Education Lead

Position: Education Lead

Reports to: Team Leader

Location: Kathmandu

Travel required: Plan International Nepal working provinces especially Madesh and Lumbini Province and LGs

Grade: TBD

Type: based in Kathmandu

ABOUT PLAN INTERNATIONAL NEPAL

Plan International is a development and humanitarian organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights and achieving equality for girls. With a presence in over 75 countries, we work alongside children, young people, supporters, and partners to create a just world. Our work is guided by core values such as transparency, accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and the overarching ambition to empower girls and young women as part of our legacy.

Plan International has been operating in Nepal since 1978, earning a strong reputation as a trusted development and humanitarian actor. We currently work in 23 districts across the country, helping marginalized children, their families, and communities access their rights to health, education, economic security, and protection.

Committed to feminist leadership and a gender-transformative approach, Plan International Nepal collaborates with local partners to ensure sustainable impact and foster equality, particularly for girls and young women.

Plan International Nepal strives for an inclusive, just, and safe society that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Our mission from 2023 to 2028 is to see all girls and young women standing strong enjoying their rights, and freedom with dignity in Nepal.

Plan International Nepal is looking for candidates who embrace feminist leadership, value diversity, and are driven to find innovative solutions to challenges. Ideal candidates should respectfully and boldly share their ideas, foster cross-department collaboration, practice active listening, uphold confidentiality, build trust, and demonstrate a strong passion for advancing children’s rights and promoting equality for girls.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Education Lead is responsible for providing strategic and technical leadership to the project team in designing and implementing the education program. This entails offering expert strategic technical assistance to the local, provincial and federal government of Nepal. This includes designing and leading programs that promote evidence-based planning, GEDSI-responsive education service delivery and the effective and timely utilization of conditional grants. The role supports the development and use of automated data flagging systems within EMIS to inform planning and decision-making, while also strengthening teachers’ need assessment tools and support mechanisms through provincial Education Training Centers (ETCs) and local governments. A key focus of the role is guiding efforts to establish a system in LGs to identify out-of-school children (OOSC), support their re-enrolment and ensure their continued retention in the education system. The Education Lead also supports government education institutions across all levels in establishing systems and contingency plans to ensure the continuity of education during emergency situations. In addition to internal technical guidance, the Education Lead represents in external education alliances and policy forums, advocating for GEDSI-responsive planning, budgeting and systemic reforms. This position plays a pivotal role in aligning programmatic support with national priorities and ensuring that principles of equity, inclusion and accountability are embedded across all education interventions.

Description

DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE

Direct Line Manager: Team Leader of the project

Dotted Line Manager: Program Partnership and Impact (PPI) Director

Budget Accountability: Euro 50,000 (varies annually)

Number of direct reports: Education Experts at the Provincial and the Local Government levels (the exact number will be determined based on the program’s scale)

External relationships and representation: Collaborate and engage with education institutions and alliances across all three tiers of government (federal, provincial, and local) to strengthen coordination, policy dialogue, and advocacy for GEDSI-responsive education planning and implementation.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Responsibility area – Technical Guidance and Program Leadership

• Provide overall technical leadership in designing and implementing education programs aligned with Nepal government priorities and GEDSI principles.
• Offer strategic support to education experts at provincial and local levels to strengthen systems for evidence-based planning, GEDSI-responsive service delivery, and education continuity during crises.
• Lead the development and use of data and EMIS-based tools, including automated data flagging systems, to inform planning and decision-making.
• Oversee the preparation of technical reports and ensure compliance with organizational and donor standards.

Responsibility area- Alliance Building, Representation, and Policy Advocacy

• Represent in Joint Review Meeting (JRM), Budget Review Meeting (BRM) to gain a clear understanding of sector wide priority program and the scope of the funding agency of TA support program.
• Engage with education forums at all levels to advocate for GEDSI-responsive planning, budgeting, and service delivery along with education continuity in crisis situation.
• Coordinate with UN agencies, embassies, and government institutions to influence education policy dialogue through a sector-wide approach.

Responsibility area- Team Leadership and Capacity Building

• Provide technical guidance to education experts across provincial and local levels and build their capacity to deliver effective technical assistance to the government system strengthening for evidence-based planning,
• GEDSI responsive service delivery and education continuity fostering emergency and crisis situation.
• Establish a performance-driven team culture by setting clear objectives, conducting regular performance reviews and ensuring team development plans are in place.
• Collaborate with the People and Culture Department in staff recruitment, training and development.

Any other tasks as assigned by the line manager in accordance to organizational mandate and priority.

• Ensures the full integration of Plan International’s global policies on Safeguarding Children, Program Participants, and Gender Equality and Inclusion (DEI) within their area of responsibility. This includes adherence to the policy principles, relevant Implementation Standards, and Guidelines. Key responsibilities involve ensuring that staff and associates are informed of and understand their obligations under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their specific roles, and that any concerns are promptly reported and managed in line with established procedures.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Education Qualification and Experience

• Master’s degree (or higher) in Education, Educational Planning and Management, Public Policy, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive professional experience in the education sector, with at least 5 years in a senior technical advisory or leadership role within development programs.
• Proven experience in designing and implementing large-scale, government-aligned education programs particularly those focusing on inclusive, equitable and evidence-based education systems.
• Strong background in working with government institutions across federal, provincial and local levels, especially in technical assistance, policy influencing and system strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience in Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) mainstreaming in education planning and service delivery.
• Prior engagement in education alliances, technical working groups (e.g. AIN, SESP) and sector-wide approaches is desirable.
• Proven ability in building and managing teams, mentoring technical staff and working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience in education in emergencies and resilience-building within education systems will be an asset.

Knowledge

• In-depth understanding of Nepal’s education governance systems, federal structures and policy frameworks.
• Sound knowledge of inclusive education principles, GEDSI frameworks and child rights-based approaches in education.
• Familiarity with government planning and budgeting processes, conditional grant mechanisms and education financing.

Skills

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to design and guide technically sound education programs.
• Proficiency in EMIS systems, data analysis for planning and the use of tools for identifying and tracking out-of-school children and inclusive education indicators planned in SESP.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, facilitation and report-writing skills in both English and Nepali.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, representation and advocacy capabilities to influence policy and practice at all levels.
• Ability to work independently, manage complex technical assignments and coordinate effectively across diverse teams and partners.

PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES IN PRACTICE

We are open and accountable

We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organisation by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

We strive for lasting impact

We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.

We work well together

We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organisation, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.

We are inclusive and empowering

We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

This position is based in Kathmandu with frequent travel to field as necessary.

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN

Medium Level: Medium interaction with children

“Say Yes ! To Keeping Children and Young people safe and Protected”

Application Deadline: Friday 18th July, 2025

Source: Kantipur Dainik, 5 July, 2025

Tagged as: Kathmandu