Deadline for applications: Friday, December14, 2012. Estimated start date: February 2013. This position is contingent upon funding.
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.
Scope: IRC has been active in Pakistan since 1980, mobilizing and empowering Afghan refugees and earthquake-affected Pakistani communities to take a proactive role in the provision and development of essential services. Today, IRC Pakistan works in partnership with local government and non-governmental organizations to manage and deliver large, complex programs to meet needs and support community building in a variety of sectors, including education, water and sanitation, reproductive health, women’s and children’s protection and empowerment, food security, and economic recovery and development.
IRC is seeking a Technical Director for Teacher Training (TD) United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project to support Pakistani-led efforts to introduce and institutionalize improvements in reading instruction and reading assessment in grades one through five in public and private schools throughout Pakistan. The TD will provide clear and coherent technical leadership to the pre- and in-service Teacher Professional Development component of the proposed project. This position will lead a team of technical specialists, will have a strong program quality focus, and together with the other members of the senior management team will work to ensure that the activities of this project are implemented in accordance with established standards and recognized best practices to contribute to the achievement of the project’s objectives. The TD will report to the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for Programs and is supported by IRC’s Child and Youth and Protection (CYPD) Technical Unit (Education). This position is contingent on the IRC being awarded funding and is anticipated to begin in April 2013.
Job Responsibilities: • Introduce standards and oversee the quality of the projects education activities, providing technical assistance to improving the capacities of teachers to improve children’s learning, with a specific focus on reading, in grades one through five; • Ensure that all teacher training activities are technically sound and effective in reaching program targets; • Identify and provide technical assistance and training to partners in the preparation, roll-out and implementation of project activities; provide on-going technical oversight for all project partner technical staff; • Ensure proactive technical coordination and collaboration among implementing partners; • Liaise with relevant key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education and all implementing partners, to share lessons learned and best practices from the project to increase awareness and generate support replication, sustainability, and expansion of project successes; • Work closely with the project’s M&E Team to ensure coherence between M&E approaches to successfully monitor program progress, provide on-going analysis and corrective action where necessary and create a culture of learning within the program; • Assist the DCOP to ensure that the cross cutting issues of gender sensitivity, local ownership, sustainability, flexibility of scale, partnering and coordination, and cultural and geographic considerations are promoted and adhered to throughout the project; • Advise and assist the DCOP on matters related to partner compliance in technical programming, and assist the DCOP in the preparation of annual work plans and the production of reports and other deliverables to the donor and the Government of Pakistan; • As required, represent the project as a senior member of the project team in forums with national and local authorities and other relevant stakeholders; • Work closely with the IRC’s New York-based CYPD Technical Unit Education Technical Advisor to ensure coherence of technical quality and strategy of approaches.
The TD will be expected to maintain productive working relationships with all project partners and the Ministry of Education, conduct field monitoring and familiarization visits (where security permits), and ensure the final quality of all program outputs.
Requirements: • Master’s degree from an accredited university in international education or other related field, or additional years of experience in the education field; • At least 8 years of experience in managing and implementing education programs in developing countries. Experience with projects supporting pre and in-service teacher professional development, reading instructional and supplemental material development, or higher education institute strengthening preferred; • Demonstrated exemplary diplomatic, management, and interpersonal skills; • Previous experience with USAID-funded programs preferred; • Solid understanding of the Pakistani context, with previous experience in Pakistan or the region preferred; • Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop relations with local counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders; • Demonstrated innovation and success in staff capacity-building and in participatory, flexible, and gender-sensitive programming and implementation;
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written; • Fluency in English is required, knowledge of Urdu is a plus.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written; • Fluency in English is required, knowledge of Urdu is a plus.
How to apply:
Please apply online: http://ch.tbe.taleo.net/CH02/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=IRC&cws=1&r... .
