Position Summary:

The Reading and Education in Crisis or Conflict (Reading /EICC) Advisor is responsible for ensuring that children and youth in activity-supported schools and communities achieve improved learning outcomes in selected subjects, including literacy and numeracy, and social emotional learning. S/he will provide technical leadership and support to program staff and stakeholders to drive improvements in children’s educational opportunity and performance in urban, rural, and pastoralist communities. S/he will lead efforts to improve educational quality in target regions/districts through the development of accelerated education program (AEP) foundational curriculum in literacy and numeracy, teacher training and professional development support, student assessment, and support for students’ and teachers’ wellbeing and engagement.

Reporting & Supervision:

The Reading /EICC Advisor will report to the Somalia RAISE Chief of Party (COP). S/he will supervise the education technical development and delivery team, including Specialists in Curriculum Development, Professional Development and Training. S/he will additionally provide technical leadership and support for technical education field officers.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Supervise the implementation of the AEP activities and provide technical support and guidance to program staff in targeted regions / districts;
• Provide technical leadership and ensure complementarity of activity approaches in training, literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning across the geographic areas;
• Provide technical leadership in the implementation of inclusive education activities (e.g. Gender Action Plan, and appropriate screening tools and targeted assistance for children with disabilities), ensuring that activities and approaches across geographic areas are equitable, address the needs of underserved populations and those in need of inclusive education;
• Ensure the curriculum for older children and youth cultivates agency via community service learning and action civics;
• Provide leadership in organizing curation the education assessment standards, and framework, and authoring of classroom learning materials and supplemental materials that are leveled and differentiated to meet learning needs;
• Provide technical inputs and leadership for the implementation of key assessments and research (e.g. Rapid Materials Inventory, gender assessment, and Rapid Education Risk Assessment, and Literacy Landscape Analysis), assisting with the process of development and field testing to validate instruments, analyze results and adapt instruments;
• Supervise and provide quality assurance to the production of activity-supported materials, trainings, coaching, and student testing efforts;
• Liaise with government representatives and technicians and other stakeholders on technical matters;
• Maintain regular communication with the project field staff and COP;
• Responsible for management, leadership, and mentorship of technical staff.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in education, education administration, supervision, development studies, or a related field from an accredited university;
• At least six (6) years of experience managing an aspect of early grade literacy projects in formal or non-formal education settings;
• Prior experience with the development and implementation of evidence-based education materials, and preferably materials in local languages, training programs, classroom monitoring protocols, and tests and assessments;
• Deep understanding of principles and concepts of literacy, numeracy and socio-emotional learning, and tools to assess those skills;
• Demonstrated experience improving evidence-based education programming including to rural, ethnolinguistic, and underserved populations;
• Able to translate complex, technical concepts to a range of stakeholders, with differing levels of knowledge; and
• Proficient and fluent in written and spoken English; strong oral and written communication skills.

Desired Skills & Qualifications:

• Experience presenting research at large-scale research conferences or learning events presenting to a range of stakeholders, including researchers, educationalists and government stakeholders;
• A specialized degree, with a focus early grade literacy and/or early grade learning is preferred;
• Prior experience with supporting civil-society and parental engagement of reading is preferred, but not required;
• Experience in programs in conflict affected regions preferred;
• Prior experience in developing gender sensitive and inclusive education activities; and
• Proficiency in spoken and written Somali preferred.