Education Sector Lead / Education Program Director

1. Position Purpose

The Education Sector Lead / Education Program Director provides strategic, technical and managerial leadership for ASLO's entire education portfolio. The position is responsible for ensuring that education strategies, proposals, projects and technical approaches are high quality, evidence-based, inclusive, accountable, compliant with donor requirements and aligned with ASLO's strategic priorities. The post holder will lead education program design, technical oversight, implementation quality, team performance, donor coordination, government and cluster engagement, monitoring of results, risk management, learning and growth of ASLO's education portfolio.

2. Key Responsibilities and Duties

3.1 Strategic Leadership and Sector Development

• Lead the development, periodic review and implementation of ASLO's Education Sector Strategy, annual priorities and technical action plans.
• Translate ASLO's organizational strategy into practical education programming priorities, targets, approaches and implementation standards.
• Provide technical advice to senior management on education trends, needs, risks, opportunities and strategic partnerships.
• Maintain an updated overview of ASLO's education portfolio, geographic coverage, beneficiaries, results, staffing, budgets, risks and pipeline opportunities.
• Promote integrated programming by linking education with child protection, safeguarding, disability inclusion, gender, WASH, livelihoods, DRR and climate resilience where relevant.

3.2 Program Design, Proposal Development and Resource Mobilization

• Lead or technically support education needs assessments, concept notes, expressions of interest, proposals, logical frameworks, theories of change, work plans and technical budgets.
• Work closely with the Fundraising and Resource Mobilization Unit to identify and pursue appropriate education funding opportunities.
• Ensure proposed interventions are technically sound, realistic, conflict-sensitive, inclusive, gender-responsive and aligned with donor requirements and applicable national frameworks.
• Develop technical narratives, activity designs, implementation methodologies, staffing structures, indicators, targets and technical specifications for education proposals.
• Maintain reusable technical resources, evidence, lessons learned, project results and education capacity statements for donor submissions.

3.3 Program Implementation and Quality Assurance

• Provide technical oversight to all ASLO education projects from start-up through implementation, close-out and handover.
• Review and approve project implementation plans, detailed implementation plans (DIPs), monthly and quarterly work plans, training plans, distribution plans and technical schedules.
• Ensure activities are delivered according to approved proposals, partnership agreements, budgets, donor standards, work plans and agreed timelines.
• Conduct regular field monitoring and technical support visits and document findings, corrective actions, responsible persons and deadlines.
• Establish minimum education quality standards and practical checklists for classrooms, learning spaces, teacher training, teaching and learning materials, school rehabilitation and other education activities.
• Identify implementation delays, quality gaps and compliance risks early and ensure corrective action is agreed and followed through.
• Ensure proper project start-up, orientation, implementation, documentation, handover and close-out processes.

3.4 Technical Education Leadership

• Provide technical guidance for CBE/CBS, accelerated and remedial learning, literacy, ECD/ECCD, teacher training, education in emergencies and other relevant education modalities.
• Support development and review of training packages, teacher guides, learning materials, classroom observation tools and technical guidance notes.
• Promote child-centered, safe, inclusive and context-appropriate teaching and learning approaches.
• Ensure education programming considers access barriers affecting girls, children with disabilities, displaced children, returnees and other vulnerable groups.
• Support learning assessments and use evidence to improve teaching quality, attendance, retention and learning outcomes.
• Ensure school construction or rehabilitation components are coordinated with relevant engineering staff and meet education, accessibility, safety and child-friendly requirements.

3.5 Team Leadership and Performance Management

• Provide technical supervision, coaching and mentoring to education project managers, officers, trainers, supervisors and other education staff.
• Support HR in developing education staffing structures, job descriptions, recruitment tests, interview questions and technical selection criteria.
• Participate in recruitment and onboarding of key education staff and ensure new staff receive adequate technical orientation.
• Set clear performance expectations and ensure annual, probationary and periodic performance reviews are completed in accordance with ASLO procedures.
• Conduct regular coordination and performance meetings with education teams and ensure action points are documented and followed up.
• Identify capacity gaps and organize coaching, training, peer learning and professional development for education staff.

