March 4, 2026

Grade

NOC

National Professional Officer

Reason

Temporary > Temporary Assignment/ Appointment

B

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2026-04-01

2026-12-31

Standard Job Description

Education Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Education Officer will support, and where appropriate, oversee, the roll-out of Refugee Education 2030, the Refugee Education Strategy. This will be done 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 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Education Officer will ensure UNHCR's programming is in line with the SDGs, particularly SDG4.
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, Education Officers, collaborating across Country Offices, Regional Bureaux and the Education Section in the Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS), will provide technical support to relevant 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.
Depending on the location, this will require maintaining close contact with HQ, Regional Bureaux and Country Office(s) plus 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. Where relevant, the incumbent will lead a technical team.
In emergency contexts the Education Officer will be required to play a leadership role in the coordination of the early phases of the education sector response, ensuring that education needs are reflected in intersectoral response plans, collaboratively developing a response strategy that will support inclusion in national systems and supporting monitoring and reporting on the response.
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
In HQ
- Translate global education objectives and strategic directions into guidance, strategies and priorities, in collaboration with other parts of UNHCR, and education colleagues in Regional Bureaux, 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 other global 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.
- Participate in 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.
- Foster inter-sectoral linkages and coordination with child protection, GBV, gender, community-based protection 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 and support implementation of education programmes within the AoR, provide guidance on orientation and facilitate engagement with key partners for delivery, reporting and advocacy.
- 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 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 bilateral partners on refugee education priorities and identified topics.
- Support the development and dissemination of relevant tools to support UNHCR staff and partners in RBs and Country Office(s).
- Support active exchange of information and that best practices are identified, documented and disseminated both within the AoR and beyond.
- Where required, undertake direct dialogue with Country Office(s) on the implementation of education programmes in line with strategic directions and global approaches to working with education partners and coordination networks (UNICEF, Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and Local Education Groups, etc.
- Where required, 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).
- In emergency contexts, lead or co-lead education sector coordination groups, develop response strategies, advocate for the inclusion of education activities in inter-sectoral appeals and liaise with government and other actors to ensure that emergency programmes support inclusion in the national system and are aligned with national priorities and goals.
- Prepare, co-ordinate and oversee drafting of education input in key internal and external documents and reports, including appeals and refugee response plans.
- Encourage, seek, facilitate and learn from innovative practices in education.
- Where relevant, supervision or oversight of other education staff.
- Perform other related duties as required.

In the Regional Bureaux
- Translate global education objectives and strategic directions into regional guidance, strategies and priorities, in collaboration with the education officers or education focal points in country operations and Education Section in HQ, to ensure coherence with UNHCR's education policy and strategy regionally and at country level. Develop regionally specific strategies, including key regional interlocutors, and considering cross-border issues.
- Engage, promote and foster partnerships/collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, including education interlocutors and development partners, in line with the GCR.
- 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 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.
- Jointly with technical teams at HQ, assist Country Office(s) to elaborate and implement strategies to address issues related to education access, quality and data. Synthesise and analyse data across countries in the region, making recommendations for how to react to trends, and contributing to global data and communications / advocacy approaches.
- Foster and ensure inter-sectoral linkages and coordination with child protection, GBV, 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 the planning processes supported by Bureaux and the HQs.
- Where relevant, supervision/management of other education staff at the RB and oversight of education staff/focal points in country operations.
- 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.).
- Support and monitor the implementation of Global Refugee Forum pledges across the region within the AoR.
- Participate in 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). With others in UNHCR, develop and implement approaches to track and prepare for emergencies, especially those which affect more than one country in the region.
- Encourage, seek, facilitate and learn from innovative practices in education.
- Where relevant, supervision/management of other education staff at the Regional Bureau.
- Perform other related duties as required.

In the Country Operations
- Translate global and regional education objectives and strategic directions into national strategies and priorities, in collaboration with the RBs and HQ, to develop contextualised approaches which ensure coherence with UNHCR's education policy and strategy at country level.
- Develop, implement and build capacity around monitoring and support given to all formal and informal education programmes across the Country Office: tracking progress, trends and good practices to inform partnership development and planning.
- As required, keep donor representatives briefed on developments in the education sector and assist in the development of funding submissions, appeals and reports linked to education strategic planning.
- Participate in country level humanitarian and development sector working groups to support that all refugee education support programming is extended, amplified and reported against sector development goals and humanitarian partners and funding serves system strengthening. Engage senior management at country level where needed, particularly in engaging with development actors.
- In emergency settings, establish and play a leadership role in education sector coordination mechanisms, ensure that education is represented in inter-sectoral appeals, establish a collective strategy for the response that supports longer-term inclusion in national systems and ensure effective monitoring of and reporting on the education response.
- Foster and ensure inter-sectoral linkages and coordination with child protection, GBV, gender, community-based protection, 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.
- Identify training needs and train UNHCR staff, sister UN agency staff, NGOs, and Ministry of Education officials on refugee education priorities and identified topics at country level, with the support of RB and HQ on global guidance
- Support and monitor the implementation of country-level Global Refugee Forum pledges within the AoR.
- Design, monitor and support implementation of education programmes within the AoR, provide guidance on orientation and facilitate engagement with key partners for delivery, reporting and advocacy.
- Encourage, seek, facilitate and learn from innovative practices in education.
- Where relevant, supervision/management of other education staff at the country level and support and quality oversight of education focal points in the sub and field offices.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).

