Education Officer – Education at UNHCR

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.

Duties and Qualifications

Education Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Education Officer will support the roll-out of Refugee Education 2030, the Refugee Education Strategy, in line with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), which calls on States and relevant Stakeholders to contribute resources and expertise to expand and enhance the quality and inclusiveness of national education systems to facilitate access by refugee and host community children and youth to primary, secondary and tertiary education.  Providing inclusive and equitable quality education is central to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Education Officer will ensure UNHCR¿s programming is in line with the SDGs.
Leveraging the growing global momentum, UNHCR is working to translate the objectives of the GCR into impactful results, including through follow-up on pledges made through the 2019 Global Refugee Forum. Contributing to this global roll-out of the GCR, the Education Officer, in collaboration with the Education Section in the Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS), will provide technical support to UNHCR Country Office(s) and partners to advocate for and implement the objectives of Refugee Education 2030:

1. Promote equitable and sustainable inclusion in national education systems for refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, stateless and internally displaced persons.
2. Foster safe enabling environments that support learning.
3. Enable learners to use their education toward sustainable futures.

The incumbent will provide leadership and technical support for UNHCR regarding education and advocate on all issues related to education programmes and strategic directions. S/he will maintain close contact with Country Office(s) on the overall education policy direction of UNHCR and on the adaptation of Refugee Education 2030 to individual country contexts, as well as providing technical support (on early childhood, learning achievement, primary education, accelerated education, secondary education, non-formal education, scholarships and tertiary education, education in emergencies etc.) to all staff, including senior management, as well as to those representing education issues on behalf of UNHCR.

This will require maintaining close contact with the Country Office(s) and Divisions, particularly the DRS, on the overall education policy direction of UNHCR, on monitoring and assessing impact, on provision of external technical assistance, and on liaising with partner agencies. In exercising these responsibilities, the Education Officer oversees the development of guidance and strategies to address particular situations arising from different contexts in the field. The incumbent is normally supervised by the Senior Protection Officer, Senior Programme Officer, or Deputy Representative, depending on the office context.

The incumbent will ensure that consistent and technically sound advice/recommendations are given in the Area of Responsibility (AoR), including through drafting of guidelines and specialised training of staff, in collaboration with the Education Section at HQ. S/he will also ensure active exchange of information and best practices within the AoR. The incumbent must be an authority on technical issues relating to education and will also provide specialist advice for other sectors such as child protection, livelihoods/economic inclusion, shelter, and water and sanitation as relates to education. The Education Officer acts as focal point/coordinator/advisor for staff at all levels in Country Office(s), including senior management, as well as Policy and Development staff.

Externally, the Education Officer will help promote the inclusion of refugees and other persons of concern into national education systems through effective partnerships and advocacy with relevant government line ministries, development actors, private sector, UN agencies, international organisations and NGOs, research institutions and universities, both at the regional and country levels.  This includes coordination with regional and global education networks and keeping abreast with international developments in education, including representation with international and regional organizations through, for example, UNICEF, UNESCO, the Global Partnership for Education and the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE).  Representation with NGOs, academic institutions, and the private sector is also a priority. The incumbent is regularly called upon to train staff and partners, including Government authorities, to provide/negotiate drafting advice, to give presentations, to participate as a member of expert groups on education, to represent UNHCR and to ensure UNHCR’s direct involvement in numerous settings designed to promote increased access to quality education at all levels to both refugee and host communities, in line with the GCR.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR¿s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

