Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Head of Education
Ref No: 200002NI
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Team/Programme: Programme Development and Quality
Grade: TBC
Employee Status: Fixed Term
Contract Length: 2 Years
Reports to: Director, Programme Development and Quality
Date of issue: May 2020
Author: PDQ Director
Child Safeguarding
- Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people
General responsibilities in Child safeguarding:
- Ensure you fully understand the provisions of the Child Safeguarding Policy, the Code of Conduct and Local/ Country Procedures.
- Conduct yourself in accordance with the rules of the Child Safeguarding Policy, in your personal and professional lives – which includes reporting suspicions of child abuse.
- Ensure the way you are carrying out your work is not putting children at risk (or further risk) – this means constantly scrutinizing your work through a child safeguarding lens and talking to children about possible design/ implementation “flaws”.
- Promote the message of child safeguarding to colleagues in other organizations and government ministries, children on their own and beneficiary families, and community members in general.
- Be vigilant about observing possible child abuse/ harm in their personal and professional lives.
Specific Responsibilities in Child Safeguarding:
- Contribute to implementation of the Child Safeguarding policy and standards within the program you technically back-stop. This includes:
- Ensure CS is reflected in the proposal development process according to existing checklists
- Ensure CS is in the kick-off meeting and launch of the project
- Include CS in ToR for field missions and missions to the Field Offices
- Include CS in risk assessment in all project and program and campaign activities
- Ensure CS is reflected in report while reviewing program reports
- Ensure CS is in the ToR of mid-term review and evaluation exercises.
- Adjust program approach to ensure better control of the CS risks and approaches that would better protect children from further risk of harm
- Work in collaboration with CS colleagues when necessary
- Contribute to the set-up of child friendly reporting mechanism/s
- Report any concern following the procedures
Role Purpose
- The Head of Education is a senior member of the PDQ team.
- S/he is responsible for leading and designing high quality, safe, replicable and context-specific education programmes; ensuring all education interventions are implemented according to organisational standards; ensuring that monitoring processes are in place for quality activities for children, their families and communities; and continuously assessing programme quality and relevance and proposing strategies for course correction.
- The Head of Education frequently travels to program sites, facilitates the integration of intra- and inter-sector initiatives, represents Save the Children liaising with the education sector coordination fora and stakeholders such as the Education Cluster, local and international NGOs, CBOs, private sector, and local and central government authorities.
Scope of Role:
- Save the Children International is a 'dual mandate' organisation that seeks to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and create lasting change in children’s lives. As a key PDQ team member, the Head of Education is the main focal point for Save the Children in Nigeria’s education efforts.
- He/she will have the responsibility for strategy design, programme development, representation, programme coordination, integration and quality in accordance with internationally accepted standards and practices.
- His/her scope will encompass education work in both development and emergency contexts.
Key Areas of Accountability
Strategy, integration and proposal development:
- Lead on defining education strategy and programme development for the Country Programme, in line with Save the Children’s approach, which is child and gender sensitive and has the ambition to be gender transformative.
- Ensure projects designed and implemented by the Country Programme follow agreed and approved strategies, plans and standards (with regards to child participation and gender) and meet recognised international standards.
- Act as the interface with other technical advisors, and other programme departments for issues related to education. Ensure coordination and collaboration in the implementation of activities that are related to or impact education efforts.
- Explore funding opportunities in and out of country and lead on proposal development for funding both to maintain and expand Save the Children’s work and influence within the education sector.
- Serve as the principal education technical expert for Save the Children, preparing briefing materials and reports on education for donors, SMT and visitors where necessary. Present clear and convincing reports as needed on education topics at workshops, meetings, and other venues that demonstrate sound analysis and synthesis.
Programme Support:
- Provide support and guidance in terms of strategy and education technical aspects to all Save the Children education projects or activities implemented by the Country Programme through close collaboration with key technical project managers.
- Support training of Save the Children staff on education related topics and participate in technical meetings related to the education programme.
- Carry out frequent field visits to the programmes, presenting a report with recommendations.
- Ensure the provision of technical support for education related activities, including strategy, planning, trainings, etc.
- Keep updated on research and education programming at the national and international level and share with field staff.
- Support recruitment of technical staff for education projects, as necessary and support recruitment or request of education related TA coming either from internal Save the Children or consultants.
- Advise on budget requirements for education programmes, ensuring effective use of Save the Children resources.
- Manage consortium arrangements in (upcoming) projects and ad-hoc in other programmes (e.g. during project design, interim arrangements while recruiting on projects just starting, to cover gaps).
- Serve as a budget holder for national level soft projects, as necessary
- Undertake additional tasks as defined by senior management team or HQ or propose new tasks based on observations.
Documentation and reporting:
- Ensure education project teams produce timely high quality reports and documentation to meet donor demands, portray Save the Children’s experience within the education sector in Nigeria and actively disseminate these in an appropriate fashion and format.
- Sign off on technical and programmatic contents of reports produced by the Country Office, either donor reports, reports of studies (carried out by SC or consultants), position papers and any document with education content that is signed by the Country Office.
- Contribute to policy development relating to education and ensure this is consistent with Save the Children overall approach.
- Pro-actively provide input into global research and advocacy initiatives and objectives drawing on the Nigeria experience.
- Provide information and other communication materials for effective support for other departments by meeting service requirements.
Representation:
- Link and coordinate with key players in the education sector at national and decentralised levels (government, development agencies, other organizations and research institutes, through Cluster and Thematic groups, etc.)
- Participate in the development and review of education related national documents (guidelines, policies, etc.) providing technical inputs in line with Save the Children position paper, policies and evidence based programme expertise.
- Represent Save the Children’s values and mission, as well as the Nigeria programme experience, at national, international or regional fora related to the education sector.
- Maintain an understanding of relevant donor agendas and present Save the Children’s education programme to donors and stakeholders
- Comply with the requirements of Save the Children’s child protection policies and other staff policies.
Management and human resources development:
- Line manage staff, either directly or technically (matrix) as defined by the Country Programme organogram.
- Build capacities of the education staff in field offices, and promote team building and collaboration.
- Support learning and development for staff working in education, by advising on learning needs, sharing training opportunities and encouraging the use of e-tools for self-learning.
Skills and Behaviours (our 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 others to do the same
- Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
- Future orientated, thinks strategically
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
- Always acts in the best interest of children
- Gender sensitive
Qualifications and Experience
- Master's Degree in Education, Pedagogy or a relevant field Degree in Education/pedagogy, etc.
- At least five years’ experience in the education sector - experience in preparation of project designs, strategic planning and implementation of related activities including in basic education and early childhood care
- Extensive experience in an NGO, including working abroad
- Minimum of three years’ experience working in humanitarian contexts, including conflict-affected environments
- Familiarity with UNICEF, USAID, EU and other major donors’ regulations and policies
- Experience in supporting and partnership management (working with community, civil society, government, children, Education Cluster, etc.)
- Experience working with children (girls and boys) and communities;
- Good experience working with the Education Cluster
- Experience in inclusive education, promoting education for marginalized groups including girls
- Gender sensitive and able to use gender analysis in relevant areas of work; able to lead towards gender transformative change.
- Have access to a broad network of education stakeholders within the country or proven ability to network
- Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in diverse team situations
- Demonstrated ability to work in complex, politically charged, unstable environments, and work across different cultures
- Superior analytical and strategic skills: able to facilitate, write, edit and promote education strategies in the forms of programme and project design, briefs, policy support documentation
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
