Education Specialist at GOALPrime Organization Nigeria (GPON)

The Opportunity

For the next 12 months, GPON with funding support from ECW-SCI, will be implementing an Education in Emergencies project in Zamfara and Kastina states, focusing on improving education in emergencies and protection outcomes for IDPs that involves timely and responsive protection monitoring, capacity building for government, education mainstreaming and stakeholders, awareness-raising on SGBV, case management, and child protection. 

The intervention aims to guarantee that all individuals-men, women, boys, and girls, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and persons with disabilities-receive life-saving integrated responses, ensuring their safety within their communities and timely support in case of harm. GPON will deliver comprehensive services encompassing education in emergencies, child protection, gender-based violence (GBV), and protection coordination, advocacy, and information for the affected populations under First Emergency Response to the Displaced Population in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina States, Northwest Nigeria funded by Education Cannot Wait and jointly implemented under consortium led by SCI. Hence we seek individuals who shared the same vision with us to join our team-GPON employees are dedicated to making a lasting difference by restoring safety, dignity, and hope to millions. If you\'re passionate about creating solutions and driving change, join us in improving lives around the world for a brighter future.

Scope of work

• The Education Specialist will be responsible for the overall strategy, management, coordination, and implementation of education activities across three states in northwest Nigeria.
• S/he will be responsible for monitoring and assuring technical quality, overseeing budget and grants management, the creation and dissemination of training materials, and managing relationships with external actors including government authorities, humanitarian working groups, and project partners.
• S/he will report to the Education Manager and will receive technical guidance from the Director of Programmes.

Responsibilities

Program Development and Design:

• Provide strategic direction, leadership and overall technical and management support to education programs in Nigeria
• Lead and/or contribute to project design processes for new or adapted education programming, including the development of budgets, proposal narratives, log frames, and other supporting documents
• Coordinate closely and liaise regularly with the Education manager, Director of Programs, and grants unit to ensure quality grant management
• Support the technical project team to produce high-quality reports and ensure timely submission.
• Coordinate with the M&E unit to produce a robust M&E system for the sector.
• Ensure that key learnings are extracted from education implementation, and incorporate them in program and staff development processes
• Coordinate education program activities with other GPON sectors to ensure program integration

Program Implementation and Management:

• Lead the education team to implement timely, effective, and high-quality project activities in line with identified needs, donor requirements, and strategic objectives and indicators
• In close coordination with the Education Manager, and Director of Programmes, ensure all education projects have detailed implementation plans, detailed spending plans, monitoring plans, and procurement plans which are reviewed and updated periodically.
• Manage the projects budget in coordination with Education Manager and Finance Coordinator
• Monitor and oversee project budgets and performance and ensure that projects implementation is on course as per the detailed implementation plans and phased budgets.
• In coordination with the Education Manager, conduct budget monitoring, suggest necessary revisions and prepare draft reports.
• Ensure that the budget monitoring reports are responded to in time and with accurate information.

Technical Quality:

• Ensure that all projects are implemented in accordance with global technical guidelines and best practices in the education sector
• Liaise with Education Technical Advisors regularly and proactively, and pursue technical guidance as needed
• Stay abreast of developments in the GPON Education Technical Unit and global working groups related to new tools and guidelines
• Identify, monitor and report on unmet needs and make informed recommendations to senior management on the capacity of the GPON to address identified needs
• Provide technical assistance including supportive supervision to GPON and partner education staff.
• Contribute to the technical interpretation of M&E data and apply output and outcome indicator findings to improve program quality
• Support the development and maintenance of a coherent education strategy across GPON’s areas of intervention in Nigeria

HR & Team Management:

• Supervise and provide technical support to Education Manager and,  and other education staff to implement GPON education programs to a high-quality standard
• Ensure timely recruitment, comprehensive onboarding, and the general growth and wellbeing of team members
• Maintain open and professional relations with colleagues, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to perform in their positions successfully
• Ensure team members are aware of job expectations and have clear performance objectives; regularly review performance and initiate corrective action as needed
• Identify training needs and develop specific capacity building plans for education staff to promote progressive levels of management responsibility
• Adhere to and act in accordance with the GPON HR Policies and Procedures

Coordination:

• Regularly attend technical working group meetings and other relevant coordination structures to ensure harmonized implementation approaches
• Represent GPON in relevant forums/clusters, including with national authorities and donors
• Proactively collaborate with other sector technical leads to promote program integration and an outcome-based approach
• Play an active role in the execution of the country Strategic Action Plan

Other:

• Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop GPON programs.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to: Education Manager

Standard of Professional Conduct:The GPON and the GPON workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the GPON Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, 

Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The GPON is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The GPON expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the GPON persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.Additional job responsibilities:

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within the reasonableness of their level of skills and experience

Behaviours (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling GPON 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 GPON, 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.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

• Minimum of five years of professional experience in the management of education programs in emergencies
• Masters degree in Education or other relevant areas
• Strong knowledge of technical tools, resources, and standards related to education in emergencies and post-conflict settings
• Competency in literacy, numeracy, and social and emotional learning methods for children affected by crisis, familiarity with the Healing Classrooms model an advantage
• Demonstrated experience developing training materials and facilitating workshops and training for adult learners
• Excellent budget planning and management skills, previous experience developing and effectively managing multi-million, multi-donor grants required
• Previous experience managing diverse teams to deliver results on short timelines, including the development of spending plans, procurement plans, and work plans
• Strong verbal communication skills and effective in representation and liaison with external actors
• Proven technical writing ability in English including skills in proposal and report writing
• Capable of applying skills and knowledge in a range of capacities, including direct implementation, advisory functions, training and the transfer of technical knowledge and management skills to others
• Promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle stress and pressure with professional grace
• Previous experience in an insecure or conflict-affected setting preferred
• Experience with remote management preferred

Working Environment:

• The position will be based in Kastina, Nigeria with frequent travel throughout Zamafara. The situation in northwest Nigeria continues to be volatile, and the security phase is orange or red depending on location. The Education Specialist will be provided shared housing in a comfortable guesthouse with electricity and internet. This is a non-accompanied position.

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN 

Low contact: High

Salary and conditions: NGN 700,000 – NGN1,000,000. The income will be subject to statutory deductions as per applicable Nigeria laws. The employee is responsible for the tax returns.

The position is for Nigerian nationals only and qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.