• Translate global education objectives and strategic directions into regional or national guidance, strategies and priorities, in collaboration with the Education Section in HQ, to ensure coherence with UNHCR¿s education policy and strategy.
• Engage, promote and foster partnerships/collaboration with education stakeholders and bodies within the AoR, in line with the GCR.
• Provide technical advice and support on all issues related to UNHCR education programmes and strategic directions, in line with UNHCR education policy and regional priorities, including through remote support and field missions.
• Support and provide technical advice to senior management and Policy and Development staff allowing for advocacy activities with States and international organisations on all issues related to UNHCR education programmes and strategic directions, including on engaging in national planning processes, such as the development of SDG4 plans at national/regional levels and ensuring inclusion of refugee, returnee, asylum seeking, internally displaced and stateless children and youth in SDG4 plans and Education Sector Analyses and Plans.
• Participate in (regional) humanitarian and development sector working groups to support that all refugee education support programming at country level is extended, amplified and reported against sector development goals and humanitarian partners and funding serves system strengthening.
• Assist Bureaux and Country Office(s) to elaborate and implement strategies to address issues related to education access, quality and data, in cooperation with other UN agencies (UNICEF, UNESCO, WFP, etc.) and other key education stakeholders.
• Undertake direct dialogue with Country Office(s) on the implementation of education programmes in line with strategic directions, integrated with SDG4 and Education Sector Plans, including with Ministries of Education/Higher Education, education partners and coordination networks (Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and Local Education Groups, etc.).
• Foster inter-sectoral linkages and coordination with child protection, SGBV, gender, community services, livelihoods/economic inclusion and health, among others, and provide specialist advice for other sectors, to ensure that they fully integrate education related concerns in their planning.
• Monitor implementation of education programmes within the AoR and provide guidance on orientation.
• Support and monitor the implementation of Global Refugee Forum pledges within the AoR.
• Assist in the planning and coordination of UNHCR¿s role concerning education, represent UNHCR at (regional) consultations, and represent UNHCR¿s education strategy and policy to other UN bodies, NGOs, interlocutors, institutions and organisations within the AoR.
• Identify training needs and train UNHCR staff, sister UN agency staff, NGOs, and Ministry of Education officials on refugee education priorities and identified topics.
• Support the development and dissemination of relevant tools to support UNHCR staff and partners in Country Office(s).
• Support active exchange of information and that best practices are identified, documented and disseminated both within the AoR and beyond.
• Join joint assessment missions in emergencies to minimise the time refugee children and youth spend out of education (ideally a maximum of three months after arrival).
• Prepare, co-ordinate and oversee drafting of education input in key internal and external documents and reports.
• Perform other related duties as required. ¿

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P3/NOC – 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Education; Social Sciences or other relevant field.
(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses

Not specified

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential:

• 4 years of experience in progressively responsible functions in education.
• Demonstrated work experience in education programmes.
• Field experience in education programme implementation and coordination in humanitarian and/or development contexts.
• Experience working with Governments, Ministry of Education and other line Ministries.
• Strong inter-personal skills in collaboration and coordination.
• Excellent analytical skills and drafting skills.
• Strong communications/presentations skills.
• Demonstrated capacity to work with minimum supervision.

Desirable:

• Demonstrated work experience in refugee education programmes.
• Knowledge and experience of UNHCR policies and standards.
• Experience in the area of child protection.
• Experience with educational research, teaching or education administration.

Functional Skills

PR-Education Administration/Programme/Coordination/Techniques
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
PR-Community Services-Communication/Development/Organization
PR-Community Services-Social Surveys/Assessment
PR-Community Services-Social Work/Counselling
PR-INEE (International Network for Education in Emergencies) standards and implementation
PR-Child Protection/Convention on the Rights of the Child
PR-Refugee Education programmes
TR-Training/Coaching/Facilitation
IT-MS Office Applications
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.

For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Position Competencies

C001L3 – Accountability Level 3
C002L3 – Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C003L3 – Communication Level 3
C004L3 – Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C005L3 – Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 – Organizational Awareness Level 3
M004L3 – Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3
M005L3 – Leadership Level 3
M006L3 – Managing Resources Level 3
X001L3 – Analytical Thinking Level 3
X005L3 – Planning and Organizing Level 3
X006L3 – Policy Development & Research Level 3

Additional  Information

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Closing Date

Please note that the closing date for vacancies in the  September 2019 Compendium is Wednesday 9 October  2019 (midnight Geneva time)

.