Education Officer (Emergency), NOB, Temporary Appointment # 00128247, Karachi, Pakistan

Join our UNICEF Pakistan dynamic team as Education Officer (Emergency) to work with our program in UNICEF Karachi, Pakistan.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Education

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges. 

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilisers, communities and families, and of course the children and adolescents themselves.  

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

• Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunized, protected from polio and accessing nutritious food.
• Every child learns.
• Every child is protected from violence and exploitation and registered at birth.
• Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. 

To learn more about UNICEF’s work in Pakistan, please visit the country website www.unicef.org/pakistan and videos on YouTube and Vimeo

Under the guidance and general supervision of the Education Officer, Education Officer (Emergency Education) will provide professional, technical, operational, and administrative assistance throughout UNICEF’s emergency response for all educational programmes/projects in Southern Sindh - with a specific focus on repair, rehabilitation and re-construction of partially/fully damaged schools using a convergence model integrated programmatic approach.  

How can you make a difference?

Main duties and responsibilities for the post include the following:

• Co-convene District Education Working Group (DEWG) in flood affected districts in Sothern Sindh (on a monthly basis) and coordinate with District-level Progress Review & Coordination Committee (PRCC) to coordinate Emergency Preparedness and Response;
• Planning with a particular focus on repair/rehabilitation and reconstruction of partially/fully damaged schools supported by UNICEF, Donors/Partners and School Education and Literacy Department;
• Liaise with UNICEF (FO, PCO), Education Works, School Education and Literacy Department to ensure design of child-friendly and integrated/convergence model Temporary Learning Center (TLC)/Transitional School Structure (TSS), quality assurance measures (including UNICEF branding), timely construction and smooth hand over to the Government;
• Effectively liaise with DEWGs for equity-focused survey related to potential rapid needs assessment, joint needs assessment and share findings with related stakeholders;
• Liaise with provincial/district departments and internally to ensure integrated interventions are available at TLCs/TSS including students’ health screening, water quality testing and provision of clean drinking water, improved birth registration & nutrition of students, and 100% coverage of Polio/EPI immunization
• Coordinate with IPs/DEWGs and conduct mapping of critical educational supplies related to TLCs/TSS and liaise internally to initiate procurement processes, follow-up for timely availability of supplies to beneficiaries and effective usage to impact teaching/ learning/support conducive learning environment
• Coordinate with Districts/IPs to ensure timely inputs to Dashboard of Flood Emergency related to respective districts in Southern Sindh, carry out monthly analysis and use findings for emergency educational response planning/implementation in monthly meetings of DEWGs
• Carry out joint monthly meetings with IPs, Government Counterparts and UNICEF and conduct mutual review of status of implementation of HPDs/emergency response DCTs with a particular focus on results related to convergence
• Support development of Adolescents’ Clubs in TLCs/TSS and knowledge and skills development related to emergency preparedness, LSBE/TVET aligned with ADAP/GenU/SUCCESS

• Liaise with provincial/district departments and internally to develop training plan, training materials and provide trainings to Teachers of TLCs/TSS on Effective Classroom Management, Child Friendly Teaching/Learning, Foundational Learning, Multi-grade Teaching, MHPSS,
• MHM, positive disciplinary action to eradicate corporal punishment, school health, PSEA and other related areas;
• Organize training/timely refreshers of DEWGs on Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning and develop district-level contingency plan to response to humanitarian situation so they are available to activate upon onset of an emergency Liaise with School Management Committees (SMCs) and Village Education Committees (VECs) to develop Child-Friendly School Improvement Plan (SIPs), digitized SIPs, follow-up on the progress on SIPs in cluster level monthly meeting with SMCs and liaise with relevant stakeholders to support achievements of targets on SIPs;
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrativea nd other assets), verify compliance with approved allocation, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity.
• Maintain oversight and tracking of all education supplies, including post distribution monitoring to ensure accountability to the affected population and to address any critical protection/gender issues. Report on issues identified to ensure timely resolution by management/stakeholders.
• Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
• Prepare draft inputs for programme/donor reporting.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, psychology, sociology or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of two years of professional experience in emergency education programme planning and management.
• Experience working in a developing country especially in Sindh is considered as an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others (8) Nurtures, Leads and Manages People.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

Life at UNICEF:

Working at UNICEF is highly rewarding. With an attractive remuneration package encompassing competitive pay and benefits, a culture that helps staff thrive, and diverse opportunities for personal and professional development, we aim to help you maintain a fulfilling life both at and outside the office.

We make sure you and your loved ones receive the resources and care that you need to thrive. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. Our contracts, wellbeing policies, and initiatives ensure that you are well equipped to effectively deliver for children such as;

• Tax exemption, family allowances, hardship benefits, 10 UN holidays and annual leave allowance, maternity, paternity, adoption leave, medical and dental insurance, pension, etc.
• Career support, staff wellbeing program, breastfeeding policy, flexible work arrangements, childcare room, family support, policies & initiatives, security, etc.
• UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and regulations and will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

• The vacancy announcement is open both to internal and external candidates.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• Verified/ attested educational certificates/ degrees by HEC/ foreign institutions are a pre-requisite for employment at UNICEF, as the case may be. 
• UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates will be prioritized.
• UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if medical clearance is not obtained/ background check is not successful, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.