Education Sector Coordinator - Beirut

The Opportunity

Lebanon is currently facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with over 1.2 million people displaced due to escalating conflicts, including more than 400,000 children. The education sector has been severely impacted, with many schools damaged or repurposed as shelters, leaving approximately 1.2 million children without access to education. This disruption exacerbates existing socio-economic challenges, as prior to the conflict, 25% of children were already out of all forms of education. Prior to the September 2024 crisis, approximately 675,000 Syrian refugee children aged 3-18 resided in Lebanon. The compounded crises underscore the urgent need for coordinated advocacy to safeguard and promote the right to quality education for all learners in Lebanon, with equal attention to Syrian and other non-Lebanese school-aged children in the response. 

Chaired by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) and co-led by UNICEF and Save the Children, the Education Sector provides leadership, accountability, and a framework for the Education in Emergencies (EiE) response, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the various stakeholders. It fosters effective partnerships between MEHE, international and national humanitarian actors, civil society organizations, and affected populations to ensure a coordinated and impactful response.

The Education Sector Coordinator plays a critical role in ensuring a coherent and effective response to the evolving education needs. This involves coordinating agencies engaging in education interventions and working closely with key stakeholders, including children, families, communities, authorities, educational institutions, INGOs, and UN agencies. The Coordinator will represent the Education Sector impartially, fostering collaboration and partnerships, while working closely with UNICEF as the co-lead, UN OCHA through the Emergency Operations Cell, and MEHE to address the education crisis strategically and effectively.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

In order to be successful you will bring/have:

• Degree in education, international relations, human rights or development studies.
• Fluency in written and spoken Arabic and English
• 3-6 years of progressive experience in networking or coordination within previous functions.
• Strong experience in data collection and analysis
• Demonstrated experience in managing partnerships with NGOs / CSOs and government
• Experience in strategy development and fundraising
• Strong understanding of child rights and governance. 
• Excellent time management skills
• Computer skills 
• Strength in interpersonal, communication and presentation skills. Previous experience of liaising with the UN, national and donor governments and NGOs as advantage.

We offer a competitive package in the context of the sector. This role is offered on the basis of national and international terms and conditions.

A copy of the full role profile can be found at Education Sector Coordinator

The Organization

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 who need better healthcare, education, and Child Protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise 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.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.