Education Manager - PEACE (Protective and Adaptive Education Approaches for Children in Emergencies) at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Requisition ID: req9087

Job Title: Education Manager - PEACE (Protective and Adaptive Education Approaches for Children in Emergencies)

Sector: Education

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Nigeria

Job Description

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

IRC Nigeria Program

The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In February 2014 the IRC moved into Adamawa State in North East Nigeria to provide humanitarian interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach for conflict affected populations. IRC Nigeria now operates a country office in Abuja and field offices in Mubi and Yola of Adamawa State, Maiduguri and Monguno of Borno state and Damatru of Yobe State. The IRC is responding at scale to the humanitarian situation across sectors including Education, Child Protection, Health, Nutrition, Women Protection and Empowerment, Environmental Health, Economic Recovery and Development, Protection and Rule of Law, and Governance. In 2015, IRC Nigeria developed a five-year long-term Strategy Action Plan (SAP): The plan has Health, Education and Economic Wellbeing as high priority program areas.

Job Summary:

The IRC is partnering with ECHO under the Pilot Programmatic Partnership to deliver a three- year regional Programme titled ‘Protective and adaptive Education Approaches for Children in Emergencies (PEACE)’ in Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon between 2020 and 2023. In Nigeria, PEACE takes an integrated and adaptive approach to education and child protection, to support more than 81,000 school-aged boys and girls most affected by crisis across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States(BAY)  to access and learn in safe educational environments.

Under the supervision of the Senior Education and Child Protection Manager, the Education Specialist will be responsible for the review, development, adaptation and contextualization of all education content utilized by the PEACE Programme for both formal and non-formal education programming. PEACE Nigeria will employ four education delivery models( acute response, catch-up,  Accelerated Learning Programme, and support to formal schools) to expand access to formal and non-formal education that is conflict-sensitive and designed to support children who are most in need. Within each model, content and curricula exist but require contextualization and adaptation to the North East Nigeria context, and in some cases, the development of additional resources may be required based on evolving needs.

The work in curriculum  also includes the production, adaptation, and/or testing of teacher and facilitators professional development content (e.g. training, coaching, teacher learning circles, etc.) manuals, and student-facing content in early grade reading and math, as well as social-emotional learning.  The Education Specialist will also work with the PEACE Education Technical Advisor who is managing a cohesive and innovative program-wide technical approach across Nigeria, Cameroon, and Niger.

Key Responsibilities:

Curriculum Development, adaptation and contextualization

• Review existing education content in the PEACE content database and identify alignment with PEACE programme priorities and models
• Support the development and adaptation of COVID-19 response content
• Adapt IRC’s Healing Classrooms approach to teacher professional development for use in each of the four PEACE education delivery models
• Work closely with Senior Education and Child Protection Manager and Education Coordinator to review and adapt content for use in each for the four PEACE models (acute response, catch-up, ALP, and support to formal schools), ensuring alignment with PEACE technical priorities.
• Work with Senior Education and Child Protection Manager and Education Coordinator, to develop or adapt additional teacher or student—facing materials based on contextual changes and gaps
• For the above materials, test, pilot, and refine, including holding in-person or virtual content contextualization workshops that include key stakeholders such as State Universal Basic Education Board(SUBEB), State Agency for Mass Education(SAME) officials, IRC staff, teachers and students and ensure materials of high standard and quality
• Undertake regular field monitoring visits to assess progress and identify technical quality issues and/or other implementation issues, provide solutions and implement modifications

 Capacity building and training

• Conduct technical training and ongoing technical coaching for PEACE staff: including on social and emotional learning, reading and math, and teacher professional development as well as building the staff capacity in various thematic areas including project management tools
• Lead the design, planning and implementation of teacher/facilitator professional development activities
• Support in the planning and execution of training and capacity building logistical and financial arrangements for trainings and workshops.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to:  Senior Education and Child Protection Manager

Position directly Supervises: No

Key Internal Contacts:

• Country Program:  Education Coordinator
• Region/Global: Education Technical Advisor

Key External Contacts:  SUBEB AND SAME

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education, education psychology, social work, human development or relevant field or equivalent is required.  Master’s degree is preferred.
• At least 5 years of experience working in education sector (including teaching, teacher training, and materials design) in conflict or post conflict contexts.  
• Proven skills in curriculum development, particularly teacher training curriculum, particularly in the areas of reading, math, and social-emotional learning.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and facilitating professional development tailored for teachers, facilitators, and teacher trainers.
• Strong understanding of educational context in Nigeria.
• Classroom teaching at the primary school level preferred.
• Strong knowledge in social and emotional learning and/or child psychology/child development preferred.
• Flexibility, commitment, work ethics and team spirit.
• Strong written communication skills.
• Fluency in English required; Hausa proficiency preferred.
• Computer literate in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Standards of Professional Conduct:  The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.