Education Sector Lead at Save The Children

ROLE PURPOSE:  

The Education Sector Lead will be based in Borno State and is the sectoral manager of all education implementations in the humanitarian response in NE Nigeria.  Education Lead/Manager is to ensure education interventions are in line with Save the Children and donor guidelines, including assessment, design and managing staff to initiate quality interventions to address barrier to quality basic, inclusive and gender responsive educational opportunities.  The post holder is responsible for ensuring that quality programmes are implemented, and capacities developed to provide these kinds of educational opportunities to children in a range of Save the Children’s emergency responses in the Northeast.  The post holder is expected to also support the proposal writing and is responsible for programme reporting, programme design and capacity building of staff and partners.  The incumbent will support the development of the sector strategy and will represent Save the Children in coordination groups and support fundraising, recruitment and procurement.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :

General Management

• Demonstrate behaviours that are consistent with Save the Children’s Mission, Vision and Values and ensure their broader application by staff across the programme.
• Contribute to a conducive and productive work environment, characterized by enthusiasm, ambition, hard work and due process.
• Contribute to the wider country programme agenda.
• Participate actively in meetings, planning and review activities, providing enhanced insight into education programming.
• Participate in any donor visit to project(s) within the area of coverage as required.   
• Carry out the responsibilities of the role in a way which reflects Save the Children’s commitment to safeguarding children, in accordance with our Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding Policy.
• Comply with and promote Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

Key Responsibilities

Support to ensure the programme quality of Save the Children’s Education programming.

• Provide, or obtain from colleagues, appropriate high level technical support on methods and practices to be rolled out within Education / Emergency Education programming.
• Participate in assessment of Education needs and ensure that these are appropriately reflected in sectoral strategies and programmes.
• Support in developing and updating the Education strategy, ensuring consistency with global education breakthrough, and with Save the Children’s Theory of Change.
• Conduct regular visits (50% of time) to the field offices to coordinate with field managers and senior field staff. 
• Support the Head of Education, Education Programme Managers and the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team, collaborate on the development of tools to monitor and improve the quality of education work. Where necessary provide technical training for staff and partners as required.
• Support in improving/strengthening the coordination of Save the Children’s work with the key government stakeholders such as Ministry of Education, Universal Basic Education, State Agency for Mass Education, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
• With support from the Head of Education, Programme Managers and Awards Management Unit, ensure reports to donors are of the highest quality, that there is alignment between the narrative and financial, and that they are submitted in a timely fashion.
• Provide operational and technical guidance and oversight on all aspects of education projects.
• Collaborate with the Programme Operations Manager and Head of Education to support fundraising for education initiatives, including developing high-quality concept notes and proposals and engaging with donors.
• Oversee programme implementation to ensure timely and appropriate delivery of activities, including monitoring against log frames, individual performance management, and work plans.
• Prepare timely programme and donor reports on project activities, ensuring compliance with Save the Children and donor requirements.
• Identify programme supply needs and coordinate with the logistics team to develop an effective phased procurement plan.
• Work with colleagues from other sectors to coordinate on and integrate programming to ensure all children’s needs are met.

Programme Development

• Support programme development for Education in close coordination with Head of Education and Education Programme Managers. 
• Support in growing Save the Children’s Education portfolio sustainably and strategically, consistent with the Country Strategy, Save the Children’s Education Breakthrough, and the needs of children in Nigeria.
• Ensure to update and provide accurate information for education portfolio in Nigeria.
• Support the Head of Education and business development team on identifying new opportunities and participate in technical visioning of new programs and proposals.
• Work with colleagues from other sectors to coordinate on and integrate programming to ensure all children’s needs are met.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

• Effectively manage projects design and study processes which include assessments, baseline and evaluation studies, putting in place a functional Activity Tracking Table.
• Ensure that the projects quality benchmarks are followed up.
• Collect and managing complaints and feedback in close coordination with CRM and MEAL teams for all Education Projects.
• Ensure regular monitoring of projects results, documentation of projects case studies, lessons learnt, significant changes and best practices and coordinating learning and reflection meetings/sessions.
• Ensure an effective programs/ projects monitoring and evaluation systems is in place.
• Monitor programs/ projects activities to ensure quality, timeliness and adherence to both Country Office and Save the Children policies and procedures.

External Relations

• Maintain strategic links with key duty bearers and stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education, UN agencies, INGOs and other local NGOs and CBOs, etc.
• Represent and advocate for Save the Children in clusters and other interagency fora to ensure Save the Children is seen as the lead international agency in terms of innovation and quality of implementation in Education.

Ensure adequate support to the Education Cluster by:

• Ensuring that the Cluster Co-Coordinator position is funded and filled.
• Respecting the independence of the above position to the extent that its represent both the cluster and Save the Children.
• Ensuring coherence between our representation to and communications with the Education Cluster as well as the working groups.
• Positively representing Save the Children to and actively engage with the cluster at the national level, promoting appropriate representation at the field level. 
• Help to clearly articulate the Education advocacy messages for the Nigeria country office, in cooperation with Advocacy and Communications staff.
• Advocate for policy reforms that will promote the effective implementation of the National Education policy, in order to provide all children in Nigeria with quality education. 

Working contacts

• Internal (including Alliance): The post holder will be expected to work with Head of Education, other sectoral Technical Advisors, Awards staff, Business development unit, Field Managers, Programme Managers & Coordinators. 
• External: The post holder will be expected to develop and maintain personal links and effective relationships with the Ministry of Education, UN (especially UNICEF), NGOs, INGOs, Partners & key stake holders, counterparts, and other donors.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same.
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters.
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength.
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

QUALIFICATIONS  

• Education professional with a Bsc and or Masters Degree in education or equivalent.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Significant (at least 5 years) professional experience of working at a specialist level in education for international NGOs in complex settings such as Nigeria.
• Strong commitment to capacity building of staff and partners with willingness to adopt participatory and consultative approaches.
• Substantial progressive, professional-level experience at the management level with background in early childhood education and primary education.
• An ability to effectively negotiate with prospective donors and a demonstrated ability to develop and write detailed technical project proposals meeting donor requirements, including budgets for the same. Strong report writing skills.
• Ability to perform at a senior policy level must be demonstrable, and good communication, advocacy and leadership skills are critical.
• The ability to liaise and effectively coordinate with government, local NGOs and community initiatives. Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels, taking into account cultural and language difficulties. 
• Proven experience of living and working in insecure environments, able to follow security guidelines.
• High level of computer literacy. 
• Fluency in English. 
• Experience in promoting and mainstreaming Child Rights Based programming in education programme design, implementation and evaluation.