Are you a passionate advocate for education? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of children in the world’s poorest countries? The Global Partnership for Education Secretariat (GPE) would like to hear from you.
Who we are
GPE is a shared commitment to end the world’s learning crisis. It is the only global partnership and fund dedicated entirely to helping children in lower-income countries get a quality education, so they can unlock their potential and contribute to building a better world.
We bring together governments, teachers, civil society, donors, United Nations agencies, development banks, businesses and private foundations to achieve our shared vision that every child deserves to learn.
What we do
GPE currently supports 76 low- and lower-middle-income countries to transform their education systems so that all children can get the education they need to thrive. We work where the needs are greatest and focus on reaching the children who are the most vulnerable, including girls, children with disabilities and those who live in countries characterized by extreme poverty or conflict.
How we work
Transforming education is about creating lasting changes and achieving impact at scale. GPE’s new strategic plan, GPE 2025, sets out to deliver this transformative change by convening partners, mobilizing funds and catalyzing reforms to help partner countries get more girls and boys in school, improve teaching and learning, and build equitable, inclusive and resilient education systems fit for the 21st century.
Our unique approach works. Since 2002, 160 million more children in GPE partner countries have set foot in classrooms for the first time, more than half of them girls. In 2020, GPE was also the largest provider of education grants in the global COVID-19 response, rapidly providing partner countries with vital resources to ensure that learning could safely continue.
Raise Your Hand
In July 2021, the Global Education Summit raised a record US$4 billion from donors for GPE’s Raise Your Hand campaign. This put GPE firmly on the path to achieving its fundraising target of at least $5 billion over the next five years to transform education systems in up to 90 countries and territories. At the Summit, Heads of State and Government from partner countries made historic commitments to domestic education financing and GPE also mobilized an unprecedented number of pledges from businesses, private foundations and development banks.
A fully funded GPE would enable up to 175 million children to learn and help get 88 million more girls and boys in school by 2025. In the longer term, this investment could add $164 billion to economies in GPE partner countries, lift 18 million people out of poverty, and protect 2 million girls from early marriage.
Governance and organizational arrangements
The GPE Board of Directors includes ministerial-level board members and alternates representing 20 constituencies that reflect the Partnership’s breadth. The Board Chair is HE President Jakaya Kikwete and the Board Vice Chair is Dr Susan Liautaud. The Board of Directors, with its three standing committees, provides policy and strategic oversight and approves or delegates funding decisions.
The GPE Secretariat, with over 120 employees and hosted by the World Bank, is responsible for translating the policies and strategies set by the Board into practical support for partner countries, coordinating with diverse stakeholders and galvanizing global support for SDG4. The Secretariat’s headquarters are in the World Bank’s offices in Washington, D.C. and the European office is in Paris with a satellite office in Brussels. This is an international recruitment subject to compensation on the local pay scale for the selected duty station, and global mobility benefits may apply as per World Bank Group policy.
Job Description
The Partnerships Team seeks to recruit a Partnership Specialist to strengthen its global policy work in close collaboration with other Secretariat teams. A strong focus for this work will be on driving the effectiveness of GPE partnership work, including strengthening its links to the new operating model and to strategic advocacy, donor relations, communications, governance and other functions; and advancing a coordinated effective approach to knowledge and evidence sharing both with country partners and within the Secretariat.
Duties and Accountabilities
This position will report to the Team Lead for the Partner Country Engagement Team and will serve as a member of the Partnerships Team. The person hired will be responsible for the following:
Collaborating on mechanisms that strengthen engagement in GPE’s governance structures
• Strengthen communication and coordination within and between country partner constituencies to allow broader and coordinated country partner positions at Board and Committee meetings through:
a) Coordinating pre-Board ministerial briefings and country partner constituency meetings to amplify country partner voice; and
b) Assisting country partners where necessary with their intra-constituency consultations.
Supporting strategic advocacy in international fora
• Secure and deploy a geographically diverse cohort of country partner GPE champions to support and drive momentum for strategic advocacy for education financing.
• Support ministerial country partner engagement in key global panels and events.
• Help secure strategic commitments for domestic finance from country partners.
Facilitating a coordinated effective approach to knowledge and evidence sharing
• Facilitate the effective implementation of GPE’s operating model.
• Collaborate on relevant knowledge and innovation exchange between country partners.
• Facilitate strategic consultations so that key GPE strategies and other mechanisms are informed by and stress tested through country partner feedback and recommendations.
• Systematically communicate changes in GPE policies and guidelines to country partners and other development in-country partners.
Selection Criteria
• Master’s degree in education, international development, or a relevant related field with at least five years relevant experience (or equivalent combination of education and experience). • Strong understanding of the global international development environment, key institutions and partners and topical issues. • Demonstrated strength in written and oral communications (in English), with strong ability to convey complex ideas in a clear, direct, and lively style. • Familiarity with international development and the current debates and issues related to the sustainable development agenda, including the key international actors and UN processes. • Well-honed communication, interpersonal, relationship management and influencing skills; able to relate to people at all levels of an organization. • Highly team-oriented, but also able to work effectively with considerable autonomy under tight deadlines to deliver in a timely manner. • Willingness to work in a complex environment and travel to developing countries. • Preference given for candidate with foreign language skills in another UN language.
Competencies
• Appropriately involves others in decision making and communicates with key stakeholders. • Approaches conflicts as common problems to be solved. Actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches displaying a sense of mutuality and respect. • Integrates WBG perspective into work.
Staff Mobility
Term appointments include, but are not limited to, medical benefits, including dental and vision, Staff Retirement Plan, financial assistance program, life & disability insurance, comprehensive leave policy (minimum 26 days/annum) and parental leave policy (50-100 days).
Diversity and Inclusion
Poverty has no borders. Neither does excellence. This is why we continually search for qualified individuals with a diverse set of backgrounds from around the globe. We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, creed, race, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.
GPE has a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in line with its PSEAH policy.
Individuals with disabilities may be provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions of the role and support in receiving other workplace accommodations. Please contact the DAF-Disability Accommodation Fund at disabilityfund@worldbank.org for further information and support.
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.
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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.
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