Education Officer – UNICEFUNICEF

Job Description

The UNICEF Malawi Country Programme (2024-2028) works through a One-UN approach based on the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSCDF) Strategic Priorities. 2024-2028).  All four strategic priorities of the UNSCDF2024-2028 hold significance to UNICEF and the priorities identified for children: i) Economic Development, ii) Governance, iii) Human Capital Development, and iv) Climate Change. UNICEF co-leads the further elaboration and results in developing the Human Capital Development strategic priority. The intent of the UNICEF CPD 2024-2028 is fully aligned with these priorities, which are also directly linked to the pillars of Malawi Vision 2063, and the Malawi Implementation Plan (MIP, 2030). To this extent, UNICEF’s strategy for the CPD includes Child Survival and Development (Health, Nutrition and WASH), Education, Learning and Child Protection, Social Policy (Social Protection and Public Finance for Children), Gender Equality, Inclusion and Innovation within a robust evidence-informed environment. These are focus areas under the Human Capital Development Enabler of the MIP (2030). The Country Programme envisages the progressive fulfilment of the rights to survival, development, education, protection and participation of all children, including adolescents, especially the most vulnerable and those at risk of being left behind, in an inclusive, resilient and protective environment. Besides Malawi’s 2063 vision and 2021–2030 implementation plan (MIP), the African Union’s Agenda 2063; UNICEF’s Strategic Plan, Gender Action Plan III, Innovation Strategy; and the SDGs. The country programme includes child survival and development, learning, skills development and protection, and social policy. All components are supported by the programme and operational effectiveness and efficiency imperatives. Risk-informed programming across the humanitarian and development nexus in all three outcome areas will strengthen disaster preparedness, enhance climate adaptation/mitigation and response, and increase the resilience capacity of institutions, communities and young people. Programming aligns with UNICEF Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s Transformative Agenda.

UNICEF Malawi’s Education programme seeks to ensure that children, especially the most vulnerable, are learning in educational settings that are healthy, safe and inclusive. It also prioritizes alternative and diverse pathways for learning and to help adolescents build the skills to return to school, gain employment, maintain livelihoods and lead productive lives.

Malawi is beset by a learning poverty, with less than 20 per cent of children (7-13 years) in Malawi possessing foundational literacy skills and less than 15 per cent having foundational numeracy skills. UNICEF Malawi’s Education programme is therefore prioritizing inclusive foundational learning, focusing its resources on the youngest learners to ensure they are ready for school and equipped with the literacy and numeracy skills essential for lifelong productivity and well-being.  Across its work, UNICEF promotes equity and inclusion in all its initiatives, implementing programmes that expand education services for children with disabilities, supporting the enrollment and retention of girls in schools, ensuring continuity of learning during emergencies while it , and prioritizes the most disadvantaged schools and communities, ensuring that limited resources are strategically directed where they can have the greatest impact, particularly in light of rising inequities and hardships across the country..

As the Education Officer focusing on Equity and Inclusion, you will be at the forefront of ensuring that children in Malawi who are the most marginalized and disadvantaged – children with disabilities, girls, children from rural and remote areas, and the like – are given education opportunities that allow them to develop to their full potential.

How can you make a difference?

The Malawi Country Office offers an exciting and rewarding career opportunity for you to join our dynamic Education and Adolescent Development and Protection (EADP) team where you will be responsible for the Equity and Inclusion portfolio, supporting the application of an equity and inclusion lens across all aspects of education programming.

In your role, you will operate within a matrix management structure, reporting directly and functionally to the Education Specialist (Quality Learning) while being technically guided by your matrixed supervisor, the Gender Specialist and under the overall guidance of the Chief of EADP. In this role, you will also be coordinating and collaborating with other programmatic sections and teams to ensure children with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to quality social services.

This position therefore offers a unique opportunity for a qualified, motivated and committed individual to profoundly impact and influence children’s learning outcomes. By excelling in this role, you will contribute to the overall achievement of transformative results for children by delivering on the following key responsibility areas, but not limited to:

1. Support UNICEF EADP team to enhance equity and inclusive education programmming, planning, implementation and monitoring, across all three education outputs, ensuring that the inclusion of children with disabilities and the most disadvantaged children is mainstreamed across programme interventions, and that gaps in the provision of quality education for the most marginalized children – children with disabilities, girls and those from disadvantaged backgrounds and the like are addressed.
2. Support  programmes on inclusive education, including girls scholarships, to ensure effective planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, financial and asset management, reporting, and documentation is delivered.
3. Work closely with other programme sections and units within UNICEF Malawi to provide technical assistance in the area of inclusive education and make relevant links in this regard to other sections, including WASH, child protection, health and nutrition and social protection.

You are encouraged to download the detailed job description  GJD Education Officer NO2.pdf in order to view the full role and its requirements.

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

The following minimum requirements:

Education:

•  A first university degree (equivalent to a Bachelor’s) from an accredited institution in one of the following fields is required: Education, Child Development, Special Education, Inclusive Education, Developmental Psychology or a relevant field.

Relevant Experience:

• A minimum of two years of relevant professional work experience is required in education, with demonstrable experience designing/planning, managing, implementing, and monitoring/reporting education programmes in developing countries also required.
• Experience in disability-inclusion and gender-transformative programming in Malawi is required.
• Experience working with the government, UN or a similar international development organization is required.
• Background and/or familiarity with education in emergency is required.

Technical knowledge and skills:

• Technical expertise in inclusive education programming, including but not limited to the following areas, early screening and identification of children with disabilities, teacher training on inclusive education, supporting girls education, social cash transfer support for disadvantaged families is required.

Language:

• Fluency in English and a local language, both strong verbal and written skills, are essential.