Education Specialist, P-3, Fixed Term Position, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi, #00068514 (Open to Non-Malawian Nationals Only)

Organizational Context

UNICEF operates in over 190 countries and territories, dedicated to saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping them fulfill their potential from early childhood through adolescence. We are committed, passionate, and proud of our work, driven by a calling to promote the rights of every child.

Job Purpose

In this role, you will lead and inspire a team to achieve impactful results in improving education quality for children and adolescents. You will provide strategic and technical leadership in strengthening programs focused on school readiness, foundational learning, alternative learning pathways, and safe school environments, with a particular emphasis on the most vulnerable children. Your responsibilities will include engaging with internal and external partners, such as government counterparts, development partners, and civil society, to coordinate programming and mobilize resources. You will also participate in policy dialogue, review, and formulation, alongside high-level, evidence-based advocacy. Furthermore, you will support evidence generation, program delivery innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building, ensuring strengthened program quality and reach while maximizing effectiveness and efficiency.

Responsibilities

Lead and inspire a team in strategic planning, implementation, and monitoring and reporting of impactful results to improve education quality for children and adolescents. Provide strategic and technical leadership in strengthening programmes to advance school readiness, foundational learning and alternative learning pathways, and enhancing safe school environments, particularly for the most vulnerable children. Engage with internal and external partners, including government counterparts, development partners and civil society, to facilitate and coordinate programming, and to mobilize and leverage resources. Engage in policy dialogue, review and formulation, as well as high-level, evidence-based advocacy. Support evidence generation, innovation for programme delivery, knowledge management and capacity building. Through proactive coordination and a strong drive for results, help strengthen programme quality and reach, while at the same time maximizing effectiveness and efficiency. Foster a collaborative and results-oriented team environment, aligning with UNICEF's core values and competency framework. Ensure effective resource mobilization strategies are developed and implemented to support program objectives. Contribute to the development and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned in the education sector.

Work Experience

5 years of relevant work experience in education program management, programme planning, monitoring and evaluation, policy development, partnership management, capacity building, knowledge management, education sector planning, advocacy, and education in emergencies.

Skills

Technical experience in pre-primary education, Technical experience in foundational literacy, Technical experience in alternative learning pathways for adolescents, Technical experience in quality education programming, Advocacy and policy dialogue skills, Management and leadership skills, Motivating and developing people, Multi-sectoral programme management, Programme planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting, Partner engagement (Government, Development Partners, NGOs, CSO, academia, UN agencies), Resource mobilization, Experience working in a low-income country (preferred)

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