Senior Education Officer (Multiple Duty Stations: Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, Jordan, and HQ Amman)

Org. Setting and ReportingUNRWA, the largest United Nations operation in the Middle East with over 30,000 staff working across five areas of operation, is looking for highly committed personnel wishing to make a change. The Senior Education Officer will report to the Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs (Programmes) in the assigned Field Office or one of the Deputy Directors of Education in HQ Amman The Senior Education Officer will collaborate closely with the Chief Field Education Programme, Deputy Directors of Education at HQ Amman, working alongside various education teams and units at the Field offices. The Senior Education Officer may supervise a range of professional, general services and /or other contractual modality staff as assigned. ResponsibilitiesStrategic Leadership & Oversight: Provides high-level strategic direction to ensure teaching materials align with UNRWA’s education values and standards. Leads quality assurance and monitoring processes, focusing on educational appropriateness, inclusivity, and cultural sensitivity. Represents the Field Office / HQ in coordination forums, engaging with ministries, donors, and education clusters. Curriculum Review & Development: Leads the review and adaptation of teaching and learning materials in accordance with agency-wide frameworks and evolving educational needs. Develops classroom implementation guidelines that help educators address curriculum complexities and local contexts. Capacity Building & Professional Development: Supports the continuous professional development of education personnel, emphasizing modern, inclusive, and digital pedagogical practices. Facilitates training initiatives that enhance teachers’ capacity to deliver curriculum content effectively. Ensures that teachers are equipped with the tools and knowledge needed to deliver curriculum content aligned with UN values and UNESCO standards. Programme Implementation, Monitoring and Reporting: Coordinates programme implementation, reporting, and evaluation efforts in collaboration with technical teams and HQ-A. Monitors the use and impact of curriculum materials at the school level, promoting evidence-based refinements. Resource Mobilization & Project Support: Contributes to the drafting of project proposals and reports to support fundraising and strategic partnerships in coordination with HQ Amman. CompetenciesUN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Leadership i. Deciding and Initiating Action. ii. Leading and Supervising. Functional i. Planning and Organizing. ii. Relating and Networking . iii. Applying Technical Expertise. iv. Problem-Solving. v. Mentoring and Capacity Building. Other Competencies i. Cultural Competency ii. Advocacy and Representation iii. Innovation and Adaptability iv. Data-Driven Decision Making v. Communication for Impact EducationAn advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in education, organizational development and management, social sciences, international relations, or a related field. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceThe candidate must have at least seven years of progressively responsible experience in a development and/or humanitarian context in education programme with a focus in one or more of the areas of curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation and/or policy development, programme planning, implementation and managing projects is required. This experience includes developing and aligning teaching materials, ensuring quality assurance for inclusive and culturally appropriate resources, and designing teacher training programs to promote effective practices. Familiarity with creating digital teaching materials for remote learning and developing resources for emergency education contexts, as well as collaborating with diverse stakeholders is required. Unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System, at least two continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA and outside the country(s) of citizenship is required. An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in education, organizational development and management, social sciences, international relations, or a related field is required. Understanding of Refugee Education is desirable. Candidates are required to make a declaration as to whether they have any current or past affiliations with non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, political organizations, military, or have/are engaged in activities or have made any public statements, that could be seen to impact their neutrality, objectivity or independence in the performance of their duties for the UN / UNRWA. Any declaration will not necessarily disqualify candidates from consideration for this post. LanguagesExcellent command of written and spoken English. Excellent command of written and spoken Arabic is desirable. AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special NoticeThis is a UN Regular Budget post. Type of Contract and duration: 2 years, with the possibility of further extension. Advertisements published in English will only accept applications in English; other language submissions will not be considered. The incumbent will be based in any of the Job Opening locations and may be required to travel within UNRWA's area of operations in the Middle East. Only applications that have been fully completed in UNRWA's online e-recruitment system Inspira will be considered and no late applications will be accepted. The Personal History Profile (PHP) should be completed with full work experience under the experience tabs as per the requirements in the Job Opening. All university degrees must also be stated, where applicable. UNRWA personnel must ensure adding their contract type and grade level. Given the large pool of applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further assessment. Providing incorrect or misleading information on an application form will result in the immediate disqualification of the candidate. UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities. A roster may be created from the selection exercise, and successful candidates may become eligible for appointment to the same post or a similar post, when the need arises. Equivalency: A first level university degree in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. NB: work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination. Join our eco-friendly organization dedicated to environment sustainability and targeting to be plastic free by 2025. The Agency disqualifies applicants whose name appears on the UN Sanctions List or a UN database of staff separated for reason of misconduct or of staff who separated while a misconduct process was pending. UNRWA shares investigation and misconduct information with other UN Agencies, and past and prospective employers about staff members who have been separated for misconduct, or who have separated while an investigation and/or disciplinary process for misconduct is underway; and those individuals may be prohibited from employment with the United Nations. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. The mission of UNRWA is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under the difficult circumstances in which they live. For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org United Nations ConsiderationsStaff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her. UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups. At UNRWA, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. UNRWA Considerations UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST (UNRWA) DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE OR REQUEST MONEY FROM CANDIDATES AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING, ONBOARDING). UNRWA DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.