Internal/External Vacancy Announcement – Re-advertisement
INTRODUCTION
Save the Children is an exciting and dynamic organization that follows a holistic approach to achieve more for children and use its resources in an efficient and sustainable way. In every programming we aim to achieve results at scale, build partnership to influence others and increase our impact; look for innovate solutions to the problems children faces, campaign for better practice and ensure that Children’s voices are heard.
Save the Children is an organization for talented people with different backgrounds and perspectives. We are proud that our people are representative of the children we work with and we thrive on our diversity. We are an equal opportunity organization dedicated to our core values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity and Integrity. Our culture is embedded in these values, along with a strong commitment to our Child Safeguarding Protocol, ensuring that all representatives of Save the Children demonstrate the highest standards of behavior towards children both in their private and professional lives.
Save the Children offers sound employment conditions with opportunities for personal growth and development. If you are interested to work in an organization that is determined to achieve dramatic change for the most vulnerable children, we encourage you to look through the job profile below.
Job Title | Senior Education program Specialist |
Code | 0231 |
Place of Work | Addis Ababa |
Program/Unit | Program Development Quality |
Monthly Salary | As per the salary scale of the organization |
No. Of Positions | 1(One) |
Length Of Contract | 1 year with possibility of extension |
Role Purpose:
Senior Education Specialist is responsible for providing direction and support to SC Ethiopia Education Programs, projects and advisors. This includes thematic strategy development, designing and building programs, annual development plans, result based monitoring and evaluation of quality assurance, program development, initiate studies and produce evidences for learning and advocacy. S/he is responsible for promoting program quality through the provision of technical assistance, mentoring SC and partners program staffs and conduct training on education thematic areas, introduce and support education breakthrough programs (Literacy Boost, Early Literacy and Math and Numeracy Boost) of Save the Children education programs and support the scaling up these programs to non-project schools and College of Teachers Education to ensure program sustainability
Be responsible for Strengthening System for the Prevention and Response to Unsafe Child Migration 2018-2020 project, and ensure quality and effective implementation of the project activities at the Field Office level ; provide technical support to partners, stakeholder and SC project staff; organize and facilitate capacity building training workshops for partners, stakeholders and SC staff; participate on various base line and evaluation surveys as required; monitor partners and SC implemented activities and discuss on success and problems.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Strategic Programme Development
· Provide quality strategic support to education programs implemented by Save the Children. This includes leading the development of strategic plans, education projects, and researches to achieve the required strategic objectives and outcomes.
· Support development of annual work plan, regular internal program planning, and review meetings of education theme and incorporate input into quarterly semi-annual and annual reports.
· Provides close supervision and support to the Education Team to assure implementation quality is mainstreamed /integrated in cross cutting issues and aspects of Save the Children programming, including Child Protection and others in the projects.
· Ensure the strategic documents related to education theme are understood and internalised by those who either are contributing to the evidence based or responsible for presentation of organizational objectives at district, region or national level.
· Actively coordinate with sector heads and relevant specialists and project managers to ensure an integrated approach across themes is going well and serve as the senior thematic lead for relevant external representation requirements.
Strategic Fundraising
· Actively engage in strategic fundraising to support the implementation of education strategic plans. This includes securing funds for projects, research and advocacy to influence policy objectives.
· Analyse donor priorities and positions on issues related to ECCD, BE and Education in Emergencies. Contribute to the development and regular updating of SCI Ethiopia Fundraising plan by
· collaboratively working with other units.
· Lead business development opportunities in the education sector through providing technical direction on the design, proposal development, planning and budgeting. Ensure lessons learned from projects into new business development opportunities.
· Develop and maintain contacts with relevant staff of current and potential donors, partners and key technical agencies, in coordination with the education head and Leaders of Thematic Sectors.
· Build on technical knowledge, research and current/previous programming to lead the development of proposals for new programme initiatives or projects in close coordination with the relevant technical and project staff. This includes all aspects of proposal development, such as concept notes, grant amendments, etc.
· Ensure quality of donor reports through periodic review of such reports and make recommendations on how these reports could be improved and work on how achievements of different projects are incorporated in proposal development.
· Support donor meetings and visits. This can include, but is not limited to, briefings, relevant programme materials, field travel, etc.
Program Quality and Effectiveness
· Ensure all projects and researches are technically managed to a high standard. This involves working closely with the technical leads in Programme Implementation, supervise and provide support to projects throughout the project cycle.
