Senior Education Planning Specialist

About the role

The Senior Education Planning Specialist will support high‑level strategic decision‑making for UNRWA’s education programme. Based at the Amman headquarters, the incumbent links strategic planning, data systems and policy development to shape the agency’s education agenda across all fields.

Key responsibilities

• Support the development, revision and implementation of UNRWA’s multi‑year education strategy and operational workplans, ensuring alignment with SDG 4 and UNESCO/IIEP guidelines.
• Prepare financial simulations for staffing, cost‑saving scenarios and quality‑enhancement investments such as reduced class sizes.
• Lead the annual class‑formation and school‑mapping processes across five fields, coordinating with field offices to apply norms for class size, space utilisation and staff allocation.
• Develop and use algorithms and digital tools to automate projections, optimise resource use and modernise the Education Management Information System (EMIS).
• Oversee the creation of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, validate education data, conduct trend analysis and support policy‑impact assessments.

Required profile

• Extensive experience in education planning, policy development or related fields within large, multi‑national organisations.
• Strong analytical abilities with a proven track record of using data to inform strategic decisions.
• Demonstrated capacity to work collaboratively with headquarters divisions and field education teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Required skills

What we offer

• Opportunity to influence education policy for vulnerable communities across the Middle East.
• Professional development within a leading United Nations agency.
• Collaborative work environment with diverse, international teams.