Senior Technical Advisor – Education and Child Development

The Opportunity

Save the Children is inviting applications from suitably qualified personnel to fill the position of  Senior Technical Advisor: Education and Child Development. The role holder will be responsible for leading Save the Children’s Education Programme in Malawi which includes programming in Early Childhood Development (ECD); Basic Education (literacy and numeracy) in both primary and secondary school settings, and inclusive education. This includes developing multi-year thematic strategies and annual plans, designing and building programmes and securing funding, developing strong external relations, and producing and utilizing high quality and well-articulated project evidence and research for learning, for advocacy and for the continued development of the Education portfolio. The Senior Technical Advisor: Education and Child Development will also be responsible for promoting programme quality for both development and humanitarian. S/he will ensure cross functionality, coordination, standardization of program implementation in different projects, and that quality of program is of nationally/internationally accepted and recommended standards. S/he represents Save the Children values and principles in interactions with staff and external audiences. These values and principles include commitment to the mission of Save the Children, team orientation, quality management and leadership development, introducing systems and procedures to strengthen staff motivation and productivity.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

In order to be successful, you will bring/have: 

• A MSc/MA/MBA level in in education or equivalent relevant subject or equivalent field management experience.
• Minimum seven years’ programme management experience working in development/emergency response contexts, with specific experience in Education and Child Development programming in Malawi. Specific experience in education in emergencies (EiE) is highly valued.
• Previous experience of managing a team, and the ability to lead, motivate and develop others.
• Significant experience of project management, including multi-sector programmes, from a child rights approach in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and international humanitarian rights standards.
• Understanding of award management, particularly for key institutional donors in the Education sector.
• Demonstrated success in field level representation with key stakeholders and co-ordination with other NGOs/UN and Government.
• Demonstrable experience of M&E and beneficiary accountability.
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken, with good interpersonal skills and ability to communicate at all levels.
• Strong influencing skills, experience and passion in advocating for children.
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy.
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children. In particular, a good understanding of the Save the Children mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support.

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5^th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.  We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

We believe in providing reasonable accommodations to support the professional growth and success of all employees. We thus encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities.

Application Information:

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application and include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations.  A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/careers

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.