Education Manager Re-advertisement

Background: Over 80 years ago, Albert Einstein helped create the International Rescue Committee. Today, we are a leading humanitarian and development organization working in more than 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future.

In partnership with the LEGO Foundation, the IRC is implementing an 18-month project (beginning in October 2021) aimed at bringing play-based learning activities to children whose education and wellbeing have been disrupted and damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project will target marginalized communities in the DRC, Ethiopia and South Sudan. It will build on play-based social-emotional learning materials and approaches already developed in the region through the LEGO Foundation-supported Play Well and PlayMatters projects, led by the IRC in Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. The project aims to work closely with the full range of education stakeholders, including government ministries and education offices, to build capacity to incorporate learning through play activities into formal and non-formal education activities, into distance and home-based learning responses to school closures, and into emergency preparedness and COVID-19 response plans.

In Ethiopia, the project will be implemented in the Somali Region and SNNPR.

Position Summary

The Education Manager will lead project implementation under the direction of the Addis-based Education and Child Protection Coordinator. The Education Manager will direct manage the project team and will develop constructive working relationships with education authorities and partners.

The position is anticipated to begin in November 2021.

Key Responsibilities

• Program Development and Management:
• Lead the LEGO funded Education Response to COVID-19 project inception phase with the Education and Child Protection Coordinator, Regional Coordination team and Education Technical Advisor based at HQ.
• Coordinate the effective implementation of education activities in the Somali Region and SNPPR.
• Oversee training, coaching and on-going support of educators and learning facilitators to improve instructional practices in play-based social and emotional skills.
• Develop actionable work plans to ensure the timely implementation of project activities, in collaboration with Education Officers.
• Contribute to the development of robust data collection systems to ensure that the education program is data-driven and that programmatic decisions are grounded in evidence.
• Monitor progress towards the objectives and intended outputs of projects using routine data, spot checks, observation, and other methodologies.
• Provide regular written and verbal reports on education activities to supervisor, senior management and donors.
• In collaboration with the supervisor, review Budget vs. Actual (BVA) expenditures monthly, providing relevant feedback to the finance department and adjusting activities as required.
• Enforce stewardship and accountability by ensuring that resources are efficiently and effectively utilized within the project for the intended purpose.

Technical Quality:

• Provide technical supervision and guidance to project team staff and M&E staff and implementing partners as required.
• Ensure that all education activities adhere to agreed technical standards, protocols, policies and guidelines, as outlined by the IRC and relevant Ethiopian government ministries.
• Coordinate with the M&E team on the development of monitoring tools and collection of quality data and provide guidance to improve data systems.

HR & Team Management:

• Provide supportive supervision to project team staff.
• Lead the development of performance plans for all project staff based on job descriptions, project objectives/work plans and past performance reviews.
• Review performance evaluation of direct reports on a bi-annual basis and oversee the performance review cycle for all direct reports.
• Actively build the capacity of program staff, ensuring each staff member has a specific capacity development plan, receives opportunities for training, mentoring and on-the-job learning opportunities.

Coordination

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders including government actors, national and state level education cluster, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.
• Closely collaborate with all project partners.
• Represent IRC to local communities, government departments, international agencies, and local partners as required.

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to: Education and Child Protection Coordinator
• Indirect Reporting: Regional Project Coordinator and Education TA
• Position directly Supervises:  project staff in IRC Ethiopia.
• Key Internal Contacts: Field Coordinator
• Key External Contacts: Regional Bureau of Education, Woreda Education Offices, National and State Education Cluster, other key education development actors (INGOs, LNGOs).

Compliance

• Ensure that all activities respect the principle of confidentiality and that all incidents reported to IRC are handled with due regard to protection principles.
• Ensure adherence to IRC-Ethiopia specific finance, logistics, IT, security, communications and human resource/administration policies and procedures.
• Incorporate and comply with any new procedures and guidelines designated in circulars from Country Director and Program Director.
• Ensure any violations of the IRC Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Code of Conduct are reported to the supervisor, the Country Director, or through the anonymous reporting mechanism. The reporting of violations is an obligation on the part of all staff members.
• Assist where necessary in undertaking activities that aim to prevent the occurrence of sexual abuse and exploitation of beneficiaries by IRC and other humanitarian workers.
• Ensure compliance of IRC’s Child Safeguarding policy in all IRC activities and report any violations observed or reported through the necessary channels immediately.

• University degree in education; advanced degree preferred.
• At least five years of relevant professional experience with an international or civil society organization, including direct implementation of education programming.
• At least two years of experience in a managerial position and demonstrated capacity in team leadership and capacity building
• Experience working with displaced or otherwise in humanitarian context is required
• Demonstrated experience in project management, including financial, HR, and grants management
• Demonstrated knowledge of education in emergencies practice.
• Experience working in a multidisciplinary team is an advantage.
• Excellent communication skills, and writing of concise reports in English
• Good computer knowledge (Office Word and Excel, Outlook)
• Work collaboratively with team members to achieve results.
• Ability to work in isolated areas with minimum comfort. Flexible and innovative.
• Willingness to travel to remote locations.