Education Specialist, P4, Beirut, Lebanon (Batch: 2 posts: Systems Strengthening and Multiple Pathways)

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.

And we never give up.

 For every child, hope

UNICEF started to work in Lebanon in 1948 and established its office in 1950. For more than 70 years we’ve been working closely with the Government of Lebanon, other UN agencies, international and local NGOs, universities, and more than 100 partners to meet the needs of disadvantaged children in Lebanon. Responding to life-saving needs and ensuring equal access to quality public services, the impact of our work is felt in every aspect and every sphere of society. To learn more about our work, please refer to: https://www.unicef.org/lebanon/what-we-do

UNICEF’s Education policy program aims at improving the quality of education in the public sector. It focuses on the improvement of the socio-economic status of marginalized and vulnerable. To learn more about UNICEF Lebanon’s Education programme please refer to: https://www.unicef.org/lebanon/education

How can you make a difference?

The overall aim of the roles are to support delivery of Lebanon’s 5 Year Plan on Education, with a focus on education system effectiveness, efficiency and equity, leading on the following areas:

Education Specialist, P4, Multiple Pathways

Under the overall guidance and direction of the Chief of Education, the Education Specialist leads on conceptualizing, directing, and supervising approaches to implementation of Multiple Flexible Pathways, including Non-Formal Education and deployment of digital and remote/hybrid learning modalities to improve access and quality of education for the most marginalized children. The position contributes to the achievement of concrete and sustainable results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology, as well as UNICEF’s Strategic Plan and UNICEF’s Education Strategy 2019-2030.

Education Specialist, P4, Systems Strengthening

Under the overall guidance and direction of the Chief of Education, the Education Specialist leads on conceptualizing, directing, and supervising approaches to support education sector analysis, policy and budget development in Lebanon, with particular attention on the most marginalized children. The position contributes to the achievement of concrete and sustainable results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology, as well as UNICEF’s Strategic Plan and UNICEF’s Education Strategy 2019-2030.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

1. Management and advisory support to the Chief
2. Programme development and planning
3. Programme management, monitoring and quality control of results
4. Advisory services and technical support
5. Advocacy, networking and partnership building
6. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

For more details, please refer to the Generic Job Description. LEB21040_P4_Education_Specialist.doc

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, economics, psychology, sociology or another relevant technical field.

Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Familiarity/ background with emergency/in fragile contexts is considered as an asset.
• For Multiple Pathways: Specific experience in Education Sector Analysis,  Planning and  Policy development
• For Systems Strengthening: Specific experience in Education Sector Analysis,  Planning and  Policy development.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge in Arabic or French is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Core Values

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability

Core competencies

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

      Functional Competencies 

• Good understanding of the overall global development context, including issues such as: poverty, conflict, and the impact of these factors on education and vice-versa; and inter-sectoral approaches to address such issues in collaboration with other sectors
• Good knowledge of global developments in education and international engagement strategies
• Good ability to support policy dialogue
• Good education sector planning knowledge/ability
• Good education and policy sector analysis capacity
• Good ability to support engagement with partners
• Good understanding of gender and inequity issues in relation to education and development
• Good understanding of policies and strategies to address issues related to resilience: risk analysis and risk management, education in conflict situations, natural disasters, and recovery for CO and RO based post and where relevant.

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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.

Remarks

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/ assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate.

In your cover letter please indicate if you are interested in one or both positions.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.