Education Specialist

Background/IRC Summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a private, non-political, non-profit, and non-religious organization. For over 90 years, we have been providing humanitarian assistance to communities affected by conflict and natural disasters in more than 40 countries. Since 2008, the IRC has been active in Myanmar, delivering humanitarian assistance in areas such as health, protection, water, and sanitation, specifically targeting families impacted by conflict and natural disasters.

Job Overview/Summary:

The IRC is a global leader in Education in Emergencies (EiE), hosting the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), and implementing large scale education programs in more than 20 countries which reached more than 1 million learners in 2023-2024. The IRC focuses on ensuring children in crisis and conflict have the essential literacy, numeracy and SEL skills they need to learn and thrive.

On 28 March, around 12:50 p.m, a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, with the epicenter located 16 kilometers northwest of Sagaing town, in central Myanmar. The hardest hit areas are Mandalay City (Mandalay Region), Sagaing Township (Sagaing Region), Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory and the townships of Kalaw, Nyaungshwe, Pinlaung and Taunggyi in southern Shan.⁴ Reports of numbers affected are still coming in but the official death toll has crossed 2,716 with 4,521 reported injured, though hundreds of thousands of others have been displaced from their homes and are now living in overcrowded temporary shelters or in fully open spaces.⁵ Both numbers are expected to go up as rescue efforts continue, with some predictive modeling from the US Geological Survey suggesting that the death toll could eventually pass 10,000.

Major Responsibilities

With direct management support from the Protection Coordinator (based in Yangon), and Senior Education Technical Advisor (international) the Education Specialist is a senior technical expert on Education programming within the country program. She/he will not have any direct supervision responsibilities but will technically oversee education activities and partners in the field. The Education Specialist will ensure technical leadership, guidance, coordination and technical support to IRC’s integrated Education programs in Myanmar. S/he will work extensively with other sectors to ensure that education is integrated and mainstreamed in current programs and as the new programs are designed, including Child Protection/Protection.

She/he will moreover be responsible for the overall quality design of Education programming. As such, s/he will serve as Team Lead of any new multidisciplinary, multi-year protection program to be rolled out in Myanmar.

To ensure the quality of the education program, s/he will be required to work in close collaboration with other technical specialists and team members, as well as the Grants unit, and the field and support teams, to ensure that program activities are implemented according to approved work plans, donor requirements and aligned with the Myanmar country program strategic action plan. S/he will provide technical leadership and guidance to the integrated education & protection program team, support them by ensuring clear direction and focus on quality and results, building a team and establishing constructive communication and collaboration with all departments.S/he will be responsible for ensuring that the program objectives are met in a timely manner and are being monitored and evaluated to allow and ensure necessary adjustments to be introduced to the program design and follow up as to ensure quality and effectiveness of the program.

TECHNICAL

• Provide technical guidance and leadership on Education and ensure close coordination and timely technical inputs from other sectors for quality program implementation and follow up.
• Ensure Education interventions are based on a sound understanding of the context and adhere to inter-agency technical guidance and best practice and core child rights instruments.
• Develop and oversee delivery of specific capacity building plans to promote continuous learning and technical growth of the protection team and partners in coordination with Protection Coordinator and Education Technical Advisor.
• Contribute to IRC and sector specific learning through analysis and documentation of programme outcomes and during implementation.

PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

• Provide technical oversight, leadership and follow through the start-up, implementation, monitoring and closeout of program under his/her responsibility.
• Ensure the adequate monitoring and use of M&E data to adjust project activities as needed and inform program planning and approaches.
• Assist/support Protection Team Leader and Protection Coordinator in ensuring close collaboration and coordination with IRC’s support and security teams, including supply chain, finance, HR, as well as with grant staff to ensure timely and compliant program activities and expenditures.
• With the support of Protection Coordinator, ensure and oversee the ongoing update and review of activity evaluation, planning and follow up, making sure this is done in collaboration with the support departments, notably logistics and finance, to ensure the effective use and follow up of the program’s budget, procurement plans and other program tools.In the same way, actively and proactively contribute to grant opening/closing and review meetings.
• Collaborate actively with other actors for integration and mainstreaming of Educationinterventions.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, REPORTING AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• Assist and support the Protection Coordinator in identifying and contribute to fundraising opportunities, leading technical inputs to proposal development, and support in donor relations.
• Ensure that new grant and funding opportunities are in line with the Strategy Action Plan (SAP).
• Monitor Education programs/projects to ensure compliance with all program standards and grant requirements; Develop and maintain effective and efficient oversight, support, quality control and reporting systems and processes.
• Coordinate preparation of all Education program reports (quantitative and narrative) required by donors; Ensure IRC project and donor reports are completed to a high standard as per set schedules (monthly, quarterly and annually) on grant activities, indicators and achievements.
• Develops and maintains effective coordination and long-term relationships with external stakeholders, representing IRC positions, promoting long-term strategy.
• Establishes and maintains relations with (local) partners or government on all matters related to child protection in collaboration with Protection Coordinator and Protection Team Leader.