CHILDFUND
JOB DESCRIPTIONTitle: Education Specialist
Div/Dept: Program
Location: Sierra Leone/The Gambia
Supervisor: Director of Programs and SponsorshipPURPOSE OF THE ROLE: The Education Specialist/Advisor is responsible for leading ChildFund’s Programs in Sierra Leone and The Gambia Country Offices in Basic Education (literacy and numeracy) in both primary and secondary school settings, and the School-Based Violence Prevention Model. This includes developing multi-year thematic strategies and annual plans, designing programs and securing funding, developing strong external relations, and producing and utilizing high quality and well-articulated program evidence and research for learning, for advocacy and for the continued development of the COs Education portfolios. The Education Specialist/Advisor is also responsible for promoting program quality for all ongoing and future education projects/initiatives in both countries. S/he will ensure cross functionality, coordination, standardization of program implementation in different Education projects, and that quality of program is of nationally/internationally accepted and recommended standards. S/he represents Child Fund values and principles in interactions with staff, program participants and external audiences.ABOUT US
ChildFund International is committed to a workplace culture that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms. Furthermore, ChildFund International is committed to ensuring a workplace that safeguards and protects all children, including preventing their sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as preventing the sexual exploitation and abuse of its staff, partners, and program participants.KEY AREAS OF COMPETENCIES Strategic and Technical Leadership · Provide leadership and guidance in the design and implementation of ChildFund’s Education strategy and plans in Sierra Leone and The Gambia, consistent with organizational goals, the Country Strategic Plans and resource availability. Ensure that the program remains relevant to the external environment and needs of children. · Ensure quality program implementation Basic Education (primary and secondary), with a specific emphasis on leading the School-Based Violence Prevention (SBVP) Model and teacher training on social-emotional learning. · Share learnings and evidence generated across Education thematic areas within ChildFund Country offices and with external audiences. · Work at the policy level with government decision makers, participating in strategy development, policy making, and technical discussions to determine priorities for Education programs and encourage partnership and engagement. Program Design, Delivery and Quality Assurance · Analyze donor priorities and positions on issues related to Education; identifying institutional funding opportunities and developing and maintaining contacts with potential donors, partners and key technical agencies. · Lead on the timely development and submission of quality proposals in response to identified opportunities in Education with various donors; serve as technical lead and/or lead technical writer of Education related donor proposals, as required working closely with the BD Specialist. · Support country offices in formulating program designs, implementation plans, and country strategies for education including School-Based Violence Prevention Model. · Ensure oversight of education program implementation to ensure high quality, timely delivery of program activities, including monitoring of indicators. · Engage in work planning, budget phasing and program/project review meetings. Support COs and Local Partners in annual planning of activities and quarterly reviews, ensuring alignment with program designs and CO CSP aspirations · With support from the Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, ensure adequate ongoing monitoring and evaluation of all Education programs. · Ensure that all Education Program/project reports meet high quality standards. Review relevant monitoring reports to donors to ensure that reports are of high quality and provide mentoring support to improve writing skills of CO colleagues and local partner staff. · With support from the Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, develop an M&E plan that helps CO education programs/projects improve quality of reporting, clearly articulate progress and impact of education programs/projects, identify issues for new programs/projects in the future. · Where external consultants are required to technically support or monitor and evaluate projects, support the recruitment and subsequent management of contracted consultants as per the recruitment guidelines. · Identify issues for and provide thematic direction in advocacy, communications and campaigns in collaboration with the CO Communication Specialists. External Representation · Represent ChildFund at national, regional and international level Education cluster meetings, technical working group meetings, and other relevant forums · Work in close partnership with other thematic Specialists such as Child Protection, Health and Nutrition, Livelihoods, Sponsorship regarding integrated programing and cross-thematic quality enhancement · Lead in thematic collaboration and networking with government and relevant stakeholders and serve as the main point of contact for all matters related to Education, particularly the scaling up of the School-Based Violence Prevention Model in the COs, cluster representation, policy development, capacity building. Core Competencies for this position 1. Team work -capable of working well with others both on the team and cross-functionally to achieve individual goals, team goals, department goals, and/or organizational goals 2. Communication -Effectively and appropriately interacts with others to build relationships, influence others, and facilitate the sharing of ideas and information 3. Result Orientation -invest time in upfront planning to achieve organizational goals and objectives while meeting quality standards, following the appropriate processes, and demonstrating continuous commitment. Functional Competencies 1. Organizational Awareness –Contributes to the organization by understanding and aligning actions with the organization’s goals, core functions, needs, and values. 2. Innovation-Thinks beyond the confines of traditional models to recognize opportunities and find new and better ways of doing things. Encourages experimentation and accepts failure as a driver of innovation. 3. Relationship Building /Partnership –Develops internal and external trusting, professional relationships. Purposefully develops networks to build value through collaboration. Minimum required: 1. Masters Degree in Education or Social Sciences 2. Eight(8) to ten(10) years of experience in a similar position, in a reputable International Organization or institution preferably an INGO. 3. Experience in the field of education with a reputable organization with skills in the implementation of local and/or international operations. 4. Strong monitoring and evaluation experience 5. Strong written and oral communication skills in English. Our Child Safeguarding Commitment and Responsibility: ChildFund is committed to safeguarding the interest, rights, and well-being of children with whom it is in contact and to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for children. Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, efforts, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. FOLOW THE LINK BELOW TO APPLY ; APPLY |