Education in Emergencies (EiE) Specialist (Gaza)

***Due to the urgency to fill this role, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Kindly note that the position might be filled before the vacancy announcement is closed; therefore, early applications are encouraged.***

***This role will be contingent upon securing available funds, and we might use this vacancy to fill more than one post.***

The Opportunity – Education in Emergencies Specialist

Post location: Gaza Field Office – Rafah and subject to change based on SC priorities and response in Gaza.

Contract Duration and Level of Effort: until 31st December 2024, with a possibility of extension based on available funds.

ROLE PURPOSE:

As a member of the Gaza Field Office, the Education in Emergencies Specialist will be responsible for developing and articulating a full spectrum Education in emergencies strategy, with technical direction from the Country Office Education Technical Advisor. In close coordination with the program operations team, the Education in Emergencies Specialist will provide technical guidance and oversight in the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of all education activities in Gaza, ensuring they are implemented in a high quality and timely manner. This includes developing and implementing technical capacity building plans for SCI and partner teams. The Education in Emergencies Specialist will be responsible for ensuring the development and implementation of integrated quality programming across various sectors.

The EiE Specialist will be the technical lead in developing high quality concept notes and proposals in close coordination with partner organizations and the wider SCI Field Office team. The specialist will develop strong relationships with Government, UN, NGO and local partner counterparts. In addition to ensuring program development and quality, the EiE Specialist will represent SCI and ensure ongoing coordination in the humanitarian Cluster/working groups and with the Palestinian Authority, closely collaborating with SCI advocacy and communications team.

The EiE Specialist ensures strategic and technical links to regional, global and Member thematic technical capacity groups for strategic alignment and advocacy purposes.

The role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: TBD

Staff reporting to this post: None.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Programme Development and Support:

• Lead implementation and further development of a full spectrum Education in Emergencies Strategy and an integrated Education/Child protection strategy, and contribute to Save the Children’s country strategy. Collaboration should include the education team and key stakeholders such as government officials, UN and national education counterparts.
• Cultivate a strong education team across various departments and teams (Program operations, AMU, MEAL, Advocacy and Communications) to ensure a unified Education Strategic vision is implemented
• Through close collaboration with other sector specialists, ensure Education Strategy efficiently integrates with other sector approaches, ensuring holistic child development across sectoral lines (Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Child Poverty etc)
• In coordination with Awards Management Unit and Country Office Technical Advisor, be the technical lead on fundraising for the Education sector, including development of high quality concept notes and proposals, and engagement with donors’ technical advisers
• Contribute to and ensure quality programme and donor reports in compliance with internal Save the Children requirements and any relevant external donor requirements.
• Develop risk assessment and mitigation strategy for the organization’s operations in the education sector.
• Working closely with the HR team, lead on identifying Education staffing needs in Gaza (national and international) and ensure rapid recruitment, induction and training of new staff
• Working closely with MEAL team lead on designing Education technical assessments in coordination with other SC thematic areas and other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment are documented and that all assessments include a specific analysis of children’s needs.
• Working closely with the MEAL team, put in place a Gaza Education sector MEAL plan, ensuring this links to reporting requirements, and capacity build technical field staff in carrying out the work across county office and between field offices ensuring comparable and aggregated quality indicators and data.
• Working closely with MEAL team, support information management and lead technical analysis of data including all MRM data.
• Provide technical support to Education teams and conduct regular monitoring visits to ensure quality programming is being implemented
• Ensure child participation principles are institutionalized within education programming.
• Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter, INEE and Red Cross Code of Conduct.

Capacity Building:

• Develop learning needs assessment and capacity building plans for both SC and partner staff, linking capacity building initiatives to wider opportunities identified via coordination and networks.
• Coach and mentor partner staff, Education Team and national level counterparts and link in to wider organisational talent development mechanisms.
• Oversee development and delivery of technical training material that will improve aspects of Education work within partner organizations and across Save the Children

Representation, Advocacy & Organisational Learning:

• In close coordination with program teams, represent Save the Children in Education in Emergencies Working Group and Cluster, working closely with UNICEF counterpart contributing to the development of high quality sector strategy documents and representing the sector in regional and national forums. This may involve taking on a co-chairing role where needs demand.
• Work in close collaboration with Gaza education team in representing Save the Children in the Gaza Education Sub-Cluster, ensuring nationally unified Save the Children representation.
• Ensure that Save the Children’s planning and work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and take a leadership role within Interagency Coordination forums (including the Inter Cluster Coordination Group and Education in Emergencies Advocacy Working Group), ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed.
• In collaboration with Child Rights Governance, lead key policy and advocacy initiatives and turn these into action with local and national stakeholders feeding into international advocacy efforts.
• Play a leadership role in shaping Education English and Arabic communications and media priorities in line with thematic priorities and collaborate with Communications, Advocacy and Program Operations to ensure quality communication products and visibility.
• Take the initiative in linking global SCI resources with Country office, documenting lessons learnt, best practice and case studies to shape in-country strategies and programme approaches, and contribute to broader sector learning.
• Identify research opportunities and gather evidence to develop innovative, child protection and gender transformative programs.

General:

Demonstrate leadership in relation to Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child safe guarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

In order to be successful, you will bring/have:

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Bachelors Degree in Education, International Relations, Development studies or similar field.
• 5+ years work experience in relevant technical field.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience of working in Education programmes in a humanitarian or development context.
• Previous experience of working with a large Education team of international and national staff
• Capacity to support the development of monitoring & evaluation systems in large complex programmes
• Willing and able to live in, travel and/or spend time in Gaza.
• Demonstrated ability to set up learning and development processes for a large Education team
• Previous experience of implementing awards funded by institutional donors with medium to high levels of compliance requirements, e.g. ECHO, CIDA, USAID, OFDA, DfID. European donors, European Commission or Scandinavian experience is preferred.
• Knowledge of key education standards, in particular INEE
• Proven ability of mentoring, coaching and training on Education related topics.
• Experience of senior level representation
• Experience of developing and negotiating successful partnerships with institutional donors
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports
• Excellent communication skills
• Proven ability to influence change at an operational and strategic level.
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• Arabic language fluency and a high level of written and spoken English is required

Desirable

• Language skills in English and/or Arabic
• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts

We offer a competitive package in the context of the sector. This role is offered on the basis of national terms and conditions. Application will be reviewed and selected on a rolling basis.

Save the Children promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment, women and people with different abilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Organisation

Save the Children works in development and humanitarian contexts with children and partners to help families, communities, and governments identify and use innovations to ensure all children survive, learn and are protected.

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realize the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.