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Education Officer

Ankara

  • Organization: UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Location: Ankara
  • Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Education, Learning and Training
  • Closing Date: Closed

Candidates must be primarily Turkish nationals.

Interested staff members should consult the Policy and Procedures on Assignments of Locally Recruited Staff (PPAL). If you have questions regarding eligibility, please contact HR Unit. Education Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Education Officer will support the roll-out of Refugee Education 2030, the Refugee Education Strategy, in line with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), which calls on States and relevant Stakeholders to contribute resources and expertise to expand and enhance the quality and inclusiveness of national education systems to facilitate access by refugee and host community children and youth to primary, secondary and tertiary education.  Providing inclusive and equitable quality education is central to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Education Officer will ensure UNHCR's programming is in line with the SDGs.
Leveraging the growing global momentum, UNHCR is working to translate the objectives of the GCR into impactful results, including through follow-up on pledges made through the 2019 Global Refugee Forum. Contributing to this global roll-out of the GCR, the Education Officer, in collaboration with the Education Section in the Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS), will provide technical support to UNHCR Country Office(s) and partners to advocate for and implement the objectives of Refugee Education 2030:  

1. Promote equitable and sustainable inclusion in national education systems for refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, stateless and internally displaced persons.
2. Foster safe enabling environments that support learning.
3. Enable learners to use their education toward sustainable futures.

The incumbent will provide leadership and technical support for UNHCR regarding education and advocate on all issues related to education programmes and strategic directions. S/he will maintain close contact with Country Office(s) on the overall education policy direction of UNHCR and on the adaptation of Refugee Education 2030 to individual country contexts, as well as providing technical support (on early childhood, learning achievement, primary education, accelerated education, secondary education, non-formal education, scholarships and tertiary education, education in emergencies etc.) to all staff, including senior management, as well as to those representing education issues on behalf of UNHCR.

This will require maintaining close contact with the Country Office(s) and Divisions, particularly the DRS, on the overall education policy direction of UNHCR, on monitoring and assessing impact, on provision of external technical assistance, and on liaising with partner agencies. In exercising these responsibilities, the Education Officer oversees the development of guidance and strategies to address particular situations arising from different contexts in the field. The incumbent is normally supervised by the Senior Protection Officer, Senior Programme Officer, or Deputy Representative, depending on the office context.

The incumbent will ensure that consistent and technically sound advice/recommendations are given in the Area of Responsibility (AoR), including through drafting of guidelines and specialised training of staff, in collaboration with the Education Section at HQ. S/he will also ensure active exchange of information and best practices within the AoR. The incumbent must be an authority on technical issues relating to education and will also provide specialist advice for other sectors such as child protection, livelihoods/economic inclusion, shelter, and water and sanitation as relates to education. The Education Officer acts as focal point/coordinator/advisor for staff at all levels in Country Office(s), including senior management, as well as Policy and Development staff.

Externally, the Education Officer will help promote the inclusion of refugees and other persons of concern into national education systems through effective partnerships and advocacy with relevant government line ministries, development actors, private sector, UN agencies, international organisations and NGOs, research institutions and universities, both at the regional and country levels.  This includes coordination with regional and global education networks and keeping abreast with international developments in education, including representation with international and regional organizations through, for example, UNICEF, UNESCO, the Global Partnership for Education and the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE).  Representation with NGOs, academic institutions, and the private sector is also a priority. The incumbent is regularly called upon to train staff and partners, including Government authorities, to provide/negotiate drafting advice, to give presentations, to participate as a member of expert groups on education, to represent UNHCR and to ensure UNHCR's direct involvement in numerous settings designed to promote increased access to quality education at all levels to both refugee and host communities, in line with the GCR. 

