Consortium Coordinator at Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)

Job Summary

The Consortium Coordinator will be responsible for the overall strategic direction and coordination of the programme, working closely with consortium members, project teams, and the donor. Reporting to the Head of Programs, the Coordinator will collaborate closely with the Project Director and the Finance, MEAL, Compliance, Safeguarding, Logistics, Security, and Communications teams to ensure effective programme delivery.

S/he will provide overall financial, administrative, and operational leadership for the project across its implementation sites in Sokoto State, including Isa, Sabon Birni, and Kware Local Government Areas (LGAs). The Consortium Coordinator will also provide strategic leadership and management for the ECHO-funded Education in Emergencies Programme and will be accountable for the achievement of programme deliverables. S/he will ensure strategic oversight of programme quality through the agreed Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Framework, in close coordination with the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist. The Consortium Coordinator will also work closely with the JRS International Office to ensure effective programme implementation and coordination.

The position involves travel within the project locations, and the incumbent is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy. S/he will serve as the coordination leader and focal point for consortium partners, ensuring the effective management of consortium-wide partnerships and maintaining the internal and external relationships necessary to achieve the project’s objectives.

The Consortium Coordinator will also serve as a key liaison with local government representatives, the donor, local institutions, and communities. Given that the project focuses on Education in Emergencies (EiE), the Coordinator is expected to possess a strong grounding in education policy, practice, and programming at both the global level and within Nigeria’s EiE context. Consequently, the incumbent will also serve as an Education Specialist, providing technical leadership and guidance to support the effective delivery of programme outcomes.

Key Responsibilities of the position

Role/Mission

Operations Management

• Ensure the implementation and monitoring of effective management systems to meet contractual, donor and internal compliance requirements, in accordance with JRS policies. 
• Coordinate the effective development and implementation of project processes (procurement, budget projections, partners/sub-recipient monitoring, workplans, risk registers and reporting calendars, etc.) under the compliance requirements of the consortium and the donor.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor the effective implementation of the program and the efficient use of systems/resources in accordance with the compliance requirements.
• Maintain good relationship with all partners to ensure the effective implementation of the activities and compliance (including monitoring of agency workplans).
• Ensure key policies are adhered to and kept up to date, including training and awareness around Safeguarding and PSEAH.
• Ensure key project risk mitigation measures remain clear and up to date.
• Provide technical guidance and quality assurance to all education interventions implemented by JRS Nigeria, ensuring alignment with national education policies, INEE Minimum Standards, and donor requirements.

Governance

• Coordinate the project’s Steering Committee to maintain project governance and oversight.
• Prepare Steering Committee agendas, circulate background documents, record minutes, and action points, and follow up on agreed decisions and recommendations.
• Represent the project as required with the donor, local authorities, coordination platforms, independent evaluators, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Coordinate and facilitate capacity building workshops for consortium members in line with findings from the Organizational Capacity Assessment conducted.
• Represent JRS Nigeria in Education Sector Working Groups, Education Cluster meetings, and other relevant technical coordination forums at national and sub-national levels, as delegated by the Head of programs and Country Director.

Budget Management

• Oversees the project finances to ensure sound budget tracking and management consistent with JRS and DG ECHO financial policies.
• In coordination with the Finance Administrator, engage the consortium financial and technical teams from each agency in the quarterly monitoring of budget consumption in accordance with the planning of activities (work schedule).
• Proactively address weaknesses that may affect implementation of systems and quality of deliverables.
• Monitor partner expenses with consortium partners in accordance with the partner’s milestones and payments.
• Be responsible for overall financial monitoring to ensure the availability of funds from year to year and that annual budgets are estimated correctly.
• Maintain oversight of risk mitigation measure to prevent financial misconduct (fraud, corruption, terrorist financing) of all consortium partners.
• Ensure that financial monitoring is linked to activity progress, procurement planning, cash-flow forecasts, and donor reporting requirements.

Team Management

• Develop a culture of teamwork and develop effective communication mechanisms.
• Ensure joint planning and sharing of experiences between the technical and geographical teams within agencies and interagency.
• Provide technical mentoring, coaching and capacity strengthening to education staff across JRS Nigeria programmes. 
• Promote cross-learning, documentation of best practices and continuous improvement in education programming across all project locations.

