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Senior Specialist, Early Grades
Literacy & Institutional Capacity Strengthening - (1) position) - Kampala
Position Title: Senior Specialist
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
Organization: Save the Children
Employment Type:Full Time Permanent
Application Deadline:Tuesday 20 January 2015
Background Information:
Save the Children is the world’s
leading independent organization for children and has program presence in
over
120 countries in the world. Save the Children envisions a Uganda in which every
child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation.
Our mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children,
and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. We strive to create
impact for children by delivering our Programmes through partnerships, by being
innovative, by acting as the voice for and of children, and by achieving
results at scale. In Uganda, we
implement programmes in six thematic programme areas of Child Protection, Child
Rights Governance, Education, Livelihoods & Food Security, Health, Nutrition
and HIV/AIDS in development and emergency contexts. Save the Children delivers
programs in over 36 districts in the North, Rwenzori, North-Eastern and Central
regions of Uganda, Currently, Save the Children has a staff complement of over
200 persons. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them
fulfil their potential. In 2013, we reached over 143 million children through
our work around 52m directly and 91 million indirectly around the world.
Save the Children seeks to fill the
following positions for a USAID-funded program focused on improving the reading
skills of primary-grade learners in government schools in Uganda through the
scale-up of the EGR methodology approved by the MoES. The goal of the $36m,
five-year project is to improve literacy by supporting interventions that (1)
improve key aspects of reading skills in both English and 3 of the 12 selected
local languages in the early primary grades, and (2) improve the year-to-year
retention of learners in the primary grades through safe school environments
within Uganda.
Job Purpose:
The Senior Specialist – Early Grades Literacy & Institutional Capacity
Strengthening is responsible for provision of expert advice, analysis and
technical support to the USAID/Uganda LARA project on early grades reading,
with a particular focus on strengthening Ministry of Education & Sports
(MoES) capacity to sustain and expand the coverage of LARA reading initiatives.
S/he will provide technical
leadership and ensure effective coordination with strategic partners on early
grades literacy, including the other USAID/Uganda EGR project, the School
Health & Reading Program (SHRP).
Academic back ground and Experience;
- Master’s degree in
education, with a focus on literacy and reading, and specific expertise in
teacher training, assessment, and reading material development;
- Minimum of 10 years of
relevant experience working on reading assessment, instruction, and training,
with 5 + years of experience working in developing countries;
- Demonstrated ability to
work with host government and partners in implementing a complex project in the
field under challenging circumstances;
- Significant knowledge of
the education system in Uganda, specifically in-service teacher training and
professional development, pedagogical practices, and classroom management;
- Demonstrated experience in
early grades reading instruction improvement within the Uganda context,
particularly with regard to reading materials development; teacher mentoring,
supervision and support; community engagement in children’s literacy; use of
early grade reading assessment data for project design/refinement
- Demonstrated ability to
work with the Uganda Ministry of Education & Sports and other potential
partners on EGR initiatives, from national to district levels, and particularly
on institutional capacity building across the education system
- Project experience in the
28 target districts , or contacts with local NGOs or education authorities in
these locations, preferred
- Experience working on
similar USAID or other donor-funded programs; familiarity with USAID
regulations and policies preferred;
- Proven experience in
networking with local NGOs, strong communication skills and good interpersonal
relations;
- Proven leadership and inter-personal
skills for effective team work; as well as the ability to work independently on
a frequent basis, taking initiative, managing multiple priorities
- Excellent communication
skills, training design and deliver capacity, and report writing skills;
- Fluency in English
required; knowledge of at least two of the target LARA local languages
(Luganda, Runyankole, and Runyoro) is preferred;
- Able to work in a
constructive way in collaboration with different project stakeholders,
including the MoES, partner NGOs, district authorities, etc.
General specifications applicable to all positions;
- Experience of working with
local partners and District Local Government in Child Rights Governance,
Health, Nutrition, Education, HIV/AIDS or Child Protection is an added
advantage.
- Strong analytical skills
and strategic planning abilities.
- Ability to establish and
maintain conducive collegial relations and perform effectively as a member of a
team.
- Willingness to travel and work in
hard-to-reach areas, occasionally under strenuous conditions.
- Computer literacy and
excellent documentation skills are a must.
- Availability and
willingness to work extra hours during times of humanitarian responses.
- Highly developed cultural
awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people
from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
- Ability to intervene with
crisis management or troubleshooting as necessary.
- Highly developed
interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and
coaching.
- Excellent time management
and planning capacity.
- Availability and
willingness to work extra hours during times of humanitarian responses.
Mode of application:
Application letters with detailed CVs indicating 3 referees, two of whom
should have been direct supervisors should be submitted to:
Email:
uganda.recruitment@savethechildren.org
Important to note:
Only online applications shall be considered.
Testimonials/certificates should not be attached to applications.
The closing date for receiving applications is 20th January 2015.
Candidates are therefore encouraged to apply at the earliest opportunity.
All jobs close at midnight UK time on the date specified
