Non-Formal Education Manager

Location: Ramallah

Position Status: Full-time, Regular

Salary Level: 6A

Duration: One-Year

Department: Positive Youth Engagement (PYE), Non-Formal Education

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The Program

Positive Youth Engagement (PYE) is a seven-year multi-sectoral Youth Activity designed to address the core issues of Palestinian youth development. The PYE activity will reach vulnerable and marginalized youth aged 10-24 at risk of social marginalization in deprived areas and private universities where they live by improving education, health, employment, community involvement (reintegration), and other needs as identified through drivers' assessments. The activity’s goal is to transform vulnerable youth into productive, contributing citizens who are connected to their communities by increasing opportunities for Palestinian youth to realize their potential and to effectively contribute to social and economic development. The following are the main themes of the PYE:

• Core programming that supports, protects, prepares, and engages youth in safe spaces found within a strong network of more than 80 CBOs throughout the West Bank.
• Tailored packages of activities, resources, and referrals that will set youth on individually selected pathways building on the core curriculum to increase opportunities for youth to effectively contribute to social and economic development.
• Opportunities for sustained community engagement and leadership through youth-led pathways and councils, community and social media campaigns, and mentorship of subsequent cohorts as part of sustainable community youth networks.
• Improve opportunities for learning and individual empowerment for youth in grades 7-12 through the network of safe spaces.
• Expand safe spaces through 11 local university career centers to reach youth ages 19-24 and offer the PYE core interventions including the Profound Stress and Attunement (PSA) approach and healthy well-being for youth, parents, and adult caretakers; learning activities (including the Passport To Success (PTS) and I: SERVE), youth pathways; and youth-led small-scale initiatives in addition to technology and innovation-driven learning programs with a focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics), green solutions, and entrepreneurship.

The Position

The Manager for Non-Formal Education will work with partners in communities and the NFE service provider to design and implement the non-formal education component, which is an extracurricular program to provide youth in grades 7–12 with additional learning opportunities focusing on science, mathematics, and English language content areas. The role requires cultural and contextual knowledge of the local educational landscape to provide strategic insight into the development and implementation of the non-formal education component in safe spaces across 60 locations in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. The manager will be responsible for overseeing the recruitment, ongoing support and training of facilitators, monitoring program effectiveness, and assisting in the evaluation of the impact of the non-formal education activities on youth participants.

Essential Responsibilities

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

POSITION/ TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

The focus of this position would be to:

• Contribute to the design of the PYE non-formal education framework and implementation plans in collaboration with the Technical Advisor, and partner organizations and safe space network in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza to ensure a participatory approach to the implementation of related activities.
• Conduct in-depth review and provide strategic insight in cooperation with local experts on learning material in three content areas: math, science, and the English language, with a focus on improving the educational performance of youth grades 7–12 through interactive and transformational learning activities and sessions.
• Liaise with the non-formal education service provider and master trainers on the development and/or implementation of non-formal education activities.
• Deliver ongoing training of trainers (ToT) and technical support to NFE facilitators and peer youth facilitators.
• Collaborate with partner organizations to advance the sustainability of non-formal education and related efforts across target localities beyond the project duration.
• Collaborate with the Technical Advisor and MEL Team to monitor and evaluate the impact of non-formal education programs to ensure effectiveness, proper data collection, and propose adjustments for continuous improvement.
• Manage procurement and financial processes related to non-formal education activities, ensuring compliance with donor requirements with direction from the Technical Advisor.
• Track the reach of the non-formal education program to youth in public and private schools as well as dropouts from secondary and high schools across target localities with a focus on reaching them through the safe spaces in their communities.
• Support the training of pre-and in-service teachers in private schools and fresh graduates, as well as older youth (NFE peer facilitators) in coordination with the specialized service provider to effectively implement and sustain non-formal education activities.
• Facilitate the development of instructional approaches, and learning materials and resources in support of math, science, and English language proficiency through non-formal learner-centered modes of instruction.
• Work in close coordination with the Gender and Social Inclusion Advisor to develop and implement gender-specific mechanisms to reach target female youth.
• Oversee the performance of partners implementing non-formal education activities.
• Contribute to weekly, quarterly, and annual reporting on this component in English and Arabic.
• Assist in the monitoring of the technical deliverables of the service provider.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Technical Advisor for Non-Formal Education.

Supervisory Responsibility

The Manager for Non-Formal Education will supervise the Officer and Assistant for Non-Formal Education. Additionally, the Manager will be working closely with other staff within the PYE team, the MEL team, and Safe Spaces Specialist, in addition to the PYE partner organization and safe spaces.

Accountability

Reports directly to: PYE Technical Advisor for Non-Formal Education

Works directly with: STE, Technical Advisors, Partners, Safe Space Network, Local Educational Experts, NFE Service Provider, Finance and Operations teams, and PYE Officer and Assistant for Non-Formal Education.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

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Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

-       A degree in Education, International Development, or a related field.

-       Minimum 8 years of experience in education programs and working with youth is ideal.

-       Experience initiating and implementing effective performance monitoring education delivery.

-       Experience working on education programs in the Palestinian context with key Palestinian stakeholders and community-based organizations is strongly preferred.

-       Prior experience in the implementation of teacher and facilitator training, support, and monitoring programs and protocols, including those that are evidence-based is preferred.

-       Strong interpersonal skills with evidence of ability to productively interact with a wide range and levels of organizations.

-       Demonstrated ability to be flexible and creative.

-       Strong communications and technical skills.

-       Fluent verbal and written communication skills in Arabic and excellent verbal and written English is required.

Success Factors

A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members and other partners of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning, problem-solving, and proactiveness. This position requires an ability to think creatively about changing norms that lead to greater opportunities for economic growth at household, community, and institutional levels. S/he will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem-solve, work within a complex and sensitive setting, and follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply online HERE no later than 10:00AM on Sunday, 10 Dec 2024.  Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.