Communications

• Ensure that a communications plan is developed and agreed upon by consortium partners, aligned with donor requirements and JRS policies, and that all identified stakeholders receive the agreed communications content and materials in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Ensure items procured using donor funds are branded in line with the donor’s visibility and security requirements, including any approved derogations or alternative arrangements.
• Collaborate with the communications team to ensure regular update of JRS social media handles with suitable project activities. 

Stakeholder Engagement and Leadership

• Engage with relevant stakeholders with appropriate and timely information and develop a strong network of stakeholders with a common vision across the consortium.
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with relevant government ministries, education authorities, UN agencies, donors, and technical partners to strengthen JRS Nigeria's education programming and influence.

Technical Leadership

• Lead the technical design of education programmes, ensuring quality, relevance, and alignment with donor and JRS Nigeria's strategic objectives. 
• Provide technical review and clearance of education-related project documents, including implementation plans, Terms of Reference (ToRs), training materials, assessments, monitoring tools, and reports. 
• Support the development of high-quality education proposals, concept notes, and donor reports, ensuring technical excellence and compliance with donor requirements. 
• Promote innovation, research, learning, and knowledge management within the project (s). 
• Provide strategic advice to senior management on education practice, programming, emerging trends, policy developments, and funding opportunities. 
• Ensure integration of cross-cutting themes including protection, safeguarding, gender, disability inclusion, accountability to affected populations, climate resilience, and conflict sensitivity into education programming. 
• Support the development and implementation of education strategies, technical guidelines, standard operating procedures, and quality benchmarks for JRS Nigeria. 
• Lead or support education-related assessments, evaluations, and learning exercises to strengthen programme quality and organizational learning.

Reporting

• Collate JRS Nigeria and the other partners’ narrative reporting inputs, consolidate the narrative information into periodic reports, and submit them to JRS International Office. 
• Aggregate JRS Nigeria and the partner’s financial report and submit it to JRS International Office. Provide technical review and quality assurance of education-related reports before submission to donors and JRS International Office.

Required Profile 

Qualification

• Minimum of a Masters degree or its equivalent in Education, Project Management, or any related field.
• NCE certification will be an added advantage. 

Experience and Skills

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in Programs in an INGO with at least 5 years in in a supervisory role. 
• Significant teaching experience and familiarity with the Nigerian basic education curriculum and the national and global policies on education. 
• Significant previous experience in similar programming working with IDPs and Refugees.
• Experience in financial management.
• Fluency in project location languages such as Hausa will be an added advantage. 
• Good analytical and writing skills. 
• Extensive knowledge of MS office.
• Ability to work in stressful locations.
• Knowledge of humanitarian actors/the sector.
• Excellent communication skills to manage relationships.
• Flexible and adaptable to the needs of the team and organization.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multi-partner or consortium grants, preferably with DG ECHO or other institutional humanitarian donors.  
• Ability to operate in complex or insecure environments, with sound judgement on access, security, duty of care and risk escalation.  
• Demonstrated technical expertise in Education in Emergencies (EiE), formal and non-formal education programming, accelerated learning, teacher professional development, and education systems strengthening. 
• Strong understanding of the INEE Minimum Standards, humanitarian architecture, education policies, and institutional donor requirements, particularly DG ECHO, UNICEF, ECW, and other humanitarian donors. 
• Proven experience leading the design of successful education proposals and providingtechnical leadership across multiple education projects. 

Qualities

• Adhere to JRS values and abide by the code of conduct and other policies.
• Commitment to JRS mission, vision, and values; ability to convey with enthusiasm JRS’ role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and to advocate for their right to protection and a life in dignity.
• High integrity, honesty, and confidentiality; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with people, situations, and information.
• Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as a core value.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for further steps in the recruitment process.

JRS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic group, or disabilities. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

JRS will not request any monetary payment from applicants at any stage of its recruitment process. Any request in this direction should immediately be reported as it is contrary to our values and practices.