Project Officer- Inclusive Early Childhood Development

The Opportunity

Save the Children (SC) is seeking a Project Officer – Inclusive Early Childhood Development (IECD) to support implementation of the Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Foundational Learning Project in Mzimba District. The role will be based in Mzimba with regular travel to Community-Based Childcare Centres (CBCCs), district offices, and occasional travel to Mzuzu and Salima.

The project aims to strengthen inclusive early learning and school readiness for young children, particularly children with disabilities and other vulnerable children, by improving inclusive service delivery at the CBCC and P-Class interface, promoting early identification and referral of disabilities, supporting caregivers and teachers, and strengthening safe, inclusive, and climate-resilient learning environments.

The Project Officer – Inclusive Early Childhood Development will support high-quality field-level implementation of inclusive early learning interventions. Reporting to the Project Manager – Inclusive Foundational Learning, the role will work closely with district education and social welfare officers, CBCC caregivers, P-Class teachers, community leaders, and partners to operationalise inclusive pedagogy, disability screening and referral, caregiver mentoring, social and behaviour change approaches, and safe transitions to formal schooling. The role will contribute to planning, coordination, monitoring, learning documentation, and safeguarding, ensuring alignment with Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare (MoGCDSW), and national early learning standards.

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.

To be successful, you will bring/have: Qualifications and Experience

• A Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Development, Education, Inclusive Education, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• At least five (5) years’ experience implementing early childhood development, education, or child development programmes.
• Practical experience working with CBCCs, caregivers, teachers, and community structures.
• Demonstrated understanding of inclusive early learning, child development, and school readiness.
• Experience supporting children with disabilities and other vulnerable children at community level.
• Experience working effectively with district government structures.
• Basic experience in monitoring, data collection, and reporting.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English; Chichewa and/or Tumbuka strongly preferred.
• Training in inclusive education, disability inclusion, ECD facilitation, or child protection is an added advantage.

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 rights of children and 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 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organisation, and 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 within 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 and strongly 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.
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.

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