- Perform other related duties as require

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P3/NOC - 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.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.

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
Demonstrated work experience in refugee education programmes. Knowledge and experience of UNHCR policies and standards. Experience in the area of child protection. Experience with educational research, teaching or education administration.

Functional Skills
*ED-Education programming design and quality assurance
*PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
PR-Community-based Protection - Planning, implementing and analysing surveys/assessments
ED-Global EiE standards and implementation
PR-Convention on the Rights of the Child / International Legal Framework
TR-Training - Virtual and face to face
*IT-Computer Literacy
PR-Community based assessment methodologies
WB - Community Services/Social Work
ED-Education capacity building - education programming
ED-Technical support to education programmes and proposals
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

UNHCR Regional Bureau for Eastern and Southern Africa, currently comprise of 25 countries including multi country offices in Mozambique (covering Angola, Mozambique), MCO South Africa (Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa), MCO Zambia (Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe) and remains one of the most displacement-affected regions in the world.

As of February 2026, the region hosts over 6.4 million refugees and asylum-seekers, and millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Of this population, 64% are children of primary school age, while 22% are adolescents in secondary education. Displacement is driven primarily by armed conflict, political instability, governance challenges, climate induced disasters, and economic fragility. Ongoing crises in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to generate new refugee flows and exacerbate existing humanitarian pressures on host countries already managing protracted situations.

Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan host some of the largest and most longstanding refugee populations on the continent and continue to uphold progressive asylum policies despite mounting socio economic strain. Uganda’s Refugee Response Framework (RRF), Ethiopia’s Comprehensive Refugee Response Strategy (CRRS), and Kenya’s Shirika Plan exemplify regional efforts to strengthen the humanitarian development nexus and advance resilience and solutions programming. However, these gains are increasingly undermined by shrinking humanitarian space and persistent funding shortfalls. Other major challenges across the region include limited legal recognition or registration of forcibly displaced people, fragmented data systems and weak infrastructure, unpredictable access to donor funding, inconsistent participation in coordination mechanisms, and limited access to primary and post primary education.

Despite these constraints, notable progress has been made in advancing the inclusion of forcibly displaced children into national education systems. Governments across the region continue to demonstrate strong political commitment and have been supported by UNHCR and partners to develop costed national education strategic plans to strengthen access, quality, and inclusion.

In this context, the Education Officer will support efforts to strengthen inclusive, quality, and equitable access to education, coordination, and sustainability of refugee education programming across the region, in alignment with the goals and vision of the Refugee Education 2030 and the Global Compact on Refugees.

The Education Officer will work closely with other colleagues within the Bureau’s Protection and Solutions Pillar and country-level education focal points to support:
• Technical backstopping to country operations in the design, implementation, and monitoring of inclusive education strategies, especially in contexts where UNHCR is shifting from service provision to systems-strengthening and technical advisory roles.
• Operational readiness for emergencies and support to education in emergency coordination efforts, including with the African Union Commission (Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation)
• Coordination with regional actors, including Mastercard Foundation, UNICEF, UNESCO, IGAD, EAC, SADC, and the World Bank, to promote coherence between refugee education and broader sectoral or regional frameworks.
• Support Country Operations to implement secondary, tertiary TVET programs under the Mastercard Foundation multi-year grant
• Implementation tracking of national and regional education pledges made under the Global Refugee Forum and IGAD Djibouti Declaration.
• Documentation and dissemination of promising practices, cross-country learning, and country-specific lessons in areas such as accelerated education, education data, and secondary/tertiary access.
• Regional knowledge generation and synthesis to feed into donor reporting, evidence-based advocacy, and resource mobilization.
• The position requires flexibility, technical depth across a range of education themes, and an ability to support country teams remotely and in person, balancing practical constraints and the need for longer-term planning and system integration.

Essential Requirements
• Demonstrated experience implementing education programmes at the regional level and in country operations, ideally in Africa.
• Experience advancing refugee inclusion in national education systems, with a clear understanding of the differences between parallel and national systems and how to support progressive inclusion.
• Experience supporting education in emergency preparedness and response, particularly in cross-border or regional displacement settings
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical advice and support remotely across a range of country contexts
• Experience in coordinating implementation of multi-year donor funding, tracking, and reporting progress
• Strong coordination, analytical, and communication skills, including experience synthesizing technical inputs and supporting inter-agency processes

Desired Attributes
• Familiarity with regional protection frameworks, for example, the IGAD Regional Qualifications Framework.
• Working knowledge of French, particularly to support francophone operations (Burundi, Djibouti, Rwanda).

This position requires Functional Clearance

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Skills

ED-Education capacity building - education programming, ED-Education programming design and quality assurance, ED-Global EiE standards and implementation, ED-Technical support to education programmes and proposals, IT-Computer Literacy, PR-Community based assessment methodologies, PR-Community-based Protection - Planning, implementing and analysing surveys/assessments, PR-Convention on the Rights of the Child / International Legal Framework, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework, TR-Training - Virtual and face to face, WB - Community Services/Social Work

Education

Bachelor of Arts: Education, Bachelor of Arts: Social Science

Certifications

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Applications are open for all nationals with the right to work in Kenya. UNHCR does not
facilitate the obtaining of the work visa for recruitment.