National Project Officer (Education)

The National Project Officer (Education) will support and coordinate programme implementation related to education sector planning, coordination, monitoring and quality education through teacher training and learning assessment in Afghanistan. The role involves project management, sector planning, stakeholder engagement, financial management, team leadership, and resource mobilization to strengthen education systems and promote quality education.

Responsibilities

• Support the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of UNESCO education programmes and projects, ensuring alignment with approved project documents, UNESCO regulations and donor requirements.
• Develop and manage annual workplans, implementation schedules, risk registers and results frameworks.
• Monitor implementation progress and achievement of targets, ensuring timely delivery of outputs and outcomes.
• Identify implementation challenges and develop mitigation measures to ensure programme continuity and effectiveness.
• Prepare project progress updates, briefing notes, donor reports and technical documentation for internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate implementation and oversight of consultancy contracts, partnerships and service agreements.
• Ensure wrap-up and closing the GPE SCG project.
• Support education sector analysis, planning and policy development processes with a focus on quality, equity and inclusion.
• Lead and coordinate monitoring and evaluation activities, including development of results frameworks, indicator tracking tools and implementation monitoring systems.
• Contribute to education data management, analysis, research studies and evidence generation initiatives.
• Support development and maintenance of education sector dashboards, databases and information products.
• Produce analytical reports, policy briefs, presentations and knowledge products to inform programme and policy decisions.
• Support learning assessments and education research initiatives, including data collection, analysis and dissemination of findings.
• Participate in and contribute to education sector coordination mechanisms, technical working groups and joint UN initiatives.
• Organize meetings, workshops, consultations and capacity development activities.
• Represent UNESCO in relevant technical discussions and sector forums as delegated by the supervisor.
• Support budget planning, monitoring and expenditure tracking of assigned projects.
• Conduct regular budget reviews and variance analyses to ensure efficient use of resources.
• Ensure compliance with UNESCO financial, procurement and administrative procedures and donor requirements.
• Contribute to preparation of financial updates and programme expenditure forecasts.
• Provide day-to-day guidance and technical support to project personnel, consultants and implementing partners.
• Contribute to staff development and strengthening of partner capacities in planning, monitoring, evaluation and programme management.
• Foster teamwork, accountability, innovation and knowledge sharing across the programme portfolio.
• Support development of concept notes, project proposals and partnership initiatives.
• Contribute to donor engagement, advocacy and resource mobilization efforts.
• Identify opportunities for expansion and sustainability of UNESCO education programmes.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in the field of education, social sciences and related area.
• Minimum four (4) years of progressively responsible professional experience in education programme management, research, system strengthening, quality education, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience in project implementation, reporting and stakeholder coordination.
• Strong programme and project management skills.
• Excellent knowledge of results-based management, monitoring and evaluation methodologies.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative research and analytical skills.
• Excellent report writing and communication skills.
• Strong coordination, networking and stakeholder engagement abilities.
• High level of integrity, professionalism and accountability.
• Excellent IT skills, including advanced use of MS Office applications and data management tools.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required.
• Fluency in national languages of Afghanistan (Dari and/or Pashto).
• Desirable: Advanced university degree (PhD) in the field of education, social sciences, development studies or a related area.
• Desirable: Experience with GPE, education sector planning and coordination processes.
• Desirable: Experience in learning assessments and education research.
• Desirable: Experience in donor-funded programme management.
• Desirable: Experience with statistical and data analysis software such as STATA, R, SPSS, Power BI or NVivo.
• Desirable: Experience working with development partners, NGOs, government institutions or UN agencies.
• Desirable: Experience in fragile, conflict-affected or emergency contexts.
• Desirable: Knowledge of UNESCO’s mission and action in the position’s field.

Skills

• Education Program Management
• Project Implementation
• Reporting
• Stakeholder Coordination
• Programme Management
• Project Management
• Result-Based Management
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Quantitative Research
• Qualitative Research
• Analytical Skills
• Report Writing
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Networking
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Data Management
• Education Sector Planning
• Learning Assessment
• Donor-Funded Programme Management
• Statistical Software Stata
• Data Analysis
• Finance Management
• Team Leadership
• Resource Mobilization

Languages

English, Dari, Pashto