Education Technical Advisor (Ukraine Nationals Only) – Maternity Cover

Save the Children International

Save the Children International is a leading global humanitarian organization that has been protecting children's rights worldwide for over 100 years. We operate in more than 100 countries, responding to emergencies, implementing innovative development programs, and advocating for children's rights on a global scale.

Our work in Ukraine began in 2014. Since then, we have significantly expanded our presence, providing support to children and families affected by war. Our key areas of focus include education, child protection, food security, social support, and advocacy to drive lasting change in children's lives.

ROLE PURPOSE:
The national Education Technical Advisor (TA) is responsible for ensuring that all Save the Children (SCI) interventions related to education are of a high technical quality, meet national and international standards, and are fully aligned with Save the Children’s 2025-2027 Country Strategic Plan for Ukraine. The national Education Technical Advisor supports SCI’s Education in Emergencies (EiE) programming in Ukraine and prepares and pre-positions SCI for nexus, recovery and development education programming. SCI’s education response focuses on improving education access and quality and strengthening education systems within Ukraine, and activities currently include:

• School and kindergarten rehabilitation
• SCI’s Safe Schools Common Approach
• Catch-up and remedial programming;
• Teacher wellbeing and professional development;
• Mobile learning and wellbeing support;
• Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for children and teachers
• Provision of learning and recreational materials (including to children with special educational needs).

SCI co-chairs the Education in Emergencies Thematic Working Group (EiE TWG), within the Education Sector Working Group (ESWG), alongside the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) and the national NGO Teach for Ukraine, and represents SCI as co-lead agency for the education sector alongside UNICEF at the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG). As such, SCI plays a key role at sector level, including supporting MoES, ensuring a coordinated response in Ukraine, and actively contributing to the professional development of the sector.

The national Education Technical Advisor supports SCI implementing teams and local partners to deliver quality education programming that responds to the needs of children (including adolescents and youth), parents, teachers and schools, while also adapting and responding to changes and challenges that arise in the Ukraine context. In collaboration with international Education TA, the national Education Technical Advisor ensures that education interventions are in line with relevant quality standards and procedures, international guidelines and national ministerial priorities and approaches, and agreed best practices and contextualizes educational approaches for implementation in Ukraine when needed. The national Education Technical Advisor maintains close working relationships with other TAs to integrate programming effectively to meet the holistic needs of children and families and builds internal and external capacities on a variety of education topics, including those related to inclusion, adolescents and youth, and others. With guidance from international Education TA, the national Education TA contributes to project and proposal development and also plays a critical role in networking and relationship building with key internal and external stakeholders, including the MoES.

This position demands a highly motivated, detail-oriented individual able to solve challenges and communicate effectively in a rapidly changing context that spans the humanitarian-development nexus.
Please note: This is a maternity cover role for minimum six months, open to national candidates only, with an expected start date of mid-September.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
In collaboration with the international Education Technical Advisor, provide technical leadership on SCI Ukraine’s Education programming and practice:

Strategic planning and reporting

• Provide strategic input to Save the Children’s education work in Ukraine.
• Contribute to the development of education technical strategies, in line with SCI Ukraine’s strategic priorities, and SCI global education objectives and approaches.
• Contribute to review of 2025-2027 Country Strategic Plan and reporting on the education-related strategic goal, working closely with the MEAL team and the other TAs.
• Maintain strong knowledge of the country context in education, including MoES and other governmental policies, practices and standards; ensure adherence and contribution of SCI education interventions to MoES priorities and approaches.

Program development and donor reporting

• Contribute to technical development of education concept notes and technical proposals, ensuring that project design and proposal development processes are evidence-based and utilize participatory approaches.
• Ensure that technical proposals are aligned with SCI’s Country Strategic Plan and global priorities and reflect the needs of children, teachers and families in Ukraine.
• Ensure that education technical proposals consistently and effectively integrate other thematic areas (such as child protection, adolescents and youth, MHPSS and others); in particular, facilitate mainstreaming of gender, inclusion and resilience throughout all aspects of education technical proposals (narrative, logical framework, etc.).
• Explore innovative solutions and approaches to design competitive, effective, high-quality education programs in Ukraine’s rapidly changing context.
• Contribute to donor reporting for SCI’s education programs, ensuring high-quality, timely, and compliant reporting that reflects program impact, challenges, and learning.
• Coordinate effectively with Area Office teams to collect and validate necessary information for donor reporting, ensuring accuracy and coherence in program updates.

Support to program implementation

• Support the Education Operations Teams in SCI’s Area Offices to implement high-quality education projects.
• Participate in the development of operational plans for education.
• Support the Education Operations Teams in Area Offices to deliver activities to the highest standards, identify areas for improvement, and assess capacity building needs.
• Conduct monitoring visits in collaboration with the Education Operation and MEAL Teams to assess quality of implementation, both for directly-delivered and partners’ delivered projects.
• Work in close cooperation with Partnership team to assess, identify and support implementing and strategic partners in Education.

Program quality, technical expertise, knowledge management, innovation

• Continuously explore and synthesize information on education needs, barriers, issues and constraints.
• Support implementation of Save the Children’s Common Approaches where relevant, with a focus on Safe Schools.
• Ensure that education programs are of high quality with reliable data and outcomes, in collaboration with the MEAL team.
• Contribute to development of terms of reference (ToRs) and data collection tools for education-related assessments and research.
• Strengthen program learning and documentation on education, in collaboration with the MEAL team.

