Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Closing date: 25 Aug 2017
Chemonics seeks a long-term senior early grade reading advisor (SEGRA) for the ACCELERE! project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). ACCELERE! is a jointly funded, $134 million children's education initiative operating in 26 provinces throughout the DRC. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.
Responsibilities include:
Provide technical direction to and oversight of programmatic activities dedicated to improving the quality of education, especially early grade reading and writing, in both formal and non-formal schools
Give technical guidance to counterparts in the Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education, Social Affairs, and Gender, ensuring the project advances the development of teaching and learning materials and provides high-quality, evidence-based early grade reading curricula, reading and writing instruction, teacher training and coaching, and student assessments
Collaborate with counterparts, including those in ministry institutions, and other financial and technical partners in the DRC to develop and advance policy in the education sector, build its capacity, and sustainably strengthen systems that support early grade reading
Lead the development of high-quality, evidence-based instructional materials in first and second national languages for first- through fourth-grade teachers and students as well as for other stakeholders in the education sector to improve early grade reading competencies
Provide pedagogical counsel and guide the establishment of continuous professional-development and support systems for teachers
Strengthen the capacity of ministry counterparts and staff at national, sub-national, and school levels
Coordinate field testing and provide quality assurance of project materials, activities, and approaches
Work with ministry and project staff to coordinate student assessments, including Early Grade Reading Assessments (EGRA)
Develop strategies to engage civil society and community-based organizations to monitor student learning and improve reading outcomes
Liaise with subcontractors and staff to ensure the timely production and execution of all quality-related project outcomes, addressing challenges as they arise
Ensure that the project approach and interventions are informed by global evidence on early grade reading
Ensure that the components of ACCELERE! related to educational access and governance align with and strengthen the components of the project related to educational quality
Qualifications:
Master's or foreign equivalent in education with a specialization in curriculum, instruction, reading education, literacy, linguistics, or a related field (doctorate preferred); master’s in a field other than education and a minimum of eight years of professional experience in early grade reading may be considered
Experience in Africa and within French-speaking education systems preferred
Knowledge of EGRA preferred
Minimum of 10 years of experience in the education sector
Minimum of five years of experience in senior technical roles in the field of early grade reading
Management and supervisory experience working with educational reform programs of a similar scope and scale, including experience strategically planning and implementing activities
Record of implementing educational reform, designing instructional materials, and supporting the professional development of teachers in complex settings to achieve measurable student learning results
Record of successful collaboration with and capacity building of the government and other stakeholders in the education sector
Expertise in early grade reading, including policy; curriculum; the design of instructional materials; teacher training, coaching, and support; professional development systems; and student assessment
Ability to work effectively in challenging and often complex environments
Managerial skills to plan, coordinate, supervise, and monitor project outcomes related to educational quality
Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
Fluency in English and French required
How to apply:
Please send a resume and cover letter of no more than two pages via electronic submission to acceleresegra@chemonics.com with "SEGRA" in the subject line, by August 25, 2017. No telephone inquiries, please. Finalists will be contacted.