India: Regional Education Coordinator, South Asia

Organisational Context

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international non-governmental organisation with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. The organisation was founded in November 1980, is sponsored by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit Order) and has a presence in over 45 countries. JRS serves at national and regional levels with the support and guidance of an international office in Rome. The style of JRS service is human and spiritual, working in situations of greatest need, seeking the long-term wellbeing of refugees and displaced persons while not neglecting their immediate or urgent needs. JRS offers opportunities to a wide variety of staff, local and international, while maintaining a realistic and localised scheme of salary/stipend, insurance, etc.

Operational Context/Role

The Regional Education Coordinator is the person responsible for the education projects the South Asia Region which includes India and Afghanistan. S/he reports directly to the Regional Director based in New Delhi, India and oversees the planning, organization, implementation, staffing and monitoring of education projects.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and supervision of Fr Stan Fernandes SJ, Regional Director for South Asia, the Regional Education Coordinator will be responsible for the following tasks:

General:

• Support the implementation of JRS projects in the South Asia Region in order to guarantee the quality of formal and informal education services provided to refugees, forcibly displaced and war-affected people.
• Serve as a resource person for the Regional Director and the Regional Programmes Officers, undertake needs assessments for new education projects, and oversee the direction and evaluation of existing projects.
• Lead contextualised training of teachers (i.e., responsible for the training of team members and of teaching personnel).
• Liaise with local government/education ministries and authorities.
• Taking these priorities into account, as well as international standards for education in emergencies, the Regional Education Coordinator is responsible for supporting JRS teams in terms of the conception, supervision, and implementation of projects responding to the specific needs of refugees, forcibly displaced and war-affected people in the region.

Planning:

• Under the supervision of the Regional Director, and in collaboration with the International Education and Programmes Department and regional and country team members, s/he will define the strategy for and prioritise the implementation of the educational programmes in the region.
• Technically support the annual review and planning of JRS projects taking into account regional and international strategies and guidelines, as well as international standards for education in emergencies.
• Conduct needs assessments for new educational projects.

Project implementation:

• Define and coordinate actions that guarantee the implementation of strategic priorities in the region.
• Coordinate JRS teams and reinforce their capacities. S/he will:
• Supervise the activities and the implementation of education projects.
• Prepare key documents in order to implement, support and coordinate key interventions.
• Disseminate information regarding educational systems, key documents, Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), etc.
• Plan and implement training to reinforce the capacities of educational teams.
• Collaborate with other actors in the educational sector in the region:
• Ensure the effective exchange of information, technical support, and advocacy regarding education in emergencies in the regions between JRS and other key actors (beneficiaries, NGOs, UN Agencies, Education Clusters, Ministries of Education, etc.).
• Support the technical work of the teams in the field and coordinate their interaction with local authorities.

Reporting:

• Write and submit monthly activity reports to the Regional Director.
• Support the Regional Office in the consolidation of reports coming from the field.

Evaluation:

• Monitor and provide ongoing supervision of educational projects.
• Participate in educational needs assessments for the different projects and propose innovative strategies or approaches to tackle them.
• Propose and create tools to evaluate impact indicators and the quality of JRS education projects.
• Perform other related duties as requested by the supervisors.

Qualifications and experience:

• Master’s degree in Education or related field;
• Experience (at least 3 years) working in project management, preferably in education in emergencies and protracted crises;
• Proven experience in managing people/teams in low resource environments;
• Demonstrated experience of and commitment to working with marginalized communities;
• A commitment to the education of girls and people with special needs.

Languages

• Fluency in English (written and spoken) and excellent writing skills;
• A commitment to learn the basics of Tamil.

Technical Skills

• Experience with virtual learning environments, including Desire 2 Learn (D2L) and Blackboard, or equivalent Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Moodle and/or the aptitude to learn to use a new LMS;
• Ability to identify and troubleshoot problems with computers, servers, and power sources, and secure repairs;
• Ability to work with Microsoft Office and experience with managing computer networks and software;
• Strong analytical, reporting, and planning skills with demonstrated solutions focus;
• Strong monitoring and evaluation skills/experience;
• Knowledge of project cycle management;
• Knowledge of and ability to apply Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) standards.

Core values and ethics

• Good understanding of and compatibility with the values of JRS;
• Very good pastoral sense combined with ability to listen and excellent communication/inter-personal skills;
• Demonstrated ability and experience of working in a multi-cultural environment;
• Willingness and ability to travel to the regional and country offices, when appropriate;
• Compassion for refugees and displaced people, a motivation to serve, and (desirable) experience of working in the context of forced migration;
• A capacity to adapt to basic living and working conditions particularly to operate in a sub-optimal working environment subject to power cuts / intermittent electricity;
• Demonstrable experience of, and capacity for, working collaboratively as part of a team and putting in practice team building skills;
• Flexibility in work hours as needed, including some evenings and weekends.

The contract is for one year, renewable with an initial probationary period of three months. The JRS remuneration policy is aligned with the JRS ethos of offering effective and professional services and at the same time expressing solidarity with the people served. The salary is calculated with the use of a post-adjustment multiplier and takes into account years of relevant experience and the degree of responsibility of the role. Details will be discussed with short-listed candidates.

All applicants are requested to submit the following documents through this link:

1) Curriculum Vitae (CV) in English including three (3) professional references with their contact information, phone and email address.

2) A cover letter describing the candidate's desire and motivation to work for JRS and how your qualifications and experience are a good fit for this position.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.