Senior Centres of Excellence / Accreditation Expert

About the role

NTU International is looking for a senior expert to lead the development and interconnection of Centres of Excellence and regional learning hubs across the ECOWAS region. The role supports the EU‑funded project “Technical Assistance to ECOWAS in Transport Governance” by designing accreditation frameworks and institutional knowledge systems.

Key responsibilities

• Identify, strengthen and interconnect Centres of Excellence and regional learning institutions.
• Provide technical assistance on accreditation systems, certification mechanisms and professional qualification frameworks.
• Develop institutional partnerships, regional knowledge networks and technical cooperation initiatives.
• Advise on governance structures, operational frameworks and sustainability strategies for Centres of Excellence.
• Design standards, quality‑assurance systems and accreditation methodologies for training and professional development programmes.
• Prepare institutional assessments, accreditation frameworks, technical guidelines and operational manuals.
• Facilitate cooperation among ECOWAS institutions, universities, research centres, training providers and development partners.
• Deliver workshops, consultations and capacity‑building activities on accreditation and institutional excellence.
• Support monitoring, reporting and evaluation of accreditation initiatives.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in education, institutional development, quality assurance, public administration, transport, engineering or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in accreditation systems, institutional development, higher education or professional certification frameworks.
• Proven experience in education or institutional strengthening projects in developing countries, preferably Sub‑Saharan Africa.
• Experience with international development cooperation and donor‑funded programmes.
• At least 7 years of experience specifically related to Centres of Excellence, accreditation systems or certification programmes.

Required skills

• Accreditation systems design and implementation
• Certification mechanisms and professional qualification frameworks
• Quality‑assurance and standards development
• Institutional governance and sustainability planning