3.6 MEAL, Evidence, Reporting and Learning

• Work closely with the MEAL Unit to establish appropriate education indicators, baselines, targets, data collection tools and monitoring systems.
• Review education data for completeness, accuracy, consistency and timely reporting, including sex-, age- and disability-disaggregated data where applicable.
• Ensure project achievements and challenges are supported by verifiable evidence and proper documentation.
• Contribute to donor reports, annual reports, case studies, success stories, lessons learned, evaluations and other knowledge products.
• Use monitoring findings, complaints, evaluation results and community feedback to improve program quality and management decisions.
• Promote documentation and dissemination of good practices and lessons across ASLO's education portfolio.

3.7 Donor, Government, Cluster and Partner Coordination

• Represent ASLO professionally in education-related meetings with donors, UN agencies, INGOs, government counterparts, coordination bodies and technical working groups when delegated.
• Maintain effective technical coordination with relevant education authorities at national, provincial and district levels in accordance with ASLO procedures.
• Support timely preparation of information, presentations, updates and documentation requested by donors and partners.
• Participate in relevant Education Cluster and technical working group processes as assigned and share key information internally.
• Build constructive relationships with existing and prospective education partners while safeguarding ASLO's neutrality, independence and institutional interests.

3.8 Budget Oversight and Operational Coordination

• Work with Finance, Procurement, Logistics and project teams to ensure education activities are appropriately planned, budgeted and supported.
• Review programmatic components of forecasts, fund requests, procurement plans and activity budgets to ensure consistency with approved work plans.
• Monitor program expenditure trends with responsible teams and flag under-spending, over-spending or activity-budget mismatches that may affect delivery.
• Ensure technical specifications and quantities for education materials, training supplies and other program inputs are accurate and linked to approved activities.
• Promote value for money, responsible resource use and timely delivery of program inputs.

3.9 Safeguarding, PSEA, Accountability and Inclusion

• Ensure safeguarding, child protection, PSEA and accountability to affected populations are integrated throughout education program design and implementation.
• Promote safe recruitment, staff conduct, confidential reporting channels and appropriate referral pathways in education projects.
• Ensure children and communities receive accessible information on expected staff behavior and available complaints and feedback mechanisms.
• Work with safeguarding and MEAL focal points to ensure complaints and sensitive concerns are handled confidentially and in accordance with ASLO procedures.
• Promote meaningful participation of children, parents, teachers, community structures and persons with disabilities in appropriate stages of the program cycle.

3.10 Risk Management, Compliance and Documentation

• Ensure education projects maintain complete and audit-ready program files, including approvals, plans, beneficiary records, training documents, distributions, monitoring evidence, meeting minutes and handover records.
• Monitor programmatic risks and maintain or contribute to project risk registers and mitigation actions.
• Ensure implementation complies with ASLO policies, donor agreements, codes of conduct and relevant technical standards.
• Immediately escalate serious delays, safeguarding concerns, suspected fraud, conflicts of interest, data integrity issues or other material risks through appropriate management channels.
• Support internal reviews, donor monitoring visits, audits, evaluations and organizational capacity assessments related to education programming.

3. Key Deliverables

• Annual Education Sector work plan and technical priorities aligned with ASLO's strategic plan.
• Updated education portfolio tracker, project implementation status and risk overview.
• Technical review and quality assurance of all education proposals, DIPs, work plans and key program deliverables.
• Regular field monitoring reports with clear findings, corrective actions, responsible persons and deadlines.
• Monthly or periodic management updates on progress, challenges, risks, expenditure implications and decisions required.
• Education staff capacity-development plan and evidence of coaching/training delivered.
• High-quality technical contributions to donor reports, evaluations, assessments and organizational reports.
• Documented lessons learned, good practices, case studies and technical resources for future program development.
• Complete, organized and audit-ready technical documentation for education projects.

4. Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• Master's degree in Education, Education Management, Development Studies, Social Sciences or a closely related field is preferred; a relevant Bachelor's degree with substantial senior-level experience may be considered.
• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience in education programming in humanitarian and/or development settings, preferably in Afghanistan.
• At least 3 years of experience in a senior technical, program management or sector leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience with one or more of the following: CBE/CBS, education in emergencies, literacy, ECD/ECCD, teacher professional development, remedial learning, inclusive education or school rehabilitation/construction.
• Experience working with UN agencies, international NGOs and institutional donors; familiarity with UNICEF, UNESCO, GPE and ECHO-funded programming is highly desirable.
• Strong experience in proposal development, project cycle management, donor reporting, work planning, monitoring and budget oversight.
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, child protection, PSEA, accountability, gender and disability inclusion in education programming.
• Strong knowledge of Afghanistan's education context and ability to coordinate professionally with relevant stakeholders.

5. Required Competencies and Skills

• Strategic leadership and sound professional judgment.
• Strong education technical knowledge and program quality orientation.
• Excellent planning, prioritization, problem-solving and follow-up skills.
• Strong analytical, proposal-writing, report-writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines and competing priorities under pressure.
• Strong interpersonal, negotiation, coordination and team-management skills.
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, accountability and commitment to humanitarian principles.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly to ASLO project locations, including remote areas when security and access permit.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, email and online collaboration tools.

6. Language Requirements

• Fluency in Dari and/or Pashto is required; strong working ability in both national languages is an advantage.
• Professional working proficiency in English, including the ability to prepare donor-quality technical documents, reports, presentations and correspondence.

7. Performance Indicators

• Percentage of education activities delivered on time and to required technical standards.
• Quality and timeliness of education work plans, technical reviews, donor reports and management updates.
• Timely identification and resolution of implementation, quality and compliance issues.
• Quality of field monitoring, corrective-action follow-up and project documentation.
• Achievement of agreed education outputs, outcomes and beneficiary targets.
• Staff performance, retention, technical capacity and adherence to assigned responsibilities.
• Donor and partner responsiveness, including timely submission of requested technical information.
• Integration of safeguarding, PSEA, inclusion, accountability and community feedback across education projects.
• Growth and diversification of ASLO's education portfolio through technically strong proposals and partnerships.

8. Working Relationships

Internal

External

General Director/Executive Director; Program Management Unit; MEAL; Finance; HR; Procurement; Logistics; Safeguarding/PSEA; Partnerships and Resource Mobilization; provincial and project teams.

Relevant government education authorities; donors; UN agencies; INGOs/NGOs; Education Cluster and technical working groups; community structures; schools, teachers and other education stakeholders.

9. Safeguarding and Code of Conduct

The post holder must uphold ASLO's Code of Conduct and all applicable safeguarding, child protection, PSEA, anti-fraud, anti-corruption, conflict-of-interest, confidentiality and accountability requirements. Any breach may result in disciplinary action in accordance with ASLO policies and applicable procedures.

10. Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination

ASLO is committed to fair and merit-based recruitment and to equal opportunity. Selection decisions shall be based on the requirements of the position, organizational policies and applicable law, without discrimination. ASLO encourages qualified candidates who can contribute to safe, inclusive and accountable programming to apply.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified applicants should submit the following documents

• An updated curriculum vitae (CV) showing relevant responsibilities and achievements.
• A one-page cover letter explaining suitability for the Education Sector Lead / Education Program Director position.

Contact details for at least three professional references, including the most recent supervisor where possible.

• Submit the complete application no later than 31-Oct-2026.
• Send the application to: recruitment@aslo.org.af
• Use the subject line: “ASLO-Kabul-2026-101- Education Sector Lead / Education Program Director– Kabul Applicant Full Name”.

Submit the complete application no later than 31-Oct-2026.

recruitment@aslo.org.af