EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER (EDC) is one of the world’s leading nonprofit research and development firms. Established in 1958, EDC designs, delivers and evaluates innovative programs to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic opportunity. Our services include research, training, educational materials, and strategy, with activities ranging from seed projects to large-scale national and international initiatives.

Project Description

The goal of the five-year, USAID-funded Integrated Child and Youth Development (ICYD) Activity is for Ugandan children and youth, especially the most vulnerable, to receive the support and services necessary to lead resilient, healthy, and productive lives. The ICYD Activity is expected to achieve the following:

1. Children and youth have improved learning outcomes;
2. Children and youth are safe and healthy in their community and learning environments; and
3. Youth practice positive behaviors and are able to make informed decisions about their lives and relationships.

Working in partnership with Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development (MGLSD), district and zonal officials, and other Ugandan government and civil society partners, ICYD will comprise a series of activities to: support improved basic education for Ugandan children; address school-related and gender-based violence; facilitate enhanced child protection and support for vulnerable youth; provide support to HIV-affected orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and their caregivers/families; and support HIV care and treatment outcomes in close collaboration with clinical and community structures. ICYD will also contribute to improved systems within the MoES and MGLSD to promote Early Grade Reading (EGR) and child protection.

Position Description

The Senior Technical Advisor, Education, (STAE) functions in a leadership and hands-on capacity, providing high-level technical oversight of the project’s education components while working closely with colleagues and stakeholders across the five zones to ensure fidelity, monitoring and improvement of technical implementation to ensure results. Together with the Chief of Party and EDC home office technical staff, s/he guides strategies for all the education technical requirements of the ICYD Activity and provides technical expertise to ensure the fulfillment of project deliverables. S/he works closely with the other members of the Senior Management Team to strengthen relations with key Government of Uganda stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), and Ministry of Local Government (MoL). S/he will also work closely with the ICYD community team to ensure that other stakeholders such as the Founding Bodies, School Management Committees (SMCs), Parents and Teachers Association (PTAs) and Parents play a critical role in promoting quality learning outcomes.

S/he actively collaborates with the USAID/Uganda COR and Education Office to effectively support program implementation and address operational and programmatic questions and challenges. S/he demonstrates an understanding of best practices in early grade reading, school retention, safe learning environments, and school-related gender-based violence. S/he contributes to knowledge capture and dissemination of key learnings to key stakeholders within the ICYD Activity and promotes innovation, improved methodologies, and project implementation through the USAID Collaborating, Learning, & Adapting (CLA) approach. S/he actively engages with local partners, private sector and other humanitarian and development organizations and promotes effective collaboration and cooperation across project teams. The Senior Technical Advisor, Education works closely with the COP to ensure that technical direction for the ICYD Activity is fully disseminated among staff, GoU and other key stakeholders.

As a member of the Senior Management Team, this person will report to the Chief of Party and have supervisory duties.

Essential functions include (but are not limited to):

• Guide and support the basic education team to coordinate effective implementation of responsive and targeted strategies to district/schools aimed at improving foundational skills.
• In close collaboration with Senior Zonal Managers, Early Grade Reading Managers and other ICYD technical teams, oversee day-to-day management of project activities and implementation of project workplan, ensuring they are executed on time, on scope, and within budget.
• Take lead in designing and overseeing adaptive program management approaches and processes to respond to changing context and environment in the education sector in order to achieve the USAID ICYD results.
• Facilitate annual work planning, in close collaboration with project teams at all levels, MoES, MoL, and other key stakeholders.
• Lead quarterly and monthly planning of education activities in collaboration with M&E, F&O Finance teams;
• Lead bi-weekly basic education progress review meetings with the ICYD education team
• Work closely with M&E Director and Deputy Chief of Party for Finance & Operations to facilitate project-wide reviews of progress toward achieving project deliverables and results, and cost performance/budget tracking.
• Support the M&E Director to implement efficient and effective mechanisms for implementation tracking and reporting across the five project zones and ensure complete and comprehensive project reports are delivered per schedule.
• Lead quarterly and monthly planning of education activities in collaboration with M&E, Operations and Finance teams.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of the Activity’s learning agenda; contribute to knowledge capture and dissemination of key learnings to key stakeholders within the ICYD Activity and promote innovation, improved methodologies, and project implementation through the USAID Collaborating, Learning, & Adapting (CLA) approach.
• Spend at least 40% time in the zones/districts/communities to ensure programming is cohesive, timely, and of the highest quality.
• Serve as a focal point person with the MoES.

The candidate for the position of Senior Technical Advisor, Education shall have at a minimum the following qualifications:

Education:

Master's degree or higher in international education development or a related field of study. In circumstances where a candidate possesses exceptional relevant experience but lacks a graduate degree, relevant post-education experience will be considered in lieu of a master’s degree.

Skills and Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in the technical implementation of international education programming in Uganda or sub-Saharan Africa;
• Proven experience as an education professional who is thoroughly familiar with the primary education sector in Uganda;
• Experience in the design, delivery and quality assurance of the implementation of early grade reading programs required, and/or OVC and child protection programming beneficial;
• Demonstrated capacity to create and/or maintain systems and procedures for managing large-scale education strengthening activities, with emphasis on early-grade reading, teacher training and capacity building;
• Knowledge of current best practices in literacy, early grade reading assessments, and teacher training and coaching/mentoring methodologies;
• Demonstrated experience with education system strengthening, including education sector planning, supervision and coaching, supervisor professional development, and strengthening national and sub-national education structures;
• Proven capacity development of local implementing partners is highly desired;
• Knowledge of issues and relevant approaches to improve school retention and progression, particularly for vulnerable and at-risk children preferred;
• Knowledge of issues and relevant approaches for strengthening safe learning environments at the school, community, and system levels, with emphasis on violence prevention and responding to school-related gender-based violence preferred;
• At least five years of experience successfully managing staff, including building capacity through mentoring, training, and/or coaching;
• Substantial experience engaging with Ministry of Education officials at national and sub-national levels, private sector and other humanitarian and development organizations, and fostering collaboration and cooperation amongst a broad range of stakeholders;
• Experience in positive youth development, such as accelerated basic education and/or work readiness programming preferred.
• Fluency in English is required.

Application Instructions:

Job closing date: May 26, 2023

Due to the volume of applications submitted, only finalists will be notified. No phone calls, please.

EDC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer 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.