Ukraine, Kharkiv, with visits Sumy office

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 

Demonstrate Save the Children’s leadership behaviors at the highest level, including communicating clear vision and strategic direction for Education in Emergencies programming, fostering strong external and internal coordination, exercising managerial courage in decision-making, and building high-performing, collaborative teams across field locations and partner organizations.

Planning, Designing and Program Implementation

Coordinate day-to-day Education in Emergencies (EiE) interventions with the Senior Field Manager, Head of Programs, Education Manager and other sectors, ensuring work plans, staff supervision, and reporting are aligned with targets, timelines, and donor requirements. Provide technical guidance to Education Officers, partners and other stakeholders on establishing and managing EiE responses, including Safe Schools Common Approach, structured learning programmes, and catch-up classes integrated with Child Protection. Develop and manage detailed implementation plans and ensure timely delivery of activities, including shelter rehabilitation, DLCs, Mobile DLCs, Teachers’ DLCs and other learning spaces. Coordinate with technical teams to obtain specialised support (education, CP, MHPSS, inclusion, digital learning) and ensure that guidance is applied in the field. Regularly assess team and partner capacity, identify service gaps, and support adaptation of response plans. Conduct frequent field visits for process monitoring, troubleshooting, and quality improvement. Identify operational challenges early and communicate them promptly to the Senior Field manager, Head of programs and Education Manager; share learning across EiE teams.

Program Quality 

Ensure children continue learning safely and can access integrated psychosocial support, SEL activities, and digital or blended learning when relevant. Ensure adherence to SCI policies and standards, including INEE Minimum Standards, Child Safeguarding, Core Humanitarian Standards and Safe Schools principles. Maintain updated tools, guidance, and methodologies for EiE, ensuring the team uses them consistently and meets deadlines for submissions. Uphold strong accountability to children and communities, ensuring programmes remain needs-based, conflict-sensitive, and protective. In collaboration with MEAL, ensure effective monitoring systems, data collection tools, indicator tracking, documentation of evidence and learning. Contribute to high-quality donor reports, internal updates, visibility products and case studies. Ensure robust programme documentation and support visibility initiatives when required.

Coordination:

Support the Senior Field Manager, Head of Programs and Education Program Manager in fostering effective partnerships with local NGOs, CSOs, networks, and education actors to strengthen implementation, advocacy, and research. Organise and facilitate bi-weekly coordination meetings with implementing partners, ensuring consistent follow-up on action points and preparation of clear, timely Minutes of Meeting. Liaise with government authorities at oblast and local levels—including education departments, civil-military administrations, and other relevant bodies—on policy advocacy, access, and coordination of education activities. Coordinate closely with internal SCI teams—Child Protection, NFI/Shelter/Wash, MEAL, Supply Chain and Operations—to ensure integrated, harmonised, and efficient programming across field locations.

Team Management:

 Lead, mentor and support EiE team members, ensuring clear objectives, regular performance feedback, and a culture of accountability and high performance Oversee day-to-day team management, including workflow planning, leave management, timesheets, and addressing staff relations issues in coordination with HR. Strengthen staff capacity through coaching, on-the-job learning and formal trainings, including digital learning support and emergency education approaches. Ensure safeguarding standards are fully understood and applied by SCI and partner staff. Support the recruitment and onboarding of Education personnel as required.

Administrative and Budget Management: 

Support the Senior Field Manager, Head of Programs and Education Manager in developing budgets and implementation plans for SCI and partner organizations. Lead the preparation of procurement requests and administrative documentation required for timely and compliant program delivery, in close coordination with Supply Chain and Operations teams. Monitor spending against budgets, flag risks, delays, or required re-allocations, and provide timely updates to the Senior Field Manager, Head of Programs and Education Manager. Ensure full compliance with SCI and donor procedures related to procurement, asset management, financial documentation, and record-keeping.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND ATTRIBUTES:

Qualifications/Accreditations:

Advanced degree in Education, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or relevant field; a Bachelor’s degree with strong experience is acceptable.

Knowledge/Experience: 

At least years of experience in education programmes (primary, secondary and/or early childhood), preferably in emergencies.  Good understanding of EiE approaches, safe learning environments, inclusion, and structured learning activities. Experience in project cycle management and coordination with local NGO partners. Experience in budgeting or budget monitoring. Experience delivering teacher or staff training. Understanding of barriers to access, participation, and inclusion in education in Ukraine. Experience working in humanitarian or NGO contexts. Ability to identify issues and develop practical solutions. Fluency in Ukrainian and English.

Skills/Abilities:

Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing circumstances. Strong initiative and ability to work independently and collaboratively. Excellent communication, facilitation and analytical writing skills. Strong relationship-building and negotiation skills. Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Commitment to Save the Children’s mission, values, safeguarding and child-rights principles.

Desirable:

Experience working in conflict-affected regions of Ukraine. Experience in ECCD, youth programming, teacher development, wellbeing/MHPSS, or digital/remote learning

Safeguarding:

We need to keep children and communities safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children, adults in the communities and staff from abuse, exploitation, neglect and harm arising from our activities. The role holder shall perform their duties in line with the SCI SAFEGUARDING POLICY, hours a day, days a week, in both private and professional life. 

Equal Opportunities

The role holder needs to perform the duties in accordance with SCI's equality, timeliness and diversity policies and procedures.

Health and safety

The role holder shall perform the necessary duties in accordance with the SCI health and safety policies and procedures.

Preventing Fraud, Bribery and Corruption

The role holder shall perform the necessary duties in according with COUNTER-FRAUD, BRIBERY & CORRUPTION POLICY and keep any activity during performance of duties free from any instances of fraud, bribery, theft and corruption.