Education Coordinator

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries, we restore safety, dignity, and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The mission of the IRC is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future.

IRC opened the national program in Mali in 2012. Our programs range from humanitarian assistance to early recovery activities, focusing on child protection, education, economic well-being, nutrition, health, water and sanitation, and governance. We work both in the north, the center, and the south of Mali. Conflict and drought have caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in Mali and neighboring countries. The security situation in the north remains fragile. Nonetheless, the needs of internally displaced persons and conflict-affected host communities are still pressing, and the issue of humanitarian access is an ongoing process.

Job overview

Under the supervision of the Senior Program Coordinator, the Education Coordinator will be responsible for the vision, strategy, design, monitoring, and quality of IRC's education programs in Mali. The Education Coordinator will be based in the capital, Bamako (70% of their time), with frequent visits to all field sites (30% of their time in the North, Center, and South regions).

The Education Coordinator will support the IRC Mali education program and lead the design and development of new projects focused on education, monitoring the quality of implemented activities and budget management, and will ensure capacity building of national staff and partners engaged in the implementation of IRC Mali education activities.

In line with IRC Mali's emphasis on integrated programming, the Education coordinator will work closely with coordinators from other sectors such as Economic Recovery and Development (ERD), environmental health (EH/WASH), Women's Protection and Empowerment (WPE), Child Protection and Protection and the Rule of Law (PRoL), Health/Nutrition, Governance, RRM. The Education Coordinator will be supported by technical advisors (TA) based at IRC headquarters to ensure effective and quality implementation of the education components.

Major responsibilities

Technical monitoring and program quality

• Provide technical supervision and technical support for IRC Mali programming activities in education.

• Ensure field visits to project areas to ensure compliance with quality.

• Closely monitor project budget implementation plans with Managers and those responsible for finance and grants, on a monthly basis.

• Responsible for managing the project cycle for all Education projects (POM, PIM, PLM, PCM)

• Oversee, manage, and maintain overall accountability for project-related budgets on a monthly basis with weekly monitoring of budget implementation plans, conduct budget versus actual review meetings with managers.

• Discuss budget review progress with SPC, Grants Coordinator and Technical Advisors when decisions need to be made.

• Ensure that education programs use standardized protocols.

• Ensure that all education activities comply with established national and international best practices and meet donor requirements and IRC technical standards.

• Responsible for the implementation of all IRC global and strategic initiatives (delivery of 25% of interventions in the areas of education through CASH transfer, establishment and monitoring of accountability mechanisms and diversity approaches, equality, and inclusion, safeguarding etc.)

• Track data relating to participation and learning outcomes of various project activities and make programmatic decisions based on data relevant to IRC Mali education programs.

• Ensure that requests from key stakeholders are addressed in a timely manner in close coordination with SPC, DDP, Grants Coordinator and HQ Tas.

• Coordinate closely with Grants to establish a timeline for the team regarding all internal and external reporting requirements and deadlines.

• Contribute to the drafting of reports and communications to donors in a timely manner, as well as guiding managers and officers on the data required and reviewing data shared by teams to maintain a high level of quality.

• Any other tasks assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.

Strategic planning

• Provide strategic direction, leadership and overall technical and management support to education programming ensuring that it is needs-based, context-relevant, empowering, coherent, collaborative, and operationally feasible.

• Ensure the implementation of the strategic action plan (SAP IP and IMPACT Standards through biannual project evaluations).

• Monitor the evolving needs of target communities and adjust programmatic priorities as necessary.

• In collaboration with HQ technical advisors and the country leadership team, lead the overall development of IRC education program strategies, in line with the IRC Mali Strategic Action Plan and framework.

• With the support of the program team, ensure that accountability to beneficiaries, gender sensitivity, disability and inclusion are adequately considered in IRC education programs.

Program development, communication, and advocacy

• Identify program development opportunities and discuss them with DDP/SPC, program managers, grants, and technical advisors, as appropriate.

• Design and lead technical assessments serving as a basis for education program development and post-distribution evaluations.

• Coordinate and initiate project proposals and develop program proposals (development of logical frameworks, program design, and implementation plans, appropriate, realistic, and measurable indicators, budget) for the IRC Mali education program, under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Programs, Senior Program Coordinator and in consultation and collaboration with technical and management staff in the field and education TAs at headquarters.

• In collaboration with regional and headquarters teams, identify communications opportunities for internal and external audiences by highlighting humanitarian needs related to education and publicizing current projects and research.

• In collaboration with the CD, DDP, Grant, and relevant coordination mechanisms, identify opportunities for advocacy on education-related issues.

Coordination and representation

• In coordination with the supervisor, represent the IRC to humanitarian coordination platforms, education sector working groups, national and international NGOs, ministries of education, and education donors.

• As the education focal point at the country level, actively participate in external coordination and Cluster forums.

• Participate in internal coordination and management meetings to promote effective and efficient information sharing, problem solving and decision-making between teams and sectors.

• Meet with M&E on a monthly basis to obtain and review client feedback on program activities and conduct field visits to ensure accountability to beneficiaries.

Team management and development

• Review individual team performance goals set by the coordinator and support, coach, and guide team members to achieve their goals through weekly meetings where they can share their challenges and successes.

• Coach, train, and mentor staff with the aim of building technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing professional development advice.

• Supervise and coach staff, including communicating clear expectations and, in partnership with the direct manager, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and contributing to annual and half-yearly performance reports.

• Provide constructive feedback and advice on appropriate career paths and professional development.

• Promote and monitor the care and well-being of staff; approve and manage all leave requests to ensure adequate coverage.

• Provide leadership support to ensure staff buy-in to IRC's overall HR operational policies and procedures.

• Adhere to and act in accordance with IRC's overall HR policies and procedures and communicate by word and example a high level of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations.

Job Requirements

Education: University degree in social sciences, education or related field, preferred—technical degree or certification in a related field with significant applicable experience.

• A minimum of 3 to 5 years of professional experience in coordinating and managing education projects in humanitarian contexts

• Understanding the humanitarian principles, code of conduct, and specific intricacies of delivering essential services to people in need inside Mali sub-sector work linked to NGO field and operations contexts.

• Solid experience in the development and management of USAID, ECHO and UNICEF projects

• Excellent professional approach, strong construction skills and proven ability to build staff capacity.

• Previous experience and excellent understanding of working in an emergency.

• Strong skills in leadership, management, project planning, monitoring and evaluation, interpersonal analysis, and communication.

• Strong budget reporting management and analysis skills, and ability to oversee multiple grants from various donors.

• Language skills: Fluency in French, English and a local language required.

• Good knowledge of the Sahelian context in general and Malian and ability to carry out regular field visits.

• Proven problem-solving ability and results orientation.

• Flexible working attitude – ability to work productively in a team environment and independently.

• Able to respond quickly to changing environments and work under pressure.

• Work experience in West or Central Africa is an asset.

• Excellent computer skills: MS Word, Excel, Outlook,

Standards of business conduct: IRC employees are expected to adhere to the values and principles set out in the IRC Code of Conduct - IRC Way. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In line with these values, IRC has policies on protecting beneficiaries from exploitation and abuse, protecting children, a harassment-free workplace, fiscal integrity, anti-retaliation, anti-trafficking, and many others.

Gender equality: IRC is committed to reducing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an environment conducive to women's participation in our work including parental leave, gender sensitive safety protocols and other benefits and support allowances.

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