Technical Advisor – Resilient and Inclusive Education at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO): (Deadline 14 June 2024)

Role Title: Technical Advisor – Resilient and Inclusive Education

Responsible to: Global Technical Lead – Resilient and Inclusive Education

Responsible for: No other employees (this may change according to operational requirements)

Job/Role Purpose: The purpose of this is role is to provide high quality technical inputs in designing, delivering, and monitoring of VSO’s resilient and inclusive education programmes in VSO with a focus on pre-primary and primary education, and gender and disability inclusion, and to provide technical leadership in business pursuit and proposal development to grow the education programme.

Task Responsibilities

Programme development

• Carry out rigorous and ongoing context analysis to ensure education interventions are relevant to the VSO context.
• Lead the technical design, development, and delivery of the VSO education programme, ensuring alignment with VSO’s People First strategy, the volunteering for development approach, the global education practice area strategy, integration of the VSO core approaches and health and livelihood initiatives.

Technical Support and Capacity Building:

• Provide technical and programmatic leadership to staff, volunteers and partners to support the design and delivery of high-quality education interventions.
• Apply People First principles ensure staff, volunteers and partners are engaged in programme development, planning, implementation, review and learning processes.

Business Pursuit and Programme Funding:

• Work closely with the VSO Chief of Party, global Business Pursuit team, Global Technical Lead to identify and pursue funding opportunities to grow the education programme in VSO.
• Actively engage with donors and funding partners to position the education programme for wider funding opportunities.
• Support the development of capability statements and other materials to support business pursuit and marketing.
• Provide technical leadership for funding proposals, concept notes, etc,

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning:

• Collaborate with the Knowledge, Evidence and Learning (KEL) team to generate evidence and learning about the impact of VSO’s education interventions.
• Support the integration of the VSO ‘MILE’ approach to engaging primary actors in MEL.
• Document and disseminate learning both internally and with external partners and stakeholders.
• Lead the preparation of high quality quarterly and annual reports (internal and external)

Partnership, networking, and engagement:

• Identify and engage with partners and key stakeholders to build partnership, linkages, and joint initiatives.
• Proactively engage in relevant regional, national, and sub-national networks and explore viable options to raise the profile and influence of VSO and make a positive contribution to the education sector.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with donors and implementing partners.
• Proactively engage with VSO’s global Community of Practice to share learning and best practice.

Other

• Fulfil other appropriate level responsibilities as defined by the line manager from time to time.
• Abide by VSO core values and VSO policies regarding Safeguarding, Gender Sensitivity, Child Protection, Data Protection Act, Anti-Bribery, Confidentiality and Security.

Collaboration responsibilities (key teams/roles this role will be working with)

Collaboration with:

• Chief of Parties in respective projects
• Project implementation teams at country level including the Project Implementation Leads/Project Managers as well as field staff and volunteers.
• MEL Manager
• Communications Officer
• Resilient and Inclusive Education Practice Area team including the Global Practice Area Lead and Global Technical Lead.
• Global Implementation Team including the Portfolio Lead and
• Business Pursuit Team at global and regional level.
• Resourcing and Finance Team
• Global Knowledge, Evaluation and Learning Team Global Communications Team

Competences required.

• At least a bachelor’s degree and ideally a master’s degree in international development, or a related field…
• At least 5 years’ field experience (in Africa) in Education.
• Knowledge and experience of working in the education sector in VSO, and understanding of the current context, priorities, development direction and key stakeholders.
• Technical expertise in designing, delivering, and monitoring programmes in pre-primary and primary education, with a focus on gender and inclusive and special needs education.
• Ability to build the capacity of others.
• Knowledge and experience of working with key system actors including local education officials, school leaders, teachers, teacher mentors etc.
• Knowledge and experience of designing and implementing identification and assessment processes for learners with disabilities.
• Knowledge of Education Technology and blended teacher professional development is desirable.
• Experience in leading or supporting technical aspects of business pursuit and developing proposals.
• Ability to collect, interpret and use evidence to support MEL and communications.
• Excellent personal relationship and communication skills with substantial experience in networking and influencing a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Excellent practical knowledge of Microsoft 365. Knowledge and understanding of the role of volunteerism in development is desirable.
• Knowledge and understanding of social inclusion, accountability, and resilience in education is desirable.
• Commitment to VSO’s vision and values, including safeguarding and taking a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and harm.
• Able to travel across country and out of country to project sites and spend time away from base location.

Application Link: Click here to apply

Deadline: June 14th 2024

Safeguarding level: VSO has zero tolerance of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people. We will expect all our employees/ volunteers to commit to protecting children, young people and vulnerable adults from harm and abide by our safeguarding policy. Level 3: This post will have regular, direct and unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults either face to face or online or the post will have supervisory responsibility for people who have direct unsupervised access to children or post will have accountability at organisational level to ensure safeguarding policy is in place and implemented at all levels. A criminal background check (Enhance DBS check for UK or equivalent highest level of Police check) will be obtained for post holder at this level prior to their start date.