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Translate global education objectives and strategic directions into regional or national guidance, strategies and priorities, in collaboration with the Education Section in HQ, to ensure coherence with UNHCR's education policy and strategy.
- Engage, promote and foster partnerships/collaboration with education stakeholders and bodies within the AoR, in line with the GCR.
- Provide technical advice and support on all issues related to UNHCR education programmes and strategic directions, in line with UNHCR education policy and regional priorities, including through remote support and field missions.
- Support and provide technical advice to senior management and Policy and Development staff allowing for advocacy activities with States and international organisations on all issues related to UNHCR education programmes and strategic directions, including on engaging in national planning processes, such as the development of SDG4 plans at national/regional levels and ensuring inclusion of refugee, returnee, asylum seeking, internally displaced and stateless children and youth in SDG4 plans and Education Sector Analyses and Plans.
- Participate in (regional) humanitarian and development sector working groups to support that all refugee education support programming at country level is extended, amplified and reported against sector development goals and humanitarian partners and funding serves system strengthening.
- Assist Bureaux and Country Office(s) to elaborate and implement strategies to address issues related to education access, quality and data, in cooperation with other UN agencies (UNICEF, UNESCO, WFP, etc.) and other key education stakeholders.
- Undertake direct dialogue with Country Office(s) on the implementation of education programmes in line with strategic directions, integrated with SDG4 and Education Sector Plans, including with Ministries of Education/Higher Education, education partners and coordination networks (Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and Local Education Groups, etc.).
- Foster inter-sectoral linkages and coordination with child protection, SGBV, gender, community services, livelihoods/economic inclusion and health, among others, and provide specialist advice for other sectors, to ensure that they fully integrate education related concerns in their planning.
- Monitor implementation of education programmes within the AoR and provide guidance on orientation.
- Support and monitor the implementation of Global Refugee Forum pledges within the AoR.
- Assist in the planning and coordination of UNHCR's role concerning education, represent UNHCR at (regional) consultations, and represent UNHCR's education strategy and policy to other UN bodies, NGOs, interlocutors, institutions and organisations within the AoR.
- Identify training needs and train UNHCR staff, sister UN agency staff, NGOs, and Ministry of Education officials on refugee education priorities and identified topics.
- Support the development and dissemination of relevant tools to support UNHCR staff and partners in Country Office(s).
- Support active exchange of information and that best practices are identified, documented and disseminated both within the AoR and beyond.
- Join joint assessment missions in emergencies to minimise the time refugee children and youth spend out of education (ideally a maximum of three months after arrival).
- Prepare, co-ordinate and oversee drafting of education input in key internal and external documents and reports.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience

6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Education; Social Sciences or other relevant field.


Relevant Job Experience
Essential:
- 4 years of experience in progressively responsible functions in education.
- Demonstrated work experience in education programmes.
- Field experience in education programme implementation and coordination in humanitarian and/or development contexts.
- Experience working with Governments, Ministry of Education and other line Ministries.
- Strong inter-personal skills in collaboration and coordination.
- Excellent analytical skills and drafting skills.
- Strong communications/presentations skills.
- Demonstrated capacity to work with minimum supervision.

Desirable:
-       Knowledge and experience of UNHCR policies and standards, particularly procurement, cash-based interventions and monitoring of implementing partners
-       Training and facilitations skills.
-       Experience in the area of child protection and/or livelihoods
-       Experience leading teams towards the achievement of strategic and operational priorities including completion of annual work plan, donor reports and budget documents.
-       Experience related to higher education and scholarship coordination.
-       The ability to speak Arabic and/or another language of the refugee population in Turkey (Pashto, Dari, Farsi)

Functional Skills
*PR-Education Administration/Programme/Coordination/Techniques
*PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework


Language Requirements

Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language. Shortlisted candidates will be required to sit for a test. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. No late applications will be accepted. Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).


REMUNERATION

A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. The monthly net salary is between TRY 17,838 and TRY 22,820 depending on relevant experience, dependency status and language proficiency. For more information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, please visit the portal of the Office of HR Management of United Nations.
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
======================================================================================================== Operational Context

Current Situation-standard for all Turkey based roles?

