Technical Director, Education

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We are currently seeking qualified candidates for the position of Technical Director, Education for the upcoming FCDO UK Support for Girls' Education and Improved Learning in Ethiopia.

This position will be based in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia and is contingent upon award.

Project Description

FCDO UK Support for Girls' Education and Improved Learning in Ethiopia (2024-2029) is a new bilateral education programme in Rwanda due to be tendered between April – July 2024. The programme will improve access for marginalized groups to education, improve retention and transition rates, improve learning outcomes, and improve school capacity and capability. The programme will operate across four pillars: 1) School leadership and support, 2) Equity support, 3) Teacher support, and 4) English language.

Position Description

The Technical Director, Education provides technical leadership across the program and is responsible for leading the quality and timeliness of the project’s overall technical workstream. S/he will lead the technical team and development of technical deliverables, play a role in policy and advocacy efforts, liaise with technical partners, relevant national stakeholders, beneficiaries and FCDO, as needed. The Technical Director will be a senior education sector specialist with leadership experience from large-scale foundational learning programs in Ethiopia and/or the region. S/he will be skilled in leading collaborative work, with a consistent track record in the design and delivery of disability inclusive and gender-responsive teaching methods and strengthening school leadership both with direct consideration for education access and equity. In addition, s/he will have experience supporting scalable approaches to building teacher and system capacity in English as a medium of instruction. The Technical Director will have deep technical knowledge of national learning strategies for Ethiopia and applied experience in delivering on Ministerial strategies for improved foundational learning for all students.

Job Summary/Responsibilities

• Provide overall technical leadership and management for the programme including budget formulation and oversight; advises the Team Leader on technical matters, including support for policy and advocacy efforts related to their area of expertise.

• Provide direct oversight and management of the teacher support and school leadership components of the programme.

• Coordinate across the four technical pillars to ensure common strategic direction, with particular emphasis on education access and equity for all students.
• Nurture and maintain strong relationships with relevant Ministry counterparts and other key stakeholders in the design and roll-out of innovative approaches.
• Lead on development and quality assurance of teaching and learning materials, including competency frameworks for teachers and school leadership.
• Oversee technical outputs (activities, strategies, and deliverables) of implementing partners.
• Lead on local partner technical capacity building activities.
• Support the Team Leader and MERL staff with activity monitoring and evaluation.
• Provide leadership and line management of technical programme staff and ensure clear roles and responsibilities; maintain clear lines of communication with project team members.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree or comparable level of relevant experience required in education, curriculum and instruction, education management, school leadership, or related field; PhD or EdD preferred.
• 10+ years of related work experience in increasingly senior roles, with three years in leadership positions; experience working in a non-governmental organization (NGO) or commercial consulting firm preferred.
• Expertise in teacher professional development and school leadership.
• Deep contextual knowledge of Ethiopia’s education landscape and experience working in Ethiopia preferred.
• Experience modifying approaches for different contexts given the complexity of Ethiopia.
• Ability to build positive working relationships with local communities, government officials, implementing partners, and donor representatives.
• Ability to analyze and establish effective cross-programme coordination, procedures, and management systems.
• Demonstrated ability in complex environments, working across different cultures, and managing diverse teams to deliver impact within agreed timelines.
• Proven technical leadership in FCDO-funded projects preferred.
• Oral and written fluency required in English.
• Oral and written fluency strongly preferred in Amharic.

This job posting summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.

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