Senior Education Planning Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is the largest United Nations operation in the Middle East, established to provide assistance and protection to Palestine refugees. With over 30,000 staff members, UNRWA operates across five areas of operation, focusing on education, health care, social services, and emergency assistance. The agency's mission is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under challenging circumstances. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations, and individual contributions. For more information, visit https://www.unrwa.org/

Job Overview:
The Senior Education Planning Specialist plays a crucial role in supporting high-level strategic decision-making and shaping the education agenda of UNRWA across all fields. Reporting directly to the Director of Education, the incumbent will be based at Headquarters within the Education Programme and will serve as a key link between strategic planning, data systems, and policy development. The position involves close collaboration with HQ divisions and field education teams to influence core processes such as resource allocation, school mapping, and system-wide reforms. The incumbent will provide technical leadership across various functions and may lead or coordinate staff and consultants, offering guidance, mentoring, and oversight on complex, cross-field initiatives. This role is essential for ensuring that education planning aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 and other international guidelines, while also addressing the unique challenges faced by Palestine refugees.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Education Planning Specialist will be responsible for a range of duties, including:

• Supporting the development, revision, and implementation of UNRWA's multi-year education strategy and operational workplans.
• Ensuring alignment of education planning with SDG 4, UNESCO/IIEP guidelines, and UNRWA’s education vision.
• Preparing financial simulations on staffing needs, cost-saving scenarios, and quality enhancement investments.
• Developing and implementing cost-effective financial strategies for education.
• Leading the annual class formation/school mapping processes across five fields.
• Coordinating with field offices to ensure correct application of norms and standards for class size, space utilization, and staff allocation.
• Overseeing the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track progress toward education goals and policy implementation.
• Providing technical assistance and capacity building to HQ and field-based education and planning staff.
• Establishing partnerships with universities, research institutions, and international organizations to enhance national education planning capacities. 1
• Promoting the adoption of new technologies and data-driven decision-making tools to enhance education policy formulation.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in Education Planning, Economics of Education, Public Policy, or a related field. Additionally, at least 7 years of progressively responsible and professional experience in school mapping/class formation, education financing, or EMIS development is required. Demonstrated experience in education planning, policy analysis, and large-scale programme implementation is essential, preferably within a ministry, international organization, or research institute. Proven experience in quantitative and qualitative analysis, including the use of Excel and/or planning software, is also required. Familiarity with international education frameworks such as SDG 4 and UNESCO’s Education Policies is necessary, along with experience in multi-stakeholder coordination and participatory planning processes. Candidates must also have documented experience in drafting clear and concise policy reports and technical documents.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree in Education Planning, Economics of Education, Public Policy, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. It is essential that all university degrees are stated in the application, where applicable.

Experience:
Candidates must have at least 7 years of progressively responsible and professional experience in relevant fields such as school mapping/class formation, education financing, or EMIS development. Experience in education planning, policy analysis, and large-scale programme implementation is required, preferably within a ministry, international organization, or research institute. Additionally, candidates should have experience in applying international education frameworks and in multi-stakeholder coordination and participatory planning processes. Relevant international experience outside UNRWA and outside the country(s) of citizenship is also required, unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System.

Languages:
English is required for this position, with a minimum proficiency level of UN Level III in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Arabic is desirable, with a minimum proficiency level of UN Level I. Familiarity with French is also beneficial, as it is one of the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Additional Notes:
The contract duration for this position is 1 year, with the possibility of further extension, subject to the availability of funds. The incumbent will be based in Amman and may be required to travel throughout the Agency’s area of operations in the Middle East or beyond. Applications must be fully completed in UNRWA's online e-recruitment system, and late applications will not be accepted. UNRWA is committed to achieving gender balance in its workforce and strongly encourages 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.