Job Description

Deadline for Applications

November 12, 2025

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Family

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

UNOPS IICA2

Target Start Date

2025-12-01

Terms of Reference

Education is a fundamental protective and solution-oriented activity for UNHCR, guided by the Refugee Education 2030 strategy and international frameworks such as the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4). These frameworks advocate for the inclusion of refugee children in national education systems and emphasize the importance of data-informed planning, monitoring, and accountability to enhance access to education, quality, and protection.

The UNHCR Headquarters (HQ) Education Section coordinates implementation of a comprehensive primary education programme across 31 countries through the Educate A Child (EAC) Programme and the Primary Impact Initiatives. These efforts aim to transform the lives of refugee children and youth by providing accessible, inclusive, and holistic education.

The EAC 2024–2028 Programme works in five countries: Chad, Kenya, Mauritania, Pakistan, and Uganda. Over four years, it aims to close the education gap for more than 220,000 out-of-school refugee children by facilitating access to equitable, quality, and safe primary education. Building on previous programme cycles that supported over 1.6 million displaced learners, this new phase introduces innovative, context-specific strategies tailored to the unique challenges in each country.

The EAC Programme is structured around four key outcomes: increasing access to inclusive learning opportunities, improving the quality of education, enhancing the well-being of refugee learners, and strengthening national education systems to better include refugees. Sustainability is a core focus, with strong advocacy efforts and collaboration with Ministries of Education to foster supportive policy environments. Community engagement in education management and capacity-building at both local and national levels are central to delivering quality education effectively.

Strategic partnerships with national and sub-national governments, international and local NGOs, UN agencies, and community-based organizations are vital to ensure coordinated and context-specific responsive education services. The EAC Programme is managed under a unified framework, coordinated by UNHCR Headquarters’ Basic Education and Private Sector Partnerships (PSP) teams. These teams work closely with Education Focal Points and programme staff in each participating country to ensure consistency in planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting across the five countries.

While the programme follows a unified coordination model, daily implementation and oversight are led by country teams in collaboration with educational partners and stakeholders. Local Education Focal Points and implementing partners are best positioned to adapt the programme to emerging needs within the framework of the EAC.

Given the scale of the initiative—spanning five countries over four years—strategic alignment in programme design is essential. A harmonized approach allows implementing countries to share knowledge and best practices, adopt common monitoring and evaluation systems, and strengthen accountability to both refugee communities and donors. This alignment enhances more resilient and sustainable programming in future initiatives. Implementation is carried out by multifunctional teams comprising staff from UNHCR Headquarters, Regional Bureaus, Country Offices, and partner organizations. Effective education programming is critical to ensuring successful programme execution.

Strong technical leadership in education programming is essential for ensuring the quality and relevance of education interventions. This involves guiding curriculum alignment, improving teacher professional development, promoting inclusive pedagogical approaches, and embedding quality assurance mechanisms across all programme components.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The Education Officer will be a member of the Basic Education team within the Education Section based in Copenhagen, Denmark. S/he will work under the supervision of the Education Officer and the overall supervision of Chief of Education Section, SRS.

The Education Officer will ensure technical excellence in the implementation of the Educate a Child Programme across the five countries, specifically in teacher performance, literacy, numeracy, and social and emotional skills. This role involves working closely with internal and external stakeholders, including UNHCR divisions, regional education advisors, country offices, implementing partners, and government bodies. The Education Officer will support the achievement of project objectives, maintaining high standards, and contributing to the long-term educational goals for refugee children.

Key Tasks

Foundational Skills Interventions
• Design and deliver normative technical guidance for the design and contextualization of literacy, numeracy, and SEL interventions, drawing from evidence-based models such as structured pedagogy, teaching at the right level (TaRL), and accelerated learning programs.
• Support the alignment of all interventions with national curriculum standards and promote inclusivity of the needs of refugee learners.

Instructional Materials and Tools
• Coordinate the development, selection, and adaptation of instructional materials and teacher guides that promote explicit, systematic instruction in early literacy and numeracy.
• Facilitate the alignment of instructional materials with national curricula and advocate for adaptations to meet the needs of refugee learners, taking into account considerations such as language of instruction, age appropriateness, and accessibility for learners with disabilities.

Teacher Professional Development (TPD)
• Provide technical guidance for the design and implementation support continuous professional development programs for teachers, incorporating evidence-based instructional practices such as guided reading, formative assessment, and active learning techniques.
• Support country teams and implementing partners to establish peer learning structures (e.g., communities of practice, coaching models) that reinforce foundational skills pedagogy.
• Promote alignment of TPD initiatives with national teacher professional development frameworks and standards, working with ministries of education to enhance recognition and sustainability of training efforts.

