Job Title: Assistant Education Officer

Sector: Education

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Background/IRC Summary:

Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to serious humanitarian crises around the world and helps victims to survive and rebuild their lives.

For over half a century, Tanzania has been a country of asylum, hosting one of the largest refugee populations in Africa.  Currently, the country hosts approximately 287,903 Burundian and Congolese refugees, many of whom arrived in 2015 as the crisis in Burundi increased. To date, refugees continue to co-exist with the host communities in Kigoma region expressing multiple reasons and needs. Within this context, IRC provides protection and basic assistance in the areas Safety (comprises of Protection and Rule of Law, Women Protection and Empowerment, and Child Protection), Health (mental health and psychosocial support services and reproductive health) and Education.

Job Overview:

DAFI Germany Academic Refugee Initiative scholarship programme (DAFI) Scholarship is a project that aims to contribute to the promotion of knowledge and leadership skills to refugee students. The programme strives to facilitate peaceful coexistence among young refugee people of all genders with their surrounding host community during displacement and upon return to their countries of origin.

This position will support the DAFI programming as well as provision of education support to urban refugees living in Dar es Salaam.

Major Responsibilities

Program Implementation

• Assist youth living in urban caseload by providing support on scholastic materials when needed and coordinating enrollment in public primary and secondary schools.
• Ensure refugee centers are safe, functional, and provide skills appropriate to the needs of the community.
• Conduct home and school visits to urban refugees to assess their education needs and write performance reports to UNHCR.
• Receive and distribute scholastic materials from UNHCR and other donors.
• Assist the education department under DAFI program during the pre-selection process for DAFI students, including receiving supporting DAFI applications, printing, photocopying, and scanning all required certificates before submitting them to colleges/universities.
• Follow up on permit letters sent to MoHA for renewals and refugee permits and movement permits of those living in Dar es Salaam.
• Support in documentation of DAFI students' academic progress results, agreements, and all other important documents.
• Link urban youth with available education opportunities.
• Provide support in the distribution of scholastic materials when needed and facilitate the enrollment of urban refugees in public primary and secondary schools.
• Collaborate with the Education department and UNHCR to create more opportunities for people to access tertiary and post-secondary education.
• Perform any other duties as advised by the supervisor.

Representation and Partnership:

• Participating in monthly Education Working Group meetings, presenting project updates, and documenting relevant action points.
• Representing the organization during engagement meetings organized by partners and the government in Dar es Salaam, fostering collaboration across other IRC programs.
• Coordinating and integrating the DAFI and urban refugee project with other IRC sectors.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: Education Officer
• Position directly supervises: No direct supervisee.

Other Internal and/or external contacts:  Education Team, finance, program team, government, clients, and all staff within the country program.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in education is required. Majoring in Guidance and Counselling is preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years work experience in program implementation.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies

• A commitment to IRC’s mission and humanitarian principles.
• Must have knowledge and ability to support PWs in Inclusive education.
• Receptive to building and maintaining positive relationships with people from all backgrounds, genders, cultures, and viewpoints.
• Experience in working with refugee communities desirable.
• Knowledge of Education in Emergencies
• Experience working with refugees, preferably in an education and counselling capacity.
• Experience in community mobilization and coordination.
• Highly collaborative and consultative approach.
• Good IT skills: knowledge of MS Word; Excel and Outlook required.

Language/Travel

• English and Swahili are required. French and Kirundi will be an added advantage.
• Travel: 40% of time spent visiting clients and project sites in country locations.

Working Environment: Security level yellow - The situation in most of the country is calm. Some parts of Kigoma region experience insecurity-highway banditry.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation. 

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity.  We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal. 

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.