Democratic Republic of the Congo: Senior early grade reading advisor

Chemonics seeks a long-term senior early grade reading advisor for the ACCELERE! Activity 1 project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). ACCELERE! is a USAID and DFID $134-million primary education initiative operating in 26 education sub-provinces throughout the DRC. It aims to improve equitable access to education and learning outcomes for girls and boys in the DRC. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

Responsibilities include:

• Provide technical direction to and oversight of programmatic activities dedicated to improving the quality of education, especially early grade reading and writing, in both formal and non-formal schools
• Give technical guidance to counterparts in the Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education, Social Affairs, and Gender, ensuring the project advances the development of teaching and learning materials and provides high-quality, evidence-based early grade reading curricula, reading and writing instruction, teacher training and coaching, and student assessments
• Collaborate with counterparts, including those in ministries, and other financial and technical partners in the DRC to develop and advance policy in the education sector, build capacity, and sustainably strengthen systems that support early grade reading
• Lead the development of high-quality, evidence-based instructional materials in first and second national languages for Grades 1 to 4 teachers and students, as well as for other stakeholders in the education sector to improve early grade reading competencies
• Provide pedagogical counsel and guide the establishment of continuous professional development and support systems for teachers
• Strengthen the capacity of ministry counterparts and staff at the national, subnational, and school levels
• Coordinate field testing and provide quality assurance of project materials, activities, and approaches
• Work with ministry and project staff to coordinate student assessments, including early grade reading assessments
• Develop strategies to engage civil society and community-based organizations to monitor student learning and improve reading outcomes
• Liaise with subcontractors and staff to ensure the timely production and execution of all quality-related project outcomes, addressing challenges as they arise
• Ensure that the project approach and interventions are informed by global evidence on early grade reading
• Ensure that the project’s work in educational access and governance aligns with and strengthens its work related to educational quality

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or foreign equivalent in education with a specialization in curriculum, instruction, reading education, literacy, linguistics, or a related field; or a master’s degree in a field other than education, plus a minimum of eight years of professional experience in early grade reading may be considered; doctorate degree preferred
• Experience in Africa and within French-speaking education systems preferred
• Knowledge of early grade reading assessment preferred
• Minimum 10 years of experience in the education sector
• Minimum five years of experience in senior technical roles in early grade reading
• Management and supervisory experience working with educational reform programs of a similar scope and scale, including experience strategically planning and implementing activities
• Record of implementing educational reform, designing instructional materials, and supporting the professional development of teachers in complex settings to achieve measurable student learning results
• Record of successful collaboration with and capacity building of the government and other stakeholders in the education sector
• Expertise in early grade reading, including policy; curriculum; the design of instructional materials; teacher training, coaching, and support; professional development systems; and student assessment
• Ability to work effectively in challenging and often complex environments
• Managerial skills to plan, coordinate, supervise, and monitor project outcomes related to educational quality
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Fluency in English and French required

Please send a resume and cover letter of no more than two pages via electronic submission to acceleresegra@chemonics.com with “DRC SEGRA” in the subject line, by December 12, 2017. This recruit is being conducted on a rolling basis, so please submit your application as soon as possible. No telephone inquiries, please. Finalists will be contacted.​