Classroom and School-Level Quality Assurance
• Develop and implement tools to assess instructional quality (e.g., lesson observation checklists, student work analysis) with a focus on foundational learning outcomes.
• Build capacity of national and partner staff to conduct school/classroom visits that provide formative feedback to teachers and identify areas for improvement.

Assessment and Learning Data Use
• Coordinate with the MEL Officer to integrate low-stakes, formative assessment tools to monitor foundational skill acquisition.
• Provide technical input to ensure data from learning assessments is used to adapt instruction, inform remedial support, and track progress.

Supportive Learning Environments
• Promote the integration of SEL into daily classroom practice through routines, teacher modeling, and activities that build emotional regulation, empathy, and student engagement.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

Qualifications and Experience

a. Education
• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Education Planning, International Education, or a closely related field.
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s) combined with an additional 6 years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Preferred Academic Background:
• Specialization in pedagogy, teacher education, literacy and numeracy instruction, or educational measurement and assessment.
• Coursework or certification in inclusive education, educational psychology, or social-emotional learning (SEL) is an asset.

b. Work Experience
• 6 years relevant experience with a graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with a Master’s or equivalent.
• At least 4 years of experience in progressively responsible functions in education.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrated work experience in providing evidence-based technical assistance to education programmes for forcibly displaced populations.
• Demonstrated capacity to work with minimum supervision.
• Demonstrated knowledge of primary education curriculum and pedagogy.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Strong leadership and coordination skills.
• Field experience in education programme management, implementation, and coordination in humanitarian and/or development contexts.
• Strong communications/presentation skills.
• Proficiency in project management software and tools.
• Commitment to the principles of the United Nations and the mission of UNHCR.

Desirable:
• Experience in education-related advocacy and policy development.
• Knowledge and experience of UNHCR policies and standards.
• Experience with educational research, teaching, or education administration.
• Knowledge of a second UN language

c. Key Competencies

• Accountability
Takes ownership for responsibilities and honors commitments. Ensures the technical integrity of interventions and follows through on deliverables with minimal supervision.

• Teamwork & Collaboration
Works effectively with colleagues across HQ, Regional Bureaux, Country Offices, and partners. Builds positive working relationships to coordinate education programming at multiple levels.

• Communication
Communicates complex technical ideas clearly and persuasively to a variety of stakeholders, including ministries, donors, implementing partners, and field colleagues.

• Client & Results Orientation
Understands and responds to the needs of refugee learners and education stakeholders. Maintains a strong focus on achieving quality outcomes in line with UNHCR and EAC priorities.

• Commitment to Continuous Learning
Actively seeks out opportunities to stay current with evidence-based education practices, particularly in foundational skills, pedagogy, and inclusive education.

• Organizational Awareness
Demonstrates an understanding of UNHCR’s mandate, values, and strategic direction in education, ensuring interventions align with the Refugee Education 2030 strategy, SDG 4, and national priorities.

• Flexibility and Solutions Orientation
Responds to evolving contexts with creativity and adaptability. Anticipates challenges and identifies realistic, practical solutions that uphold technical quality.

Functional Competencies
• Analytical Thinking
Synthesizes technical evidence, identifies trends in learning and teacher performance, and translates data into programmatic adjustments.

• Planning and Organizing
Develops clear, actionable plans for teacher training, instructional material development, and quality assurance across multiple country contexts.

• Technical Expertise – Education
Demonstrates deep knowledge of literacy, numeracy, social and emotional learning, and teacher professional development in primary education. Applies structured pedagogy and other proven methodologies in diverse settings.

• Stakeholder Management
Builds and maintains strong partnerships with governments, NGOs, UN agencies, and communities to ensure coherent and context-relevant education interventions.

• Capacity Building
Strengthens the technical capacity of country teams and partners through guidance, training, and knowledge-sharing in areas such as TPD, instructional quality, and SEL integration.

• Change Capability and Adaptability
Adjusts programmatic approaches based on evidence, field realities, and stakeholder feedback to improve quality and relevance of education delivery.

Type of contract: UNOPS Individual Contractor Agreement
Duration: The assignment is expected to start as soon as possible and last until 31 December 2026.

UNOPS Individual Contractor Agreement contracts are issued on a calendar-year basis.