Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity. Since 1958, we have been a leader in designing, implementing, and evaluating powerful and innovative programs in more than 80 countries around the world.

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EDC is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The main goal of the USAID Improved Learning Outcomes in Primary Education (SABER) activity will be to improve the reading and math skills of Mozambican children, using a bilingual model. The project will support the Government of the Republic of Mozambique’s (GRM) efforts to improve the quality of education in Mozambique. USAID SABER responds to the Ministry of Education and Human Development’s (MINEDH) education sector strategic needs and ensures sustained impact and cost-effective implementation, adopting a local-based model which effectively collaborates and ensures capacity development and transfer of responsibilities to local government institutions for sustainability and continuity, while maintaining effective partnership and consultations with MINEDH’s central institutions.

SABER will build on USAID Mozambique’s evidence and results under the current USAID supported Vamos Ler (VL) program and use lessons learned to further improve early grade reading outcomes in Mozambique, targeting mostly rural communities via bilingual education. USAID SABER will utilize the grade 3 primary bilingual students supported by the USAID VL program to help bilingual students complete the primary education cycle to grade 6, where classroom instruction will become monolingual and only in Portuguese. Following MINEDH’s bilingual education strategy, USAID SABER will benefit children from rural disadvantaged communities, particularly girls, who do not yet speak Portuguese. USAID SABER will provide services ensuring that teachers and school administrators prioritize and improve student learning. Innovative approaches will be particularly encouraged for effective learning results.  

Position Description

The Senior Reading Specialist (SRS) provides overall technical oversight and guidance to the activity’s support to improved reading instruction, including reading standards, benchmarks, curricula, and assessment systems. The SRS supervises the production of all activity-supported reading material, all activity-supported trainings in reading, all teacher and classroom supervision and monitoring, and all student testing efforts. This person ensures complementarity of activity approaches in reading across the activity provinces and language areas, liaises with government representatives and technicians on technical matters, and bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that children in activity-supported schools achieve improved outcomes in reading.

Please Note: This position is not eligible for relocation or posting allowances and the salary will be paid in Mozambican metical.

The candidate for the position of Senior Reading Specialist shall have at a minimum the following qualifications:

Education:

Master’s Degree in education is required. A specialty in early grade reading or another pedagogically-oriented specialty highly preferred.

Skills and Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of demonstrated relevant technical expertise with substantial developing country experience;
• Experience in sub-Saharan Africa working on systems strengthening/Early Grade Literacy programs strongly preferred;
• Proven technical expertise and knowledge of international evidence-based approaches to improved literacy outcomes and systems strengthening to support Early Grade Literacy;
• Experience in both preprimary and early primary education preferred;
• Experience in teacher professional development, curriculum and materials development, using technology to support instruction and learning, and/or instructional leadership development;
• Understanding of and experience with best practices in inclusive and gender-responsive pedagogy; Universal Design for Learning; and social emotional learning and development; and
• Experience in a collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA)-focused management environment.

Language:

Fluency in English and professional proficiency in written and spoken Portuguese are required. Working knowledge of a Mozambican language or other Bantu language is preferred, but not required.

EDC is committed to enhancing the diversity of its workforce and ensuring an equitable and highly inclusive work environment. EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.