Technical Lead, Liberia Foundational Skills Activity Full Time

Summary

 Save the Children is seeking a Technical Lead for an anticipated five-year USAID-funded Foundational Skills Activity in Liberia. This $73-$75 million activity will support public schools in Bong, Grand Bassa, Lofa, Margibi, Montserrado and Nimba counties, and reach a minimum of 120,000 primary grade students. The purpose of this activity is to increase the percentage of Liberian children who complete primary school and meet the Government of Liberia learning standards. This activity will ensure that children develop Early Grade Reading skills, and that schools are safe and nurturing places to learn and explore. This activity will improve reading instruction and teaching and learning materials and propose contextually appropriate ways to reduce financial barriers and opportunity costs associated with enrolling and staying in school. This activity will also address children and youth, particularly the most marginalized and vulnerable to be certain they have access to quality accelerated education that is safe, relevant, and of high quality.

The Technical Lead is responsible for overseeing the technical delivery of the program to ensure education opportunities that are accessible, relevant and of high quality. They will adopt a people-centered approach in all program activities and promote the resilience and wellbeing of children, teachers and communities affected by crisis and conflict. They will also promote the acquisition of foundational reading skills for all children based on the national curriculum and international best practices. They will collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to strengthen education systems as well as support the design of service delivery strategies, track progress towards program goals, and adapt as necessary.

This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• In collaboration with other relevant technical staff, lead, strengthen, and oversee the development and delivery of a high quality, evidence-based Early Grade Reading program (teaching and learning materials, remedial programs and teacher professional development) which puts children at the center of the process, resulting in increased learning opportunities for children in safe and respectful learning environments.
• In collaboration with other relevant technical staff, lead, strengthen, and oversee the development of locally defined school safety measures
• Ensure the technical and methodological soundness of activities, and in collaboration with the project team and partners, support the design and rollout of education activities that take conflict and/or crisis and emergency situations into account, are flexible in scale and sequencing, holistic in meeting the needs of children, resilient and responsive to contextual uncertainties, and achieve as a minimum standard the principle of ‘Do No Harm.’
• Contribute to program research and monitoring, and in collaboration and consultation with USAID and other stakeholders, refine and adjust technical approaches and annual work plans to achieve program goals and the promotion of wellbeing and learning for all children.
• Collaborate with the Ministry of Education and key stakeholders to integrate strategies that efficiently and effectively assure children and youth have access to opportunities to transition into the formal school system.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to integrate emergency preparedness and gender responsive strategies to the program.
• Collaborate with the Ministry of Education, key USAID implementing partners and other donors and stakeholders to promote sustainability, efficiency, and the adoption of successful program strategies into the national education approach.
• Provide technical and program guidance and oversight in the design and implementation of the program.
• Contribute to the gathering and application of relevant research and monitoring data to inform programing.
• Document and disseminate innovation and good practices.
• Prepare high-quality, accurate and timely reports for Save the Children, project partners and USAID as required.
• Represent the program as required to promote sustainability and impact.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education, international development, or related field.
• Minimum of five years of experience with progressively increasing responsibility for the design, management, and implementation of complex education programming in developing countries involving multiple stakeholders and implementing partners.
• At least three years of experience providing technical leadership on large-scale USAID-funded projects and designing and implementing education programming, preferably in West Africa.
• Commitment to child rights, gender equality and Save the Children’s values.

• Demonstrated expertise and practical experience in Early Grade Reading Instruction, Teaching and Learning Material Development, remediation, and Teacher Professional Development,
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in building Ministry of Education capacity to provide safe education opportunities in formal and non-formal school settings.

• Ability to collaborate and liaise with senior MoE officials, other USAID implementing partners, relevant education sector stakeholders, and senior members of the donor community.
• Proven track record managing a project team composed of technical experts from multicultural backgrounds and fostering teamwork.
• Strengths in inspiring and enabling others through training and capacity building to realize objectives.
• Ability to gain support from staff across teams and to build the capacity of others.
• Sound strategic thinking and planning skills, including ability to think creatively and innovatively and to set manageable priorities and work plans and evaluate progress.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Personal commitment to gender equality, child rights and social inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in education, international development, or related field.
• Prior work experience in promoting early grade reading, safe schools, non-formal and formal education.
• Teaching experience.
• Other experience within the Ministry of Education (e.g., school principal, teacher trainer).
• Experience promoting equality in education and in the work environment.
• Strong experience working within a complex national program in the context of an emergency intervention or in conflict/fragile state contexts.
• Familiarity with the political, social, and cultural context of Liberia.
• Knowledge of local languages.
• Personal commitment to gender equality, child rights and social inclusion.

Qualified local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond.  As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)