Senior Education Specialist at the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Education Specialist, P5

Job Number: 521264
Location: Kano
Work Type: Fixed Term Appointment

For every child, an education

• Under the overall guidance of the Chief, Education (and reporting to the Chief, Kano Field Office), the incumbent of the post is responsible for leading successful delivery of the Girls Education Project Phase 3 (GEP3).
• The incumbent will be accountable for UNICEFs performance in delivering against the specific milestones and targets of the GEP3 project, including education outcomes for girls, as well as such key issues as leveraging funding effectively from governments in participating states.

How can you make a difference? 

• Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primary, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of duties and key results.

Programme Planning, Development and Management:

• Manage effectively the GEP3 Project and team including, but not confined to, ensuring realistic, accurate and high-quality planning, forecasting and delivery of results, value for money, effective monitoring and evaluation of progress and overall quality assurance or supporting the timely completion of the Situational Analysis and its periodic update through accurate and complete monitoring and analysis and the timely preparation or finalization of GEP3 input. Ensure timely submission.
• Establishment, management and leadership of reporting routines and a strong delivery focused culture across the GEP3 team, including field offices as well as Education Specialists located in Abuja. Liaison with government officials (MDAs) and coordination of GEP3.
• Responsibility for all project planning and reporting for GEP3, including, but not confined to development and review of activity planning, risk analysis (including both political and fiduciary risks at state level), and regular team analysis and reviews of log frame and results.

Promotion of UNICEF Global Goals:

• Promote the organization goals of UNICEF through advocacy and policy dialogue regarding GEP3 in the Education sector, by actively engaging in communication, networking and participation at every opportunity inside and outside UNICEF, leveraging the strength of UNICEF mission, goals and programmes.

Knowledge Management:

• Ensure effective knowledge management by finalizing Girls Education Project Phase 3 (GEP3) documents and reports such as the Education Section/Country Programme Recommendation and Plans of Action as well as through sharing with the Extended Education Cluster on implementation experience, lessons learned knowledge gained and information / data exchange.

Rights-Based Programming through Results-Based Approach:

• Promote rights-based Education Programming through the formulation of appropriate goals, strategies and approaches.
• Bring coherence, synergy and added value to GEP3 or programme management processes using a results-based management approach to planning and design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Exploit efficiently the four core partnerships as well as selective partnerships on specific issues and themes or regional concern, such as education and HIV, abolition of school fees in order to formulate common advocacy position, develop policy guidance and influence allocation of resources on behalf of education.
• Support maintenance of information system for monitoring gender/sex disaggregated data.

Sectoral Work Plan Development, Implementation, and Monitoring:

• Responsible for development of the GEP3 work plan, which reflects UNICEF contribution as part of the coordinated support of external partners to national efforts to achieve the MDGs 2 and 3, as well as implementation and monitoring of assigned programme activity, ensuring compliance with programme strategies and approaches.
• Responsibility for all financial planning and reporting for GEP3, including, but not confined to, budget development and execution, management of tranche releases from DFID, management of fund releases from state governments, and value for money analysis.

UNICEF and Government Accountability:

• Coordinates with Operations and Supply staff on supply and non-supply assistance activities ensuring proper and timely UNICEF and Government and all implementing partners accountability; and to orientate and train Government and UNICEF implementing partners in UNICEF supply and non-supply policies and procedures.
• Certifies disbursements of funds related to GEP3, monitors and submits financial status reports to management in compliance with the regulations and guidelines. Principal liaison point with donor, with a strong focus on delivering clearly against the conditions on which funds are released to UNICEF by the donor, as well as ensuring high quality timely reporting, and clear and effective lines of communication.

Communication, Collaboration, Networking and Partnership:

• Provide technical and policy advice to the Chief, Education on Girls Education Project 3 (GEP3) or Education Section strategies, planning and implementation for GEP3; provide interpretation of guidelines, global strategy and organizational policy, contributing to the development of new guidelines through the programme cycle.
• Ensure exchange of information, experience, identify new strategies and courses of action to accelerate/improve delivery of services and achieve Education programme requirements and objectives.
• Conduct field visits to monitor GEP3 and collect information. Conduct periodic programme reviews with Government counterparts and other partners.
• Collaborate with other in-country partners to engage with and support the Government in developing a national education sector support plan or other appropriate plans and priorities
• Collaborate with the Operations Section and Government authorities to establish and maintain sound internal controls supportive of GEP3
• Interact with Government and other partners, NGOs, UN and bilateral agencies in the different stages of GEP3 implementation to follow up on agreements and recommendations. Provide technical support and guidance on appropriate technical, financial and institutional capacity building measures to achieve Education programme goals.

Requirements
Education:

• Advanced university degree in Education, Social Science or related technical field with background in management of complex project/programmes, monitoring and evaluation.

Work Experience:

• Ten years progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme planning and management in a related field, with emphasis on strategic planning, leading policy reform in a developing country environment, sectoral coordination, sector financing and sector leadership.
• Strong networks in the sector and strong programme management required.
• Peer reviewed publications in the sector and substantial experience working in at least 2 developing countries in both emergency and non-emergency environments preferred.
• Experience in running complex projects, with a focus on delivery, management and leadership
• Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment, sets high standards for quality of work and consistently achieves project goals.
• Identifies urgent and potentially difficult decisions and acts on them promptly; initiates and generates team- and department-wide activities.

Language Proficiency:

• Fluency in English and a second UN language.
• Local working language of the duty station an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

• UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
• View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

Application Closing Date
24th April, 2019 .

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
• UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.