Senior Education Planning Specialist (P4)

About the role

The Senior Education Planning Specialist supports high‑level strategic decision‑making for UNRWA’s education programme. Based at headquarters, the role 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 on staffing needs, cost‑saving scenarios and quality‑enhancement investments.
• 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 and optimise resource use.
• Support modernisation of the Education Management Information System (EMIS), including planning dashboards and school‑level monitoring tools.
• Oversee the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track progress toward education goals and assess policy impacts.

Required profile

• Advanced university degree in education planning, public policy, economics or a related field.
• Extensive experience in strategic education planning, resource allocation and policy development within large, multi‑country operations.
• Proven ability to work with senior managers, field teams and external partners to influence core processes.
• Strong analytical mindset with experience in financial modelling and scenario analysis.

Required skills

• Data analysis
• Financial simulations / modelling
• Algorithm development for resource optimisation
• Education Management Information System (EMIS) implementation

What we offer

• Opportunity to influence education policy for a vulnerable community.
• Collaborative work environment within a leading UN agency.
• Professional development and mentorship opportunities.