Capacity building

• Build the capacity of Save the Children education program staff, partners staff, stakeholders, and others as relevant, in line with program priorities.
• Develop education-specific training packages, conduct workshops, trainings and other learning events for Save the Children project teams, partners and other stakeholders.
• Provide direct technical support to partners implementing education activities.
• Participate in global learning and capacity building events and cascade learning to the team as appropriate.

Advocacy and representation

• Contribute to external representation in education in Ukraine and abroad, networking and relationship building with key stakeholders.
• Help establish, maintain, and improve active and regular working relationships with government authorities, donors, partners, and local and international NGOs related to education, inclusion, and adolescents and youth.
• Engage with education expertise available within the organization globally, including members, communities of practice and networks to be well aware of thematic updates, best practices, project models, etc.

Adolescent and youth technical focal

• Develop and negotiate youth and adolescent inputs into strategic documentation, policies and guidance (including integration and mainstreaming into other sectors).
• Provide technical inputs on adolescents and youth throughout project design processes, ensuring high quality technical approaches.
• Explore innovative opportunities and trends which could be applied in adolescent and youth programming and support the response to pilot, and document, new or updated tools and guidance, especially with a focus on gender, disability, and resilience.
• Mentor and build capacity of SCI and partner staff on priority areas of adolescents and youth programming.

General

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Perform other responsibilities as agreed with line management.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice):

1. Accountability: Holds self and team accountable for decisions, resource management, and delivering results in line with Save the Children values
2. Ambition: Sets ambitious goals for self and team, takes ownership of personal development, and thinks strategically about the education response
3. Collaboration: Builds effective relationships with colleagues, partners, and external stakeholders; values diverse perspectives as a source of strength
4. Creativity: Develops and encourages innovative, disciplined approaches to programming challenges
5. Integrity: Acts with honesty and transparency, and always in the best interests of children

Behavioural competencies:

1. Leading and inspiring others: Demonstrates leadership in own work, embodies SCI values, and motivates colleagues and partners to achieve goals for children. Level required: Accomplished
2. Delivering results: Takes personal responsibility for delivering agreed goals for children, continually improving own performance. Level required: Accomplished
3. Developing self and others: Invests time and energy in own development and in building the capacity of partners and colleagues. Level required: Leading edge
4. Applying technical and professional expertise: Applies required technical and professional expertise to a high standard, promoting best practice within the team. Level required: Accomplished
5. Problem solving and decision making: Takes effective, timely decisions by gathering and evaluating relevant information. Level required: Accomplished
6. Innovating and adapting: Adapts and applies innovative solutions to succeed in changing and uncertain working environments. Level required: Skilled
7. Working effectively with others: Works collaboratively to achieve shared goals and thrives on diversity of people and perspectives. Level required: Leading edge
8. Communicating with impact: Communicates clearly and confidently to engage colleagues and stakeholders, ensuring timely and appropriate messages. Level required: Accomplished
9. Networking: Builds and uses relationships and networks to support the work of Save the Children. Level required: Skilled

Technical competencies:

Education in emergencies: Recognizes the impact of hazards, disasters, and emergencies on children’s wellbeing and learning, as well as the protective nature of education. Promotes safe and quality education continuity in complex contexts and engages in coordination of humanitarian aid efforts and transition from humanitarian programming to longer-term development programming and vice versa. Level required: Accomplished

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in education, social work, or related discipline.
• Minimum of five years’ relevant work experience in education or related field, with a strong technical understanding of the sector, including education in emergencies (EiE).
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Ukrainian.
• Experience working for an NGO or other humanitarian or development organizations in Ukraine.
• Experience coordinating with local or national authorities (e.g., MoES, Ministry of Youth, Ministry of Soical Policy, and other governmental and local authorities), INGOs, and NGOs.
• Excellent project management skills including planning, budgeting, coordination, evaluation and reporting, with the ability to manage a workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities.
• Experience developing project proposals and familiarity with key project design tools (e.g. problem trees, logical frameworks, SMART indicators, etc.).
• Ability to identify education-related needs and gaps in a given context (humanitarian/development) to inform a holistic education response for children.
• Experience in building relationships, fostering interagency coordination and representing an organization to external stakeholders.
• Experience in designing and facilitating trainings and capacity building.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Commitment to upholding Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding Policy, as well as principles of do no harm and confidentiality.
• Understanding of and commitment to SCI aims, values and principles, including rights-based approaches.

Desirable

• In-depth knowledge of one or more specific technical areas, such as adolescents & youth, early childhood education (ECE), inclusion, remedial or accelerated education, or teacher professional development.
• Master’s degree in education, public policy, social work or related discipline.

Please note: This is a maternity cover role for minimum six months, open to national candidates only, with an expected start date of mid-September.

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Save the Children is committed to create a truly inclusive, effective and representative organizational culture, encouraging equity and diversity among its employees and eliminating discrimination. Having a diverse profile of employees, different age groups, backgrounds, cultures, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientation etc., including a range of different experiences and capabilities helps us understand, represent and serve children better. Therefore, all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or age.

Child Safeguarding Policy:

We are committed to ensuring children's safety. Our recruitment process includes strict background checks and reflects our commitment to protecting children from harm.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Safeguarding, Code of Conduct and other policies.

Health and Safety:

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Application Information:

If you are interested in this position, please submit your CV and cover letter in English and include details of your salary expectation and English proficiency.

We need to keep children and their families safe, so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the safeguarding of children from abuse.

Disclaimer:

Please be cautious of individuals who may misuse the Save the Children name to solicit fees from job seekers. We do not engage third parties or agencies to recruit candidates. If someone contacts you promising recruitment or placement at Save the Children for a fee, please do not proceed.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.