Requisition ID: req58709 Job Title: Early Childhood Development (ECD) Coordinator Sector: Education Employment Category: Regular Employment Type: Full-Time Open to Expatriates: No Location: Ramallah, occupied Palestinian Territory (oPT) Work Arrangement:In-person Job Description Fluency in both English & Arabic, speaking and writing required. The IRC and its partners are currently implementing nutrition, protection, food security, cash, and early childhood development interventions across West Bank and Gaza with presence in offices in Ramallah, Deir El Balah, and Amman. P osition overview The IRC’s education programs provide holistic support to children’s well-being, learning, and development, with a focus on achieving tangible outcomes in literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning. Through inter-sectoral and innovative approaches, the IRC works to ensure that all children—including those in the hardest-to-reach areas—have access to quality education and ECD services. This includes providing needs-based technical assistance to governments, establishing strategic partnerships with local organizations, and delivering community-based services to children and caregivers. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) and with technical support from global and regional Advisors. The Education Coordinator will lead continued technical support to partners, program start up in Gaza/West Bank and strategy for the ECD/EIE portfolio in response to client and partner identified needs. The Education Coordinator will work collaboratively with local partners, including municipalities, governments, and NGOs; steer IRC’s direct programming to complement this partner-first approach; and develop strategic directions for the country program for education programming. They will serve as the key liaison with local and international implementing partners, education coordination groups, municipalities and governmental partners, the private sector and other stakeholders. Close collaboration with other sectors to provide responsive programming, including protection and economic recovery and development, is expected. Major Responsibilities: ECD Coordinator will have five main objectives: 1-Program Quality, Management, and Implementation Lead the planning, implementation and monitoring of ECD and education programs to ensure quality, inclusivity and alignment with IRC’s standards, humanitarian standards and local systems. Ensure program targets and quality standards are met and in line with IRC’s outcome indicators. Liaise with IRC’s regional and global Advisors regularly for timely technical input, guidance, innovation and alignment with global best practices Work closely and coordinate with IRC cross-functional units (Supply Chain, Finance, MEAL, Partnerships and Grants) to ensure timely and compliant program activities and expenditures, including active participation in grant cycle meetings (opening, review, and closing) and procurement bid committees as needed Oversee ECD portfolio’s operational and financial compliance, including appropriate and timely expenditure tracking, procurement planning, donor and internal reporting (financial and narrative), and indicator performance. Work in close collaboration with the Partnerships teams to develop a holistic and collaborative approach to strategic and operational partners as appropriate for program design and service to clients based on IRC’s PEERS standards of equal and effective partnership, that can best leverage ECD programs, improve the quality and reach of IRC programs. Directly participate in Partner Capacity Analysis (PCAs), lead subsequent development of partner support plans for program activities Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to senior management. 2. Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development Lead the recruitment and onboarding of new ECD program staff and ensure they have the knowledge and resources to succeed in their work. Oversee project implementation team and ensure that all staff are following work plans and ECD project activities and outcomes are completed as planned. Coach, train, and mentor staff to strengthen their technical capacity, exchange knowledge within the team, and provide professional development guidance. Promote a positive and supportive working environment that prioritizes staff well-being, inclusion and work-life balance. Conduct regular performance reviews, set clear job expectations and objectives for staff, provide constructive feedback and manage mid-year and annual staff performance management system, in a timely and fair manner. 3. Coordination, Advocacy and Representation As the Education and ECD focal point at country level, participate actively in external coordination forums including technical groups, sector clusters; participate in internal coordination and management meetings to promote effective and efficient information sharing, problem-solving and decision making. Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key collaborators including government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors. Represent the IRC at external meetings, events, and forums, including delivering presentations/briefings to senior donor representatives, forums and sector groups, when required. Establish and maintain solid relationships with ECD stakeholders, networks and local systems that support the IRC’s scaling and sustainability ambitions. 4. Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Ensure that ethical and sound data collection and information management systems are in place for appropriate program analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy. Coordinate with the MEAL team to maintain an effective monitoring, evaluation, and planning system. Review partner technical tools, reports, and data; recommend adaptations or process improvements as required. Coordinating program evaluations and reviews to ensure documentation of lessons learned informing reporting and program development, analyzing, and sharing relevant information with the MEAL Coordinator, DDP and other colleagues as relevant. Support the MEAL Coordinator in developing any client-responsive mechanisms needed. 5. Program Strategy and Business Development Design and drive new business development initiatives, including the creation of high-quality concept notes and proposals. This includes developing logical frameworks, theories of change, detailed budgets, and compelling narratives that reflect field evidence and stakeholder input. Ensure all business development efforts are participatory, inclusive, and grounded in data, field learning, and community feedback. Collaborate with technical advisors, grants, and finance teams to ensure proposals are technically sound, cost-effective, and responsive to donor priorities. Lead the development and implementation of a contextually relevant, outcome-driven strategy for ECD and education programming in oPt, ensuring alignment with IRC’s global strategy, national frameworks, and evolving local needs. Contribute to the implementation of the oPt Strategic Action Plan. Ensure all new business development efforts are participatory and informed by evidence-based data, field learning, and local stakeholders' feedback. Represent IRC in strategic partnerships, donor engagements, and coordination forums to advocate for ECD priorities and positioning IRC as a leader in the sector. Qualifications Work experience: Minimum of six years of professional experience in the management of early childhood development or education programs in emergencies. Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: Strong knowledge of technical tools, resources, and standards related to early childhood development and education in emergencies and post-conflict settings. Competency in literacy, numeracy, and social and emotional learning methods for children affected by the crisis, familiarity with the Healing Classrooms model is an advantage. Demonstrated experience developing training materials and facilitating workshops and training for adult learners. Genuine interest in and commitment to collaborating with local and national NGOs and government partners in emergency programs. Excellent budget planning and management skills, previous experience developing and effectively managing multi-million, multi-donor grants required. Previous experience managing diverse teams to deliver results on short timelines, including the development of spending plans, procurement plans, and work plans. Promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible, and able to handle stress and pressure with professional grace. Previous experience in an insecure or conflict-affected setting and experience with remote management preferred. Education: Master’s degree in education, ECD, social work or related fields Language Skills: Excellent command of written and spoken English and Arabic Female candidates are highly encouraged