Mozambique: Education Specialist

BACKGROUND:

Right To Play is a global organization committed to improving the lives of children and youth affected by conflict, disease and poverty. Established in 2000, Right To Play has pioneered a unique play-based approach to learning and development which focuses on quality education, life skills, health, gender equality, child protection and building peaceful communities. With programming in 18 countries, Right To Play transforms the lives of more than one million children each week, both inside and outside of the classroom. In addition to our work with children, Right To Play advocates with parents, local communities, and governments to advance the fundamental rights of all children.​

Right To Play is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and has operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Our programs are facilitated by more than 550 international staff and 15,800 local volunteer Coaches.

The Africa Regional Office located in Kampala, Uganda, supports 8 country offices including; Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.

The Mozambique country office is currently searching for a qualified and self-driven candidate to join a team of professionals in Mozambique as Education Specialist.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Education Specialist reports directly to the Program Manager. He/she is responsible for providing technical advice and guidance on the development and implementation of education programs in line with the Country Strategic Plan and Right To Play’s global theory of change. The incumbent works to integrate Right To Play’s methodologies into the system level education planning and delivery in addition to the curriculum of provincial and national boards/agencies as well as into the activities of Right To Play’s strategic and implementing partners. This includes developing materials and resources as necessary, in collaboration with the Regional Office programs team and Education Specialist at Headquarters as relevant. The incumbent also provides technical input to the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist/Officer on the development of education-related performance measurement frameworks, baseline assessments and evaluations. He/she plays a leadership role in policy engagement with external stakeholders. The Education Specialist is also responsible for analyzing education related results from Right To Play’s interventions and bringing innovative knowledge to organizational approaches.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Job Responsibility #1:Programme planning, implementation and delivery(60% of Time)

· Together with the Program Manager, leads the design and development of education program strategies in close coordination with the Regional Office and Education Specialist at HQ to ensure alignment with RTP’s global theory of change.

· Leads technical planning and monitoring of RTP’s education program(s) in line with the Country Strategic Plan, the Ministry of Education plans, and donor requirements.

· Supports Country Office Program Manager in developing education focused project proposals and concept notes for new projects.

· Identifies and develops new partnerships with education-focused NGOs, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and communities.

· In coordination with Country Office Program Manager, the Gender Specialist and program staff ensures that issues of gender equality, inclusion, child protection and safeguarding, accountability, risk and vulnerability are addressed and monitored throughout all education programs.

· Leads in developing curricula and resources for basic education programs (pre-primary and primary) as needed, working in collaboration with the Global Training and Capacity Building Specialist.

· Builds networks with other Education Specialists in the region to support cross-learning with other RTP country programs in the region.

· Stays abreast of new developments and opportunities to develop new initiatives to improve education outcomes for children in the country.

· Provides technical leadership on the procurement and/or development of appropriate teaching and learning materials, training manuals and education resources.

· Develops and promotes support-materials for incorporating activity based learning methods for teachers.

· In close coordination with the Training Officer, conducts needs assessments in support of designing training for education departments, teachers and Education District Officers, and RTP strategic and implementing partners, where applicable.

· Works closely with teacher training and curriculum development institutions to integrate RTP methodology into curriculum, text books and class room teaching.

· Regularly develops lessons learned and best practices and shares them with the programs team, stakeholders and the Regional Office, ensuring that program lessons are being used to promote improved program delivery

· Collaborates with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist/Officer (MELS/O) to develop appropriate systems, tools and procedures for the monitoring and evaluation of education programs

Job Responsibility #2:Representation, advocacy and policy engagement(25% of Time)

· In close coordination with the Program Manager and the Country Director, leads RTP’s advocacy and policy effort in the education sector by participating in national coordination forums as applicable national strategic planning for the education sector, relevant technical working groups and other key coordination platforms.

· Represents RTP in various platforms and maintains positive relationships with governments and other relevant stakeholders regarding RTP activities.

· Regularly updates stakeholder analysis for the education sector and ensures that RTP is engaging with and is visible to the most influential actors in the sector.

· Coordinates research and advocacy interventions related to the program at national and international level, using data from school-level interventions to advocate for national-level policy development/implementation, in close coordination with the MELS/O.

· Leads and develops RTP’s analysis and best practices in education programming in the country and disseminates through documents and position papers with education stakeholders and within RTP at the regional and global levels.

· Provides technical inputs to regional and global strategies, policies and resources related to education programming to ensure that country experience and realities are well-reflected.

Job Responsibility #3:Capacity building support(10% of Time):

· Ensures that country staff are properly supported with the technical knowledge and skills necessary to deliver education program interventions.

· Conducts regular visits to the field to provide technical support to program teams.

Job Responsibility #4:Performs other duties as assigned(5% of Time):

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (Must have)

EDUCATION/TRAINING/CERTIFICATION

· Master’s degree in Education or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

EXPERIENCE:

· 5 years’ experience implementing and providing technical guidance on basic education programs and liaising with government officials. Proven experience in project planning, report writing, networking, partnership-building and working with NGOs.

· Significant experience in designing and delivering training and/or the development of education materials and resources.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS

· Understanding of active learning approaches, particularly play-based learning

· Knowledge and understanding of best practices in basic education programs, including technical experience in teacher training and resource and curriculum development

· Understanding of community development processes

· Strong MS Office and program management tools and procedures

· Knowledge and experience with programmatic approaches related to life skills or social emotional learning

· Knowledge and experience in education research, quantitative and qualitative methods

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS (Asset to have):

· Experience in quality improvement

· Experience in strengthening civil society organisations

· Experience in coaching

· Knowledge/experience in child protection, gender mainstreaming and/or governance

· Knowledge of adult learning

· Knowledge of international donors

COMPETENCIES/PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

· Superior organizational skills and ability to multi-task on a constant basis

· Excellent interpersonal communication skills to build rapport with staff, partners, government officials, donors and community leaders

· Ability to work under pressure meeting deadlines in a fast-paced fluid environment

· Creative and flexible with problem solving skills

· Demonstrated professionalism and diplomacy

· Ability to confidently represent oneself and Right To Play to high level officials

· Strategy planning skills for education initiatives

· People management particularly influence management

SPECIAL CONDITIONS:

Ability to travel in country and internationally.

Compensation: We offer a competitive salary and benefits package

Employment Start Date: Immediately**Contract Duration:** Long term engagement based on performance and availability of funds

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your resume and cover letter to: MozambiqueHR@righttoplay.com and kindly include “Education Specialist” and your name in the subject line. While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Right To Play is a child-centered organization. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to the safety and protection of children in our programs.

To learn more about who we are and what we do, please visit our website at www.righttoplay.com.