The international obligations of Turkey and its national legislative framework on asylum have shaped the form of the current collaboration with UNHCR. During the last 57 years, UNHCR and Turkey have been working together in close partnership. Turkey has provided the asylum space for persons seeking refuge, and UNHCR has assisted Turkey to determine who is in need of international protection and to enable access to rights by these persons. As the main partner of the Turkish State in the field of international protection, UNHCR Turkey continues to provide legislative and technical support as well as institutional capacity building support to the Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) and other national institutions.
As regard Syrian nationals who are hosted in Turkey under a Temporary Protection (TP) framework for Syrian nationals, refugees and stateless, UNHCR¿s work is to support the authorities through the provision of technical assistance and strong public advocacy for enhanced responsibility sharing.
UNHCR in Turkey processes cases in close consultation with DGMM for the purposes of resettlement, intervenes to strengthen the protection environment and access to social support mechanisms, and endeavors to find durable solutions for the most vulnerable amongst those who are recognized as refugees provided they meet the criteria of the resettlement countries.
UNHCR in Turkey operates through a branch office in Ankara, with field offices in Gaziantep and Istanbul, as well as field units in Sanliurfa, Hatay, Izmir, and Van.
To find out more information about UNHCR, please visit our website.

Operational Context

The education response in Turkey is led and coordinated by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) for formal education and non-formal education for both children and adults. The Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) and the Higher Education Council (YÖK) play a key role in facilitating access to higher education. UNHCR Turkey works in close coordination with these and other government institutions in order to support the Government of Turkey¿s strategies and efforts to ensure access to quality education.

UNHCR coordinates the Higher Education sub-Sector Working Group. The priorities for the Education Unit are to promote access for refugees to higher education; through the provision of scholarships, engagement of university students as community volunteers and role models for secondary students, cash grants for refugees of other nationalities and university-based activities for social integration and academic support for refugee students to successfully complete qualifications.  The number of university graduates is increasing, and with that, the need for initiatives to facilitate graduates¿ transition from study to work.

UNHCR will continue to strengthen the capacity of a limited number of Public Education Centres to deliver Turkish language training for refugee adults and youth, through the procurement of equipment and materials, and teacher training.

Effective implementation of the education strategy requires close coordination and collaboration with the Livelihoods, Protection and Cash-based Interventions teams, so to address economic barriers to education, promote the identification of the most at-risk out of school adolescents and youth and to facilitate transition from learning to the labor market. Strategic linkages with the Livelihoods Sector will facilitate the transition from university to employability and ensure the complementarity of strategies.

Profile Statement
The Education Officer is the Head of the Education Unit, and provides leadership and management of the education team. S/he reports directly to the Assistant Representative (Operations). The incumbent provides strategic and technical guidance to education focal points in field offices in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Gaziantep. A high level of strategic thinking and the ability to lead and empower a team to implement the education strategy, is required. Essential components of the role include the ability to build trust, teamwork and forge collaboration amongst the team and between multifunctional, multi-sectoral and field-based colleagues. To be successful in the role, the incumbent is required to foster and nurture productive partnerships with government counterparts, other UN agencies, private and bilateral donors, NGOs and higher education sector stakeholders,

The incumbent is responsible for all aspects of program and result-based management including annual work planning, budgeting, preparation of partnership agreements, compliance with audit requirements, procurement, data protection, and monitoring and reporting. S/he is expected to monitor implementation, and to quickly identify and resolve challenges. Success factors include critical thinking, initiative, problem solving, negotiation, coordination between stakeholders with competing demands and an optimistic and proactive attitude. 

S/he drafts funding proposals and regularly liaises with donors. Experience in designing initiatives which are sustainable, scalable and provide optimal positive impact for populations of concern, will add value to the role.

As the Head of the Unit, s/he requires excellent verbal and writing communication skills to draft donor reports, briefing notes, concept notes, situation reports and the ability to deliver engaging presentations at conferences and workshops. Experience in designing and delivering participatory-style training and leading Focus Group Discussions with internal and external audiences, will enhance the effectiveness of capacity development activities. As the technical lead for all UNHCR¿s education activities, s/he is expected to communicate regularly with field colleagues and partner staff, and develop the technical competencies of all relevant personnel. Capacity development and empowering others towards the achievement of mutual goals will be a priority.

Experience working with refugees in a higher education context, and experience in humanitarian and/or development coordination will be an asset. The Education Unit collaborates with other UNHCR functional units, particularly protection, supply, livelihoods and cash-based interventions. Demonstrated understanding of other functions in a refugee response, will enhance the effectiveness of the role. The closing date for this advertisement is 20/01/2020.
This vacancy is now closed.
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