying, and clearly state your region of base (within India) or country of base (outside India) and the regions/countries where you are available to undertake assignment. Agencies should also include a brief organisational profile (year established, size, key clients).
- Curriculum vitae (CV): outlining your professional and educational history, including contact information, work experience, software skills, and language skills. Agencies should submit CVs of at least two (2) key personnel proposed for UNESCO assignments.
- Portfolio: showcasing your relevant skills. The portfolio should include at least three (3) recent work samples with brief descriptions of the project and your role. For CPE-GD include links to online portfolios where possible.
- Standard service rates: completed in accordance with the rate form relevant to each category applied for (see Annex I). Rates should be quoted in local currency. Agencies should indicate whether rates are per individual team member or per assignment.
- Combine all items (Employment History Form, cover letter, CV or organisational profile, portfolio, and standard service rates) and upload as a single file under the 'Employment History' attachment section.
- Complete or update your 'Candidate Profile'; save and submit your application.
Rate Form: CPE-GD – Graphic Designer
Please provide your daily professional rates in local currency.
Flat Rates Per page(for publications and documents) |
Flat Rates per work(for communication materials and social media assets) |