Education/Integration Manager

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 8,000 employees and also 8,000 volunteers, while managing a turnover of over 400 million Euro. Based in Copenhagen (Denmark) and present in forty countries, the Danish Refugee Council is a non-profit-making, politically independent, non-governmental and non-denominational relief organization. The Danish Refugee Council is Denmark’s largest humanitarian NGO and has been ranked the 3rd best NGO in the world in 2018 (for six consecutive years, the organization is among the top five of the NGO Advisor Annual List).

Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

Background

The Danish Refugee Council initiated its activities in the island of Lesvos in November 2015 due to the unprecedented influx of asylum seekers. Following new political developments and displacement dynamics in early 2016, DRC expanded its activities to the mainland to support the people living in several sites across the country. With offices in Athens, Larissa and Thessaloniki, it currently implements a wide range of activities, including Site Management Support, legal assistance, identification of individual needs and protection of highly vulnerable persons, access to services within and outside the hosting sites through cultural mediation, and non-formal education. DRC works closely with the refugee communities, the Greek authorities and other humanitarian actors to ensure a protective environment for refugees and asylum seekers in Greece.  

Purpose

DRC Greece is looking to recruit a qualified, flexible, and enthusiastic professional to work for its office in Thessaloniki as an Education/Integration Manager. Under the supervision of the Area Manager and with technical guidance from the Education Coordinator and the Urban/Integration Coordinator, the selected candidate will manage the daily operations of activities in three open accommodation sites in Northern Greece where DRC implements non-formal education. Furthermore, the Education/Integration Manager will ensure successful collaboration with implementing partners and oversee and monitor the implementation of Non-Formal Education activities of implementing partners in Northern Greece in collaboration with the Area Manager and other DRC departments. They will manage the design and implementation of quality NFE programs and activities, provide on-going support to teachers, senior teachers and Cultural Mediators working with children and youth, ensure the application of child safeguarding, gender mainstreaming and integration mainstreaming in non-formal education at site level and ensure DRC's education programing is relevant and responsive to humanitarian needs in Northern Greece.

Duties and Responsibilities

 Responsibilities will include, but not necessarily be limited, to the following:

Management, administration, and design of non-formal education activities:

• Manage the implementation and design of non-formal education activities for school-age children (4 to 15) and youth (16-18) as per the site populations’ needs and programme objectives
• Manage education staff in the area of deployment including teachers, senior teachers, social scientists and education cultural mediators
• Manage all operational activities on site, including human and financial resources, classes, facilities, supplies and coordination with other related departments
• Support in the development of learning materials, curricula, and positive discipline mechanisms in line with the needs of site populations  
• Manage the implementation of education team meetings organized and delivered by senior teachers
• Identify and report potential protection risks in non-formal education activities and spaces to the Area Manager and Protection team
• Promote empathy, compassion and respect for the gender, ethnic, religious, cultural and learning diversity of students
• Ensure the access of beneficiaries to information on existing education programmes and promote the right to education for all
• Adhere to DRC’s Code of Conduct and help to create and maintain an environment that prevents child safeguarding violations and promotes the implementation of DRC’s child Safeguarding Policy
• Support implementing partners in designing programmatic strategies to ensure consistent, harmonized and quality programme design and implementation across project locations. 
• Gather lessons learnt and best practices to inform future program design both for DRC non-formal education team and implementing partners

Reporting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Education Information Management:

• In coordination with the DRC Greece Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team, the Education Coordinator and the Urban/Integration Coordinator, ensure the implementation of education activities of implementing partners complies with quality standards and is monitored in accordance with pre-defined objectives and indicators. 
• Monitor the progress of education activities of implementing partners against project budgets, plans and timelines and prepare relevant progress and donor reports
• Ensure that relevant project data and Means of Verification (e.g. attendance lists, registration forms, lesson plans) comply with internal reporting systems
• Regularly monitor the progress of education activities against project plans, budgets and timelines and proactively identify and resolve barriers to implementation
• Evaluate project performance based on project objectives and activity indicators
• Prepare timely and high-quality progress and donor reports
• Contribute to education needs assessments and support results-based planning

