Principal Programme Officer (PPO), Education and Training at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Principal Programme Officer (PPO), Education and Training

Job Code: 20000574
Location: Abuja (FCT)
Job type: Full-Time
Grade: P5
Directorate: Education, Science and Culture
Department: Human Development and Social Affairs
Line Supervisor: Principal Auditor, Information Systems Audit
Institution: Director, Education, Science and Culture
Department: Registry
Supervising: Programme Officer (PO) Education

Role Overview

• Under the supervision of the Director, Education, Science and Culture, the incumbent develops Programmes, Projects, and activities relating to Education and Training in the ECOWAS Region in line with regional, continental, and global priorities and ensures implementation of agreed thematic areas through consultation, interaction, capacity building, general coordination, and documentation.
• This position, therefore, requires a blend of cognitive, psycho-motor, and affective skills.

Roles and Responsibilities
Manage, coordinate, facilitate, and promote the implementation of ECOWAS Education priority projects relating to.

• Higher Education, including Academic mobility.
• Equivalence of certificates and harmonization of Education Systems.
• Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and   Entrepreneurship.
• Basic Education.
• Education and Training of Girls, women, and other vulnerable groups.
• School Health and Nutrition.
• Popularization of the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering (STEM) and other fields of strategic importance to the ECOWAS region.
• Teacher Training and Development.
• Education Management Information Systems (EMIS).
• Quality of Education at all levels and in all ramifications.
• Early Childhood Development.
• Education for the Culture of Peace.

Academic Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Education; Primary education, Social Sciences, or a field relevant to international development assistance from a recognized university.
• 10 years of professional experience, including 2 years of relevant international work and 2 years at a supervisory level.
• Technical knowledge of theories, principles, and methods in areas of education, primary education, scientific innovation and/ social sciences.
• Knowledge of theories and practices in programme and project management in education, monitoring and evaluation, training and capacity development in education, alternative basic education, curriculum development and promoting of science.
• Solid knowledge of ECOWAS policy on cultural affairs and related areas, and a strong appreciation of the role of culture in empowering and enabling other actors.

Key Competencies:

• Ability to lead in assigned programs and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfilment of the organization’s mandate (e.g. establish networks and benchmarks).
• Ability to lead by example and organize teamwork to encourage cooperation to achieve targeted results, champion and build momentum for change and to bring about employee engagement; develops and implements internal controls for pilot Program to manage potential barriers to implementation.
• Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity and displaying due regards for internal controls of rules, delegations, and transparency.
• Ability to bring together complementary skills/expertise, assess individual contributions and recognize/address accomplishments and shortcomings in a manner that brings continued success to the organization.
• Knowledge of program management at the level usually acquired from a certification in program management (e.g. Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) or Program Management Professional PgMP).
• Ability to research benchmarks and trends to bring about the best recommendations for the development and improvement of programs/projects that will best serve the community/organization.
• Well-developed networking and interpersonal skills to seek feedback, information, and data from a network of professionals from multiple countries/sectors/organizations and to identify and prioritize the most critical community requirements.
• Ability to manage and co-ordinate client management initiatives (e.g. feedback loops, surveys, studies, needs assessments) and make recommendations.
• Ability to develop and implement best practices in client services (e.g. dashboards, incentive management, feedback mechanisms).
• Ability to develop and implement stakeholder management plans, programs, and initiatives to obtain buy-in on new initiatives, to better understand dissenting views, to obtain resources and to increase perceptions of success.
• Diplomacy, tact, and respect of other people from varied backgrounds, understanding diverse cultural views especially within west Africa with the ability to convert diversity into opportunities to improve program/operational outcomes.
• Ability to create a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths bringing together innovative practices.
• Ability to remain objective in appraisals, evaluations and in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences positions, gender issues or opinions, and encourages staff to overcome cultural and gender barriers and background differences.
• Ability to serve the interest of a culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities and some disable groups without prejudice, bias, or sympathy to a select group.
• Solid understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute, and lead effectively.
• Applied knowledge of the Community mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political, and social state/trends of member states, especially as pertains to own scope of work.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS best practices, program management approaches and research techniques to lead and/or contribute to the development or assessment of programs, projects, or initiatives.
• Superior knowledge of the rules and procedures of ECOWAS to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others, and assess performance.
• Ability to analyze a situation by way of indicators (e.g. performance, technical) to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in deciding.
• Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the source of problems, consequences of alternative courses of action, potential obstacles, and ways to avoid the problem in the future.
• Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms (using charts, diagrams, effective expository writing) to explain recommendations and conclusions aimed at solving problems or improving operations/programs/projects.
• Ability to develop new insights into situations, apply innovative solutions to problems and to design new methods of addressing issues/disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable, unavailable, or no longer effective.
• Proficiency in oral and written French and English languages.
• Ability to communicate with impact, clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner conveying credibility & confidence when making presentations, setting expectations, and explaining complex issues.
• Ability to listen intently and correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately.
• Accomplished technical writing skills (e.g. proposals, terms of reference, program assessments, blueprints, business processes) with well-developed editing.
• Ability to give honest feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings, and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance.
• Fluency in one of the three ECOWAS official languages (English, French & Portuguese).
• Superior organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs, and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs.
• Ability to set effective goals and targets for self, others, and the work unit and adjusting work or project priorities in response to changing circumstances.
• Ability to identify gaps affecting the achievement of program/project expectations and to design and implement intervention plans required to build the desired capacity (e.g. training, structural realignment, partnerships, reallocation of resources.
• Ability to implement rigorous monitoring, and evaluation practices and to set in place regular reporting schedules relevant to key outputs (e.g. management indicators, project milestones, program results, processing targets).
• Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

Salary
USD66,123.98 – USD104,330.42 Annually.

Application Closing Date
31st July, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their filled job application form with three (3) professional references, resume (CV) and a cover letter to: b54ppoeduandtraining@ecowas.int using the job title as the subject of the email.

Click here to download the application form (Docx.)

Note

• Shortlisted candidates may be required to undergo a written test and subsequently an interview session.
• Successful candidates shall be subjected to further screening / background checks.
• Employment offers are contingent upon satisfactory background check.
• ECOWAS provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and a healthy work-life balance.
• We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore, we encourage women to apply for positions that suit their competencies.
• Individuals from minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are also highly encouraged to apply. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of ECOWAS’s workforce.
• Selection and appointment will be subject to background and reference checks and other administrative requirements.
• ECOWAS does not charge for any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing in connection with application or recruitment processes and does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.