Senior Centres of Excellence / Accreditation Expert

NTU International is preparing a proposal for the EU-funded project “Technical Assistance to ECOWAS in Transport Governance”, which aims to strengthen sustainable, smart, resilient and safe mobility systems across the ECOWAS region in West Africa. The project will support ECOWAS institutions, Member States, and regional stakeholders in improving transport governance, corridor management, infrastructure planning, climate resilience, and regional connectivity.

The Technical Assistance will support the strengthening and interconnection of Centres of Excellence, regional learning hubs, and accreditation systems related to transport governance, road safety, infrastructure engineering, and institutional capacity development across West Africa.

NTU International is seeking a Senior Centres of Excellence / Accreditation Expert to support development of regional learning centres, accreditation frameworks, and institutional knowledge systems across the ECOWAS region.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the identification, strengthening, and interconnection of Centres of Excellence and regional learning institutions;
• Provide technical assistance on accreditation systems, certification mechanisms, and professional qualification frameworks;
• Support the development of institutional partnerships, regional knowledge networks, and technical cooperation initiatives;
• Advise on governance structures, operational frameworks, and sustainability strategies for Centres of Excellence;
• Support the development of standards, quality assurance systems, and accreditation methodologies for training and professional development programmes;
• Contribute to the preparation of institutional assessments, accreditation frameworks, technical guidelines, and operational manuals;
• Facilitate cooperation between ECOWAS institutions, universities, research institutions, training centres, and development partners;
• Support knowledge-sharing initiatives, regional research collaboration, and technical exchange programmes;
• Deliver workshops, consultations, and capacity-building activities related to accreditation systems and institutional excellence;
• Contribute to monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of institutional strengthening and accreditation initiatives.

Education

• Master’s degree in education, institutional development, quality assurance, public administration, transport, engineering, or another relevant field.

General Professional Experience

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in accreditation systems, institutional development, higher education, or professional certification frameworks;
• Proven experience working on education, institutional strengthening, or development projects in developing countries, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa;
• Experience in international development cooperation and donor-funded programmes.

Specific Professional Experience

• Minimum 7 years of experience related to Centres of Excellence, accreditation systems, certification programmes, or institutional quality assurance frameworks;
• Demonstrated experience with professional accreditation systems, institutional assessments, quality assurance mechanisms, or technical learning networks;
• Experience related to transport, infrastructure, logistics, engineering, or public sector training systems is considered an advantage;
• Experience supporting EU-funded, World Bank-funded, AfDB-funded, UNESCO-funded, or other donor-funded programmes is considered a strong asset;
• Experience working with universities, training institutions, professional associations, or regional organisations is considered an advantage;
• Experience in institutional networking, governance frameworks, or regional knowledge-sharing initiatives is considered an asset.

Languages

• English or French (C1 mandatory);
• Working knowledge of the other language is considered an asset.

Please note that inclusion in the expert pool does not guarantee immediate assignment. Experts will be contacted based on project requirements and matching qualifications. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.