The Head of Education will be IFFEd’s senior education leader, driving partnerships with multilateral development banks and IFFEd-eligible countries to deliver transformative programmes and measurable impact. This role will ensure IFFEd stays at the cutting edge - innovative, data-driven, and relentlessly focused on results for children and youth worldwide.

IFFEd is seeking a dynamic, visionary education leader with a passion for innovation and delivery. The successful candidate will help shape and grow IFFEd’s Education team, lead the development of IFFEd’s education impact strategy, and turn financing into real change in classrooms and communities across the globe.

Reporting directly to the CEO and joining IFFEd’s management team, the Head of Education will lead a small, high-performing team at the heart of a fast-scaling global initiative endorsed by the G20 and powered by a $1.5 billion launch commitment at the UN.

Key Responsibilities

The priority responsibilities of the Head of Education will be as follows:

1) Education strategy & thought leadership

• Lead the implementation and refinement of IFFEd’s education strategy, working closely with IFFEd’s partners and Education, Results and Innovation Board Committee.
• Serve as IFFEd’s principal external voice on education at key education forums, helping to advance, for example, dialogue on measuring results, innovative financing, and improving program implementation.
• Develop content and thought pieces on education on behalf of IFFEd.
• Advise the CEO and Board on all matters related education.
• Build strategic alliances with MDBs, contributors, philanthropies, and other key education ecosystem players and partners.

2) Pipeline leadership & quality assurance

• Collaborate closely with MDBs to develop IFFEd’s project pipeline.

• Review and quality-assure preliminary and full investment cases, providing feedback to MDBs on investment cases, engaging IFFEd Contributors in the process.

• Lead the semi-annual pipeline review with MDBs, monitor indicative allocations and performance of MDBs in programming IFFEd resources, and prepare recommendations for decisions to the IFFEd Board.
• Develop key tools and refine processes to manage IFFEd’s pipeline process.

3) Support offering to MDBs and countries

• Develop, test and implement support offerings to MDB and countries, including partnerships that strengthen research, evidence use, data, and/or implementation capacity of governments/MDBs.
• Structure and lead IFFEd flagship education events and/or regional MDB roundtables.
• Stay abreast of and actively coordinate with initiatives across the education architecture to avoid duplication and amplify impact.

4) Results, reporting and learning

• Finalize and operationalize targets and indicators consistent with IFFEd’s results framework.
• Oversee reporting of IFFEd results internally and externally, including consolidating reporting of education results from MDBs to IFFEd, and from IFFEd to Contributors and the Board.
• Develop education impact narrative and produce briefs showcasing IFFEd’s contribution to education development.
• Define and run a practical learning agenda to enable IFFEd to become a learning organisation.

5) Board Committee on Education Results, Innovation and Partnerships

• Work closely with the Committee Chair to establish the IFFEd Board Committee on Education Results, Innovations and Partnerships.
• Liaise with the Committee Chair, to establish and implement the Committee work program.
• Serve as the key point of contact for the Committee Chair.

6) Cross-functional leadership and team management

• Work with the IFFEd Board, IFFEd Committees, CEO, and management team to refine IFFEd’s strategy and drive implementation.

• Build, mentor, and manage a small, high-performing team of education experts to support IFFEd’s mission.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree or higher in Education, Economics, Public Policy, International Development, or a related field.
• At least 15 years of experience leading education and skills programs in the Global South.
• Proven track record of developing and/or implementing large scale education interventions, including loan operations. Experience of working with multilateral development banks is a plus.
• Excellent understanding of education and skills challenges in lower-middle-income countries.
• Proven track record of shaping innovative approaches to solve education and skills challenges.
• Experience of living and working in the Global South is a plus.

Skills and Competencies

• Demonstrated passion for IFFEd’s goal to achieve quality education for all.
• Can do attitude and ability to work in an entrepreneurial manner, to innovate and proactively implement solutions
• Deep familiarity the structure and operations of multilateral development banks.
• Demonstrated ability to steward evidence-based processes and decisions
• Familiarity with monitoring and evaluation methodologies and best practices in education, and international development more broadly
• A broad network of connections to impactful philanthropies, researchers, and innovative organizations working in education.
• Demonstrated capacity to build, lead and mentor teams, build partnerships and communicate effectively.

Application Process

Please reach out to IFFEd@iniciopartners.com with a copy of your CV with the subject line ‘IFFEd Head of Education.