Community Engagement and SEL Manager

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

Background/IRC Summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

Since 2007, IRC has worked with refugees and other vulnerable populations in Jordan. Working in coordination with the humanitarian community and the Government of Jordan, the IRC's assistance programs for children in Jordan include both camp-based (Zaatari, and Azraq camps) and urban-based refugee assistance (Mafraq, Ramtha, Irbid).

The IRC’s educational interventions strive to help children and youth gain valuable skills and knowledge that will increase their opportunities and life chances and contribute to their well-being and livelihood. The IRC supports formal and non-formal learning activities that lead to tangible learning outcomes in literacy, numeracy, socio-emotional learning, and marketable skills and promotes the protection and psychosocial well-being of conflict-affected children and youth.

Job Overview/Summary:

USAID’s “Early Grade Education Activity” (EGEA) is a five-year program striving to advance national efforts to strengthen the caliber of pre- and in-service teacher education and improve Kindergarten through Grade Three foundational and socio-emotional skills across the Kingdom of Jordan. The Community Engagement and SEL Manager will be responsible for driving IRC’s commitments under Result Two of the EGEA program, working in close collaboration with the consortium lead, government officials, and other partners. The job holder will provide leadership and overall technical management of early grade activities within EGEA, including the integration of SEL into curricula and non-formal education activities, as well as community engagement activities, ensuring alignment with overall consortium objectives. The role holder will be working in close collaboration with the IREX consortium including partner leads, as well as government representatives.

Specific Responsibilities:

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

SEL integration and implementation ----------------------------------

- Provide technical leadership to conduct desk research, assessment and development of SEL content that build on existing efforts and remaining gaps. - Support in integrating SEL within TLM’s and in-service training for teachers, caregivers and student facing materials, aligning and informing pre-service teacher training materials. - Support local implementing partners in developing SEL content to be disseminated for school leaders, such as principals and administrators. - Explore multiple approaches for teacher training, including blended learning approaches and mentorships, that are suitable for the context and in consultation with the MoE and consortium partners. - Support in co-delivering trainings with consortium partners for both teachers and school leaders - Employ a human-centered design approach to the creation of TLM’s and SEL integrations, ensuring that clients needs and voices are well-captured and integrated into programming. This includes small scale testing of materials with diverse learners, caregivers and teachers to drive data-informed decisions. - Support in developing content and resources to improve classroom and school climate. - Work with IRC Technical Unit specialists to contextualize and adapt global and country-specific materials. - Review and share program-specific tools / resources / curricula - Support in piloting and scaling SEL interventions across Jordan, in collaboration with consortium partners and the MoE - Support in ensuring that materials and resources developed are usable, effective and relevant. - Support in the digitization and socialization of created TLM’s

Community Engagement ---------------------

- Support implementing partners in community engagement activities that incorporate the integration of SEL, caregiver trainings, awareness raising, and the socialization of newly created TLM’s and readers. - Work closely with publishers and child authors to create a series of child-authored books that reflect children’s experiences, expressions and talents. - Explore opportunities of community engagement at a large scale using proven methodologies in collaboration with the MoE, local implementing partners, and consortium partners - Ensure the input and feedback of the MoE, teachers, children, school leaders and caregivers in the creation of TLM’s to promote usability of materials. - Explore and establish partnerships with local publishing and tech companies with the aim of building their capacity in developing quality early grade student text and TLMs. - Support local implementing partners in raising caregiver awareness through established governing units including PTA’s, general assemblies, and school improvement committees. - Support local partners in engaging caregivers and their children in age-appropriate, community-based activities - Explore expanding IRC’s effective Automated Messaging System (AMS-chatbot), optimized through WhatsApp, to reach caregivers at scale with various tips, home activity ideas, and key awareness-raising messages

Capacity-Building and Coordination ----------------------------------

- Work closely and coordinate with government entities where appropriate including the MoE, local field directorates and NCCD. - Build the capacity of team members and local implementing partners in SEL concepts, evidence-based practices, community engagement, and other identified training needs during the course of the programs. - Work with consortium colleagues to help analyze data that inform periodic review and course correction - Proactively collaborate with EGEA lead IREX, government representatives, and other partners to ensure SEL integration and links throughout the program, and provide SEL technical support as needed - Represent IRC in external and internal engagement activities. - Report into IRC’s national country program through the established channels. - Manage and support teams with implementation of SEL training and integration of materials.

Key Working Relationships: ---------------------------

Position Reports to: Curriculum and Engagement Coordinator (IRC)

Position directly supervises: consultants as required -----------------------------------------------------

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Regular communication with EGEA team, IRC Jordan country program (DDP and others as needed), IRC regional and global technical advisors, other consortium members

External: Represent IRC in EGEA. Work closely with the MoE and local stakeholders. Upon request, participate in global meetings and academic forums with donors, other non-governmental organizations, inter-agency groups and foundations.

Qualifications

Job Qualifications: ------------------------

Education: University degree in in education, developmental psychology or relevant field or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

Work Experience: Minimum 4 years of experience from which minimum 2 year in a managerial level in managing education programs is required, with a focus on Social Emotional Learning and Early Grade Education, or similar fields (psychosocial support, positive youth development, child and adult wellbeing, etc.) in Jordan. Material and content development and capacity-building is required. Monitoring and evaluation and research experience is highly desired. Demonstrated experience working on donor funded projects with similar scopes of work. Demonstrated knowledge of USAID rules and reporting requirements. Previous experience working with the MoE and other local stakeholders is highly desired.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: Demonstrated expertise in SEL and community engagement, program design and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, with the ability to turn concepts and strategy into measurable action. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Demonstrated commitment to renewing and maintaining currency with best practices. Experience working in a consortium is highly desired.

Language Skills: Fluency in Arabic and English required.

Working Environment: This position will be based in Amman, Jordan, with up to 30% travel within the country required.

All IRC staff are required to adhere to IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and IRC country employment policies.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.