Education Manager - Beirut

Background:

The International Rescue Committee is an international organization specializing in emergency and humanitarian programming. In response to the influx of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the IRC is starting an Education program, with program strategies to be implemented in various locations, mainly in North Lebanon Governorate and Beirut Mount Lebanon Governorate. The Education Manager (Beirut Mount Lebanon) will be responsible for providing support and direct supervision to the officers in the implementation of all education activities in the Governorate: location identification and start-up of community-based education classes, identification and enrollment of students, mobilization and outreach to parents and community members,  recruitment and ongoing professional support to teachers, procurement and distribution of materials, ongoing monitoring of activities, representation in all relevant internal and external coordination forums, and preparation of regular activity reports.

Scope of Work:

The Education Manager (Beirut Mount Lebanon) will supervise the start-up and ongoing implementation of safe and appropriate community-based education activities done through direct implementation and with partners as part of a broader education strategy.

Position Objectives:

• Effectively manage the ongoing projects in the governorate, including ongoing technical and operational support.
• Ensure high quality and timely delivery of education programming in the governorate, that is responsive to the needs on the ground and well-coordinated with all education actors.
• Coordinate with Senior education Manager and Education Coordinator in supporting EDU partners in the Beirut Mount Lebanon.

Who this position reports to:  Education Senior Manager

Position oversees: Senior Education Officer, Community Engagement Officer and Inclusion Officer

Responsibilities:             

Staff Supervision & Development

• Directly supervise and provide ongoing leadership, training, technical support and guidance to the Community Engagement Officer and Inclusion Officers in Beirut Mount Lebanon.
• Ensure adherence to best-practice principles when working with children, youth, and community members.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members.
• Ensure timely completion and submission of monthly timesheets, probations reviews and annual performance reviews.
• If/as required identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies.
• Mentor and support staff’s professional development and foster a positive team spirit to encourage innovative and quality programming.

Activity Planning & Implementation

• Prepare and maintain/update detailed workplan(s) that support and achieve the overall grant timeline and completion date.
• Provide direction and monitor staff and partner in their implementation of the workplan and quality of technical activities, share relevant information and direction to improve quality and achieve timelines.
• Approve expenditures to designated level; assist in managing and monitoring monthly expenditures and tracking budgets.
• Work closely with team members & MEAL team to identify lessons learned and receive timely beneficiary feedback to improve the quality of work and inform future designs.
• Ensure regular planning with team members and put in place contingency plans to respond to any emergencies, ensuring education programs remain meaningful and effective.
• Ensure staff are trained to conduct regular partner visits to monitor and support the programs.

Grant Monitoring & Reporting

• Undertake regular field monitoring visits to assess progress and identify technical quality issues and/or other implementation issues, provide solutions and implement modifications as required.
• Ensure all monitoring activities are fully documented, including systematic and timely data collection as required under the grant and for internal M&E purposes.
• Produce/contribute to internal and donor narrative reports as per set schedules (monthly, quarterly, and annually) on grant activities, indicators, and achievements.
• Ensure that the program is implemented according to schedule and budget and that project objectives are met.
• Ensure that the project undertakes continuous monitoring and evaluation so that activities are appropriate and based on a clear understanding of the problems, causes, contributing factors, and issues specific to out-of-school or at-risk children and youth.
• Support the collection, analysis and dissemination of project data and information for problem analysis, planning and evaluation with all stakeholders.
• Support in drafting new or revisiting existing budgets per available or upcoming projects.
• Lead the Budget Versus Actual analysis on monthly basis which informs spending inaccuracy and take the necessary action.

Coordination & Representation

• Work closely and coordinate with logistics, finance and grant staff to ensure timely program activities and expenditures, including active participation in internal meetings.
• Work closely with other IRC programming sectors to ensure information sharing about geographic targets, cases to be referred or supported by other sectors, and holistic integrated support to communities; continuously coordinate with other program managers including child protection, protection monitoring and information sharing, women’s protection and empowerment, and economic recovery and development.
• Undertake/participate in liaison, coordination, and information sharing activities with national NGOs, international organizations, donors and government.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with relevant stakeholders including community leaders and other implementing partners.
• Coordinate with and/or advise peer agencies, local government, and other stakeholders to promote delivery of high-quality education programming and to ensure adherence to best practices for education in emergencies.

Program Development

• Assist in the collection of data, assessments and proposal development for the sector.  
• Ensure that any evidence, lessons learned, and information collected from beneficiaries during monitoring exercises are effectively integrated into programs and new designs.

Other

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.

Partnerships

• Collaborate closely with schools in the field supporting technically when needed.
• Provide guidance and mentoring to partner organizations to support their technical and organizational capacities.
• Explore with schools potential capacity strengthening support, in coordination with the Technical Manager.
• Lead timely and effective programmatic monitoring of schools, identifying appropriate follow up actions, and provide completed reports.
• Ensure that supported schools abide by Child safeguarding, humanitarian principles and sector principles and standards.
• Support the review of the performance of the school, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, fostering ongoing partnerships beyond the sub-award cycle.
• Follow up with the schools with continuous feedback to ensure proper qualitative performance management.

Requirements:

• Bachelor of Education, social sciences, international development, or related field.
• Clear understanding of education in emergencies, including barriers that children face in accessing their right to education.
• 3-5 years professional experience in project management, education-related implementation, providing teacher professional development/training, psychosocial support activities, curriculum development, community mobilization for education.
• NGO/INGO experience preferred is a must.
• Previous experience leading teams in education programming.  
• Experience facilitating trainings and workshops on education topics.
• Familiar working in BML, and with emergency contexts and issues.
• Positive and professional attitude, including ability to lead and work well in a team setting.
• Strong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail.
• Knowledge, skills and experience in participatory methods of community development and mobilization.
• Comfortable attending and facilitating meetings and representing education issues.
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, creativity, and flexibility.
• Fluency in English and Arabic strongly preferred

Travel and other requirements: The position will be based in Beirut, with some travel required between the governorates and the main IRC office in Beirut.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.