· Ensure that lessons learned are properly documented, effectively disseminated and, where appropriate, incorporated into wider advocacy initiatives.
· Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team to ensure the education work is contributing to all objectives across these priority quality areas. Contribute to the development of an M&E framework for the overall education programme that monitors the impact of projects and progress towards strategic operational and advocacy objectives.
· Support education breakthrough innovative programs and contribute to the improvement of learning outcome in schools supported by education programs. This includes leading the piloting and scaling up of Numeracy Boost, the scaling up of Literacy Boost and Early Literacy and Math achievements to non-project schools, colleges of teacher education, districts, and regions by working in collaboration with partner Government offices and other NGOs.
· Ensure incorporation of appropriate and innovative ideas in newly developed programs and projects that contribute to addressing challenges identified in education sector.
Policy analysis, policy engagement and Advocacy for policy Influence
· Provide evidence to education advocacy work to positively influence duty-bearers to change the lives of children. Direct advocacy efforts (objectives, messages, targets, approaches), towards the management and the achievement of each specific objective. Explore key advocacy opportunities, methods and events to support advocacy objectives.
· Support the development of policy briefs and position papers related to the education programme, ensuring the inclusion of technical input from the relevant technical and project managers. Lead in networking and articulating SC’s position, policy and strategy in national forums and meetings. Engage in key debates related to issues covered in advocacy plans, in coordination with other technical staffs.
· Ensure that the voices of children guide advocacy and policy change objectives and related activities.
· In collaboration with education head, education project managers and coordinators, gather documents and communicate lessons learnt, good practices, case studies to shape program approaches and overall program implementation, and to support education advocacy objectives in specific sub-thematic areas of assignment
Monitoring Evaluation and Quality Assurance
· Actively facilitate QLE data collection from sample schools and train SC program staffs assigned at field office level to effectively and efficiently engage in QLE data collection and make sure that the collected QLE data reached to MEAL team to get analysed and use the findings in program development.
· Design supervision and support approaches, supervise sample schools in collaboration with government supervisors and provide professional support to partner government offices and SC field offices.
· Closely work with the Ministry of Education and Regional Education Bureaus to share Save the Children experiences on quality learning environment standard and support government inspection directorate to achieve results in the improvement of learning environment for children.
· Support education programs and projects in the preparation of TOR for situation analysis, baseline data collection, mid-term and terminal evaluation, review reports produced by consultants and those produced by SC internal staffs in mentioned areas and take actively work with projects in validation workshops.
· Humanitarian Response Management
· Be familiar with the procedures and processes detailed in the Rules and Principles for humanitarian response to take active part in emergency responses
· Support activities to improve education organizational readiness to respond to emergencies in line with global SCI humanitarian goals and benchmarks
· Introduce education breakthrough programs to refugee camp education programs and other education programs delivered in emergency situations in collaboration with emergency program specialists
Scope & complexity of decision making
Able to solve problems by selecting the most suitable procedure or method within guidelines and precedents; direction sought when solutions not within established guidelines or precedents
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
· Minimum of BA Degree in an area of education or equivalent in development studies.
· A minimum of 10 years relevant progressive experience (with 5 years education project management) in a corporate or NGO environment, preferably with education related experience
· Certificate in project cycle management, monitoring & evaluation, mainstreaming of cross cutting issues, education in emergency contexts, advocacy & communication or any other related relevant theme is a plus.
· Significant experience in providing expert advice for effective implementation of projects
· Significant Experience in proposal development
KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITY
· Excellent knowledge and understanding of the Ethiopian education policy and strategies, as well as the education sector development program and the challenges
· Experience of working with the Ministry of Education at national and sub-national levels
· Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
· Experience of working successfully with senior managers in other parts of own organization or partner organizations to deliver major change
· Experience of successfully implementing changes to processes to improve and monitor quality standards and impact achieved
· Good knowledge and experience in Project Cycle Management
· Very good skill in report writing, proposal development and facilitation
· Experience of managing and shaping programmes to deliver greater efficiency and effectiveness, and of strengthening implementation of financial control processes
· Solid budgeting skills and knowledge of key donor regulations
· Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in
· Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
· Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies
· Fluency in Amharic language required; knowledge of additional local language is a plus
· Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required
· Commitment to Save the Children values