Education Specialist
Organizational Context
UNICEF, established in 1946, is a UN humanitarian agency operating in over 192 countries, focusing on children's health, education, protection, and well-being in both development and humanitarian contexts. In Cameroon since 1975, UNICEF supports the government in enhancing equitable access to quality education and safe learning environments, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized populations affected by poverty, displacement, and emergencies. The organization prioritizes the rights and development of all children, especially the most disadvantaged.
Job Purpose
This role provides professional technical, operational, and administrative support to UNICEF's education programs in Cameroon. The Education Specialist will assist throughout the programming cycle, from planning to results delivery, by managing and implementing various tasks. The primary objective is to facilitate program development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. The position aims to enhance the effectiveness of UNICEF's education initiatives, ultimately improving learning outcomes and expanding access to quality, equitable, and inclusive education for children and adolescents, with a special focus on vulnerable and marginalized groups.
Responsibilities
The Education Specialist will contribute to situation analyses, research, and data collection for education program planning. They will support program implementation, track progress, identify challenges, and monitor resource utilization, preparing regular reports. The role involves providing technical and operational assistance, conducting field visits, supporting partners, and addressing delivery bottlenecks. Building and maintaining relationships with government, UN, NGO, and donor partners is crucial, including preparing communication and advocacy materials. Furthermore, the specialist will capture lessons learned, promote best practices and innovation, and support capacity-building initiatives for partners and stakeholders to ensure effective program delivery and knowledge sharing.
Work Experience
A minimum of three years of professional experience in education program planning, management, and/or research is required. This includes experience in results-based management, technical education knowledge, communication and reporting, partnership building, field monitoring, problem-solving, knowledge management, and resource monitoring.
Skills
Core values include Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability. Core competencies involve demonstrating self-awareness and ethical awareness, working collaboratively, building and maintaining partnerships, innovating and embracing change, strategic thinking and action, driving for impactful results, and managing ambiguity and complexity.