Representation and coordination within the area of responsibility:

• Maintain effective communication with other DRC departments and external actors at site-level
• Liaise closely with Ministry of Education focal points on sites (RECs) in order to support the access of refugee children to formal education
• Liaise with local authorities to coordinate joint activities and promote synergies 
• Represent DRC Greece to relevant forums and working committees/groups
• Engage in coordination meetings with DRC’s implementing partners and other actors working in the area of responsibility
• Contribute to coordination with relevant Government Authorities, Civil Society Organizations and other relevant stakeholders and represent DRC in inter-agency meetings as required

Programme Development & Team Management

• Identify staff training needs and support in the planning and delivery of capacity building for teachers, senior teachers and cultural mediators
• Conduct staff Performance and Development appraisals of teachers, senior teachers, cultural mediators and social scientists. Evaluate staff performance based on project objectives and DRC minimum standards
• Receive feedback from senior teachers on lesson observations and areas for improvement
• Develop education project objectives at site/area-level in collaboration with the Education Coordinator and the Education Officer
• Identify development opportunities for the DRC Education programme in the area of deployment and support with budgeting and narrative for proposals (where relevant)
• Contribute to continual improvements in DRC programming and ways of working, through identification and communication of challenges, gaps, recommendations for improvements and lessons learnt.
• In collaboration with the Education Team and Education Coordinator/Education Officer, contribute to the development and design of DRC’s education program and activities.

Accountability:

• Ensure sound financial management, budget follow up and accountability of DRC resources
• In collaboration with DRC Finance and Support Services, ensure the effective implementation of procurement processes in compliance with internal and donor financial procedures
• Support in the collection of material for DRC’s communications platforms
• In day-to-day tasks ensure relevant accountability to internal DRC and Donor policies 
• Any other duties as may be assigned by the Area Manager or Education Coordinator relevant to the achievement of NFE objectives.  
• Any other tasks assigned by the line manager in line with overall response in the area of deployment. 

Required Qualifications

• At least 3 years of professional experience in related field with a focus on education programs (required).
• At least 2-year experience with local or international NGOs (required)
• University degree in Social Sciences, Education, or a related field (required)
• Proven experience in project management and management of interdisciplinary teams 
• English (advanced verbal and written skills) (required)
• Greek (advanced verbal and written skills) (preferred)
• Training or courses in child protection/safeguarding and NFE will be considered an asset
• Prior professional experience working with vulnerable children will be considered an asset
• Experience in delivering education trainings and/or mentoring education personnel will be considered an asset
• Experience in community-based or community mobilization work in a humanitarian context will be considered an asset
• Strong computer literacy

Required Skills & Qualities

•  Core Competencies of DRC:
    Striving for excellence
    Collaboration
    Taking the lead
    Communication
    Demonstrating Integrity
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment.  
• Strong sense of initiative and self-motivated, with a strong commitment to humanitarian principles.
• Flexible, enthusiastic, and willing to learn from others.
• Ability to multitask and cope with multiple competing demands under tight deadlines.  
• Ability to work in a demanding working environment.

Terms & Conditions

• The contract will be under the Greek Labor Law (this is a national position)
• All allowances will be provided to the employees (Christmas, Easter, Vacation bonus)
• DRC provides training opportunities to develop and strengthen the quality of its services as well as its staff members’
  professional and personal development.
• The position will be based in Thessaloniki (Greece).

Application Process
 
Are you interested? Then apply for this position on line: www.drc.dk/about-drc/vacancies/currentvacancies . All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in English.

DRC provides equal opportunity in employment and prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability. DRC encourages all applicants to apply and does not practice any discrimination in any recruitment process. However, applicants must be aware that DRC cannot systemically sponsor non-EU citizen or non-Greek resident for all the steps of legal process to get a work permit and/or a residency permit in Greece.

Applications close on the 29th of September 2021. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

Due to the urgency of the position, DRC has the right to recruit a candidate who matches the required profile before the above deadlin