Senior Education Officer - Formal Education

Job Purpose Summary In response to the Syrian refugee influx since June 2011, NRC has expanded its programme to respond to the education and psychosocial needs of children and youth through programmes offered in formal and non-formal education settings. In 2013 NRC started the ‘Back to School’ formal education project in partnership with UNHCR in Tripoli. The project targets 6,000 out-of-school students in the morning and afternoon shift through the provision of enrolment fees, uniforms, textbooks and transport. It also supports the capacity building of the school through the provision of teacher training, the implementation of psychosocial activities, school structural rehabilitation and the creation of PTA committees in collaboration with the MEHE District Office. The ‘Back to School’ project is in line with the Lebanon Country Strategy and the education competency strategy, which aims at (i) a standardised good quality education response in line with the INEE standards and the NRC Education Policy (ii) an evidence-based contextualised education response (iii) expanding the formal education programme in the T5 area and (iv) expanding the outreach non-formal education programme in the T5 area. The Senior Education Officer is responsible for the implementation and follow-up of the ‘Back to School’ project in the T5 area. This includes the capacity building of the schools providing the afternoon shift through the provision of teacher training in collaboration with the NRC Technical Education Team, the implementation of psychosocial activities, the school structural rehabilitation in collaboration with the NRC shelter team, the creation of PTA committees and the capacity building of the schools in collaboration with the MEHE District Office. The Senior Education Officer shall closely monitor the implementation of the ‘Back to School’ project and ensure the good quality of the activities and the timely development of procurement plans and work plans in collaboration with the Education Project Coordinator and the EiE Coordinator. Key Responsibilities Staff Management Act as deputy Education Field Coordinator in collaboration with the Education Field Coordinator, the EiE Coordinator and the Field Manager; Manage and support the Education Officers; Provide support and build capacity of the supervised staff; Implementation of Activities Responsible for the planning, implementation and follow-up of the UNHCR funded ‘Back to School’ project in accordance to the Project Cycle Management (PCM) Logframe and budget; Communicate, exchange information and cooperate with the school headteachers and the MEHE Regional Office; Actively promote the Right to Education (including in emergencies) with an understanding of Protection and Child Protection principles along with an advocacy outlook; Collaborate with the Field Manager and the Education Field Coordinator to ensure good quality administration and logistic support to the education programme; Develop timely procurement plans in line with the implementation of activities and work closely together with the Education Field Coordinator in ensuring proper budget expenditures Coordination Actively work in collaboration with the NRC ICLA, Shelter and Camp Management Core Competencies to ensure the holistic delivery of quality services; Work closely in collaboration with the NRC-Lebanon Education Technical Team Communicate, exchange information and cooperate with the education and social services authorities of the T5 area; Work closely with the education sector partners and stakeholders in UN agencies, and international and national NGOs; Attend and contribute to coordination mechanisms and forums; Monitoring and Evaluation Collaborate in the preparation of reports as required internally by NRC (monthly, quarterly and yearly) and by all relevant donors; Monitor, evaluate and suggest changes and improvements in the project and materials based on observations and discussions with the beneficiaries and education team; Compile data as requested by the EFC; Other tasks as requested and agreed upon with the EFC and EiE Coordinator.  Qualifications and Competences Academic and Professional Qualifications Graduate degree in Education or related field with teaching experience At least 5 years technical and operational experience with education programming; Solid experience and proven track record in the Lebanese formal education sector; Understanding and practice of the Core Humanitarian Competencies and behaviours Experience in Project Cycle Management (PCM);  Experience in human resources management and capacity building; Experience in working within contexts of complexity, humanitarian crisis (e.g. refugee/IDP, camp and host community contexts); Relevant Experience Significant understanding of complex emergencies and crisis contexts; Experience in strategic thinking and planning skills -- able to set priorities, prepare manageable work plans in line with the Logframe and budget and to evaluate progress; Experience in teaching, class management and participatory teaching methodologies; Good understanding of protection/child protection issues; Understanding of gender equity and gender responsive programming; Proven skills in report writing; Willingness to commit to the NRC code of conduct and international laws/codes/conventions related to the rights of children and the overall protection of children; Committed to implementing programs that involve children and youths at all levels of the project implementation; Good Understanding of the Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) and the Minimum Standards for Education Experience in working with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) Fluency in Arabic and English; Personal Attributes Good communication and interpersonal skills Strong organizational and team working skills Good cultural awareness and sensitivity Highly approachable, trustworthy and confidential Goal oriented and visionary; Ability to work under pressure and independently; Flexible and creative, with a sense of humour; Cooperative and diplomatic  Achievement indicators Objectives have been reached according to the established work plan; Procurement plans have been developed and expenditures are in line with the ‘Back to School’ budget; Quality reports have been produced at regular intervals; NRC logistical, financial, administrative and security procedures have been adhered to; Contributions to team-work and a professional working environment is noted; Contact with relevant external actors (partners and education authorities) has been established and followed up upon regularly; The NRC Code of Conduct has been followed at all times; Coordination, collaboration and cooperation with NRC core competencies has been promoted and practiced; Upholds NRC in the education sector and the quality of NRC’s work is noted as relevant and meaningful in the hosting community and among beneficiaries;