SeniorFull TimeENAfrica
Deadline for Applications
April 5, 2026Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)
E (most hardship)Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Non Family with Residential LocationStaff Member / Affiliate Type
UNOPS LICA5Target Start Date
2026-04-15Terms of Reference
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Senior Education Assistant
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Education Assistant will support the roll-out of Refugee Education 2030, the Refugee Education Strategy, 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 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Senior Education Assistant will assist the supervisor in ensuring UNHCR's programming is in line with the SDGs.
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, the Senior Education Assistant, in collaboration with the Education Section in the Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS), will assist the supervisor in providing technical support to UNHCR countries 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 Senior Education Assistant normally reports to a higher grade Education position. S/he monitors educational standards and provides technical education support to all refugees. The incumbent undertakes regular missions in refugee camps to provide technical support, conduct monitoring and follow-up on educational activities. The Senior Education Assistant assists refugees to enrol in suitable educational levels, institutes and builds strong relationship with the various refugee communities, implementing and operational partner of education and the host government to monitor the implementation of UNHCR's existing education strategy and to respond to queries from refugees, external agencies and other UNHCR units. In collaboration with the education and protection teams, s/he will work to improve access to and quality of refugee education at all levels, both formal and non-formal education sectors. The incumbent will work on the development of innovative education approaches for emerging needs in refugee education, including attention to special needs, minorities, girls, pre-school education and non-formal activities.
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
- Assist the supervisor in managing and coordinating the education sector.
- Assist in monitoring of implementation of the education strategy and activities at all levels in formal and non-formal education sectors.
- Act as first point of contact for refugee families to provide information and support on enrolment of children in schools.
- Assist in providing regular reports on educational activities, achievements and challenges.
- Conduct regular visits to community schools, carry out assessments and write recommendations.
- Assist in identification of persons with special educational needs and support implementation of inclusive and special needs education.
- Support and promote quality education data collection, analysis and reporting by assisting the implementation of the Education Management Information System (EMIS).
- Ensure education level of refugee children are updated in the UNHCR database for tracking of education achievement of refugee children.
- Assess needs for services of persons of concern, as related to education responses.
- Systematically promote and comply with the Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) policy and other priorities such as the HIV/AIDS policy.
- Liaise on behalf of UNHCR with external partners like Education Ministry on education matters.
- As requested participate in local humanitarian and development sector working groups to support and ensure all refugee education support programming at country level is extended, amplified and reported against sector development goals and humanitarian partners and funding serve system strengthening.
- Foster 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 their planning.
- Monitor implementation of education programmes and provide guidance on orientation.
- Assist in the planning and coordination of UNHCR's role concerning education.
- Identify training needs and train UNHCR staff, sister UN agency staff, NGOs, and Ministry of Education officials on refugee education priorities and identified topics.
- Develop and disseminate relevant tools to support UNHCR staff and partners in Country Offices.
- 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).
- Assist in preparing and drafting of education input in key internal and external documents and reports.
- 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 required.
Minimum Qualifications
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G5- 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher
Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Education; Social Sciences Business Administration
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
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.
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
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
*ED-Technical support to education programmes and proposals
*IT-Computer Literacy
CO-Drafting and Documentation
CO-Cross-cultural communication
TR-Training - Virtual and face to face
ED-Global EiE standards and implementation
(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.
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Skills
CO-Cross-cultural communication, CO-Drafting and Documentation, ED-Global EiE standards and implementation, ED-Technical support to education programmes and proposals, IT-Computer Literacy, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework, TR-Training - Virtual and face to faceEducation
Certifications
Business Administration - Other, Education - Other, Social Sciences - OtherWork Experience
Other information
This position doesn't require a functional clearance
Remote
