Education Core Competency Specialist Nigeria Abuja Full Time NEW

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization’s values. To be dedicated, innovative, inclusive and accountable are attitudes and beliefs that shall guide our actions and relationships. NRC has a commitment to safety and wellbeing and together we build a positive working culture to feel valued, empowered, supported, safe and have a sense of belonging. NRC does not tolerate employees exploiting or abusing people and has zero tolerance to inaction.

What we are looking for

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is seeking a highly qualified, resilient, and dynamic professional to take up the role of Education Core Competency Specialist. The purpose of the position is to set the strategic direction, quality assurance/control and ensure program/technical development of the Education Core Competency (CC) in Nigeria. The Education Specialist is responsible for mentoring, training, building the technical capacity of staff and local partners; and to develop the education portfolio in the country by setting minimum standards and developing relevant tools and procedures while being also responsible for fundraising, donor relations and moreover, represents NRC at relevant forums. He/she holds a key role on the mission and reports to the Head of Programme (HoP).

What you will do

• Develop Education CC strategy, technical guidance and macro-log frames that are aligned with regional and global strategies and priorities, in coordination with the other CCs Specialists.
• Contribute to fundraising, develop and revise funding proposal, budgets and donor reports.
• Identify trends technical standards and donor priorities.
• Follow up on compliance with contractual commitments within Education CC, ensure high technical quality and synergies in project implementation.
• Provide technical direction and project implementation support.
• Ensure that key learnings are extracted from Education CC implementation and incorporate them in CC and staff development processes.

Please download the detailed job description to learn more about the position.

What you will bring

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (social sciences or related disciplines). An advanced academic qualification will be an added advantage.
• Masters degree or equivalent in relevant field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience within technical expertise area in a humanitarian/recovery context.
• Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts.
• Experience managing a complex education programme including implementation, programme development, fundraising and budget development.
• Technical Education expertise, including youth programming
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities.
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile.
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal.
• Understanding of and experience working within the IASC humanitarian architecture. Experience representing an agency in national coordination mechanisms would be an asset.
• Proven track record of successful fundraising.
• Knowledge of the Nigeria or CWA humanitarian context.
• Experience with start-up, scale-up projects and emergency contexts.
• Experience in the design and delivery of team capacity strengthening, including remote coaching, mentoring and training
• Strong experience in cash and market-based approaches within education and youth programming
• Knowledge of psychosocial support programming
• Experience with youth and adolescent programming

What we offer

• Duty station: Abuja, Nigeria
• Contract: fixed contract
• Travel: N/A
• Salary/benefits**: grade 9 on NRC’s salary scale**, with accompanying terms and conditions
• NRC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity without distinction to age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
• We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.

Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC

Important information about the application process

• Internal candidates only: please click on the suitcase icon labelled “I am an employee” to be redirected to NRC’s internal careers site.
• When creating your profile, include your full name as given on your passport. Complete all the system-required fields for experience, employment history and education.
• Submit your application and CV in English, taking care to attach your latest CV.
• Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered. Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We receive many applicants for each vacant position.
• If you have any questions about this role, please email [email protected] with the job title as the subject line.

Why NRC?

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.

Watch this short video to see NRC in action.

We contribute to the development of policy aiming to protect the rights of the displaced and we call for increased humanitarian funding and engagement on processes that will generate structural changes in protection and assistance in the region.

Nigeria continues to face a complex humanitarian and development crisis, particularly in the North-East, where over a decade of conflict has severely affected access to education. As of 2025, an estimated 7.8 million people across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States require humanitarian assistance, including 1.3 million children and youth in need of education support. Protracted displacement, ongoing insecurity, and the destruction of education infrastructure have disrupted learning for millions of children, leaving Nigeria with one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally.

In conflict-affected areas, school closures, teacher shortages, and protection risks, including recruitment by armed groups and gender-based violence—continue to hinder safe and inclusive access to education. In return and host communities, limited livelihood opportunities, inadequate learning environments, and weak education systems further constrain sustainable reintegration and recovery.

In response, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s education programming aims to ensure equitable access to quality, inclusive, and protective learning opportunities for crisis-affected children and youth. The programme combines formal and non-formal education approaches, teacher capacity development, community engagement, and system strengthening to bridge the gap between humanitarian response and long-term development goals.

We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. Are you one of those people? If you are, NRC offers you the opportunity to:

• do demanding and professional work, often in challenging contexts.
• join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
• be part of a welcoming and supportive community committed to human dignity.

Learn more about NRC

About Us

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a global humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee.

Join us in assisting millions of people in areas where others cannot, tackling some of the world’s most dangerous and difficult crises. Bring your skills and dedication to an organisation recognised for providing high quality aid and for defending the rights of refugees and internally displaced people.

At NRC, we give responsibility to employees at all levels and foster professional growth and innovative teams. You can expect a supportive culture and an open dialogue with management. We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Together, we save lives and rebuild futures.

Safeguarding is central to NRC’s work. We expect all employees to:

• treat everyone with respect and dignity

• contribute to building a safe environment for all

• never engage in any form of exploitation, harassment and specifically sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH)

• always report. NRC has a zero-tolerance approach to inaction against exploitation, abuse and SEAH

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