Vacancy Announcement: Education Specialist, P3, Fixed Term, #110365, Amman, Jordan Country Office

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, Education.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is leader in the region for the rights of its children. Working closely with the Government of Jordan, civil society, the private sector and communities, UNICEF Jordan Country Office aims to sustain results achieved for children to date, and strive to further improve policies, national institutions and programmes, for the well-being of every child in Jordan, in line with Jordan’s Vision 2025 and the National Human Resources Development Strategy (2016-2025) towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Our programmes focus on improving the lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in the Kingdom, irrespective of their nationality, gender, religion or background. Our main pillars include: Child Protection; Education; Water, Sanitation & Hygiene; Adolescent and Youth Engagement; Health and Nutrition; Social Protection; and Operations.

How can you make a difference?

Under the guidance and general supervision of the Chief, Education (P5), the KM Specialist supports the Education section in strengthening knowledge management, learning and information sharing by documenting good practices and lessons learned of successful education programmes and flagship initiatives, as well as generating high quality on-time funding proposals, donor reports and concept notes for resource mobilization and donor accountability. Specific responsibilities are highlighted below: 

1. Support to Education section knowledge management system

• Develop, update and maintain knowledge management products associated with UNICEF’s Education Annual Work Plan in line with the MOE Education Strategic Plan 2018-22.
• Document excellence, best practices and lessons learned of education programmes and flagship initiatives, and disseminate relevant knowledge, information and data to key audiences in an appropriate form.  
• Develop and implement modalities for knowledge sharing and information exchange to promote mutual learning within the section and across different section staff members for innovative solutions and new approaches to advancing education access, equity and quality learning.
• Develop, maintain and update the section-level knowledge management plans and tools, and ensure that programmatic documents and files are developed, organized and optimized for strategic knowledge and information sharing.
• Provide technical support to the education section in ensuring that a set of education indicators are identified and adjusted in line with UNICEF annual workplan and in sharing of results and findings with section colleagues and key stakeholders, such the MOE and education donor group.
• Support knowledge management activities in the education section through information exchange and build capacity of the section staff members by enabling appropriate knowledge management sessions (i.e. report writing, technical brief note development)

2. Knowledge-based programme development and planning

• Support the education section and work closely with Data/IM officer in the preparation, design and updating of the situation analysis for the education programmes to ensure that current and comprehensive data on education issues is available to guide UNICEF’s strategic policy, advocacy, intervention and development efforts on education programmes and overall knowledge management.
• With support from supervisor set priorities, strategies, design and implementation plans. Keep abreast of development trends to enhance education knowledge management, efficiency, and delivery.
• Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful knowledge management experiences and share observations/findings with the section and across different sections, so best practices and insights can inform UNICEF Jordan’s programming and knowledge management work.
• Work closely and collaboratively with internal colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies, and to determine national priorities to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results.
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and to ensure integration, coherence, and harmonization of programs/projects with other UNICEF sectors and achievement of results as planned and allocated.

3. Strengthen quality reporting for resource mobilization and donor accountability

• Provide one-stop-shop to current and potential education donors and partners on UNICEF’s education programme in Jordan, including coordination with UNICEF other section staff, sharing of section brief note, fact-sheets, and other programme related information, and organization of visits to UNICEF education programme.
• In consultation with relevant education colleagues, draft concept notes and funding proposals, and ensure that these are aligned with donor interests and conditionality and UNICEF’s education programme priorities under the Country Programme strategies.
• Plan, develop, compile, draft and edit reports to be used for donors, partners, and stakeholders (Including: monthly sitreps, presentations, donor progress and final reports, annual reports).
• Design and deliver education briefing notes and project concept notes for Management, the line ministry and donors when necessary.
• Make occasional field missions to support and participate in assessment, validation and developing evidence-based documentation.

4. Networking and partnership building

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders, global partners, donors, and academia through active networking, advocacy and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results on education programmes.
• Prepare communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships and support fund raising for education programmes.

• Participate and/or represent UNICEF in appropriate inter-agency (UNCT) discussions on education and related issues to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNDAF planning and preparation of programmes/projects ensuring organizational position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the UNDAF process in development planning and agenda-setting.

5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Apply and introduce innovative approaches and good practices to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Keep abreast, research, benchmark, and implement best practices in education management. Assess, institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programmes and projects.
• Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders to promote sustainable results on education and related programmes/projects.

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 five years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or education is required. Experience in knowledge management considered as an asset. Experience working in a developing country as well as relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.

Language requirement: Fluency in English is required with knowledge of Arabic considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) 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

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 offers a wide range of benefits to its personnel, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. The UNICEF Jordan Country Office has an elevator as well as accessible bathrooms. Core hours in Jordan Country Office are from 09:00 to 15:00 (excluding lunch break), from Sunday to Thursday.

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion to deliver the best the best results for children. For the position, suitable candidates from programme countries will receive preferential consideration and selection, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements stated above.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

This position has been assessed as an not elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is neither: a role with direct contact with children, works directly with child, is a safeguarding response role or has been assessed as an elevated risk role for child safeguarding. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) applies.

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.