Job Posting Education Specialist

Transcription

1 Job Posting Education Specialist Closing Date: March 11, 2016 Organization: Department/Division: Work location: Authorized to Work in: Right To Play International Headquarters/ International Programs Toronto, Canada Canada (i.e., Canadian citizen or permanent resident) BACKGROUND: Right To Play is a global organization, using the transformative power of play to educate and empower children facing adversity. Through playing sports and games, Right To Play helps over one million children learn through play to create better futures, while driving lasting social change in more than 20 countries each week. Founded in 2000 by social entrepreneur and four-time Olympic gold medalist Johann Olav Koss, Right To Play is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and has national fundraising offices in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Regional offices are in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Our programs are facilitated by more than 600 international staff and 14,400 local volunteer Coaches. Visit us at JOB SUMMARY: The Education Specialist reports directly to the Director, Global Program Development and will lead the development of education policy, advocacy and research initiatives at the global level. In order to support quality education across the globe, barriers to academic attainment and positive association to school need to be addressed. The Education Specialist will work closely with a diverse team of program specialists within the Global Program Development team to create safe, protective, and inclusive learning environments, both in and out of school. Furthermore, the Education Specialist will collaborate with other functions within the program team to ensure Right To Play programs reflect the understanding of global education priorities and is able to effectively monitor progress of these initiatives on measurable indicators. The Specialist will provide indirect support to country level Education Specialists, to ensure that education quality is strengthened across all areas of program implementation. The Education Specialist is responsible for providing technical oversight for the implementation of Right To Play s Global Education Program Play for the Advancement of Quality Education as well as, strengthening quality education policy and practice across the organization. The Education Specialist will be based in Toronto with up to 15% of time travelling to Right To Play program countries.

2 PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: Job Responsibility #1: Strategic Program Planning (20% of Time): Leads and directs the strategic program framework for education in line with the Theory of Change. Leads change processes in education program implementation to align with Right To Play s strategic objectives. Guides the development of measurment indicators for education programs that align with global education indicators and data sets. Leads ongoing efforts to assess and address the organization s capacity needs in education. Develops and manages strategic and operational plans for the education programs. Job Responsibility #2: Program Design and Development (35% of Time): Guides the design and development of innovative education programs. Provides mentoring and technical support to a team of Education Specialists within country and regional offices. Provides technical support to reflect global education priorities and policies in proposals, field assessments, coordination with local and international partners and monitoring and evaluation of programs. Continually stays abreast of external trends and coordinates with Program teams to ensure best practices in education are integrated in Right To Play s work. Provides technical support for training and capacity building team on curriculum integration and teacher training institutes, adult education, and child-centered play-based education methodology. Job Responsibility #3: Advocacy and Policy (20% of Time): Develops and strengthens core partnerships and networks with key stakeholders in the education sector, including governments, global and regional networks, and multi-lateral institutions to contribute to the education policy dialogue. Drives collective advocacy initiatives at the global level, to advance key education positions and contributes to policy papers, standards and tools in collaboration with networks globally. Provides subject matter expertise to Right To Play on all aspects of education in government and UN relations and to governments and multilateral organizations on the development of international or inter-governmental frameworks. Works in partnership with the Policy and Advocacy team to ensure alignment with prevailing external trends and innovation in the field of education to ensure program teams across the organization adopt best practices.

3 Job Responsibility #4: Research (20% of Time): Develops and strengthens core partnerships and networks with key universities, research institutions, international NGOS, and/or multi-lateral institutions to contribute to the broader education research base. Works with Child Protection, Gender, MEL and Policy and Advocacy colleagues at Right To Play through a collaborative, cross-organizational process to inform a comprehensive program of research that advances the evidence base for education and play. Provides oversight on selected research initiatives that will be identified to test essential hypotheses as they relate to education. Contributes to core publications, articles, books and panels to share research results and practice. Job Responsibility #5: Perform other duties (5% of Time): Perform other duties as assigned. EDUCATION/TRAINING/CERTIFICATION: Required (must have): Masters degree in education, or social sciences, public policy, international development/affairs, or other relevant areas Training and/or additional certification in education and research Professional expertise in education (e.g. global education policy, child-centered methodology, curriculum design and implementation, school-improvement programs, teacher training, education in emergencies, early childhood education, adult education, play-based learning) Extensive knowledge and understanding of Canadian government policies, programs and legislation affecting education at both the federal and state levels High level of proficiency in written and oral English Desired (an asset): PhD in education, social sciences, public policy, or international development/affairs Fluency in French or Arabic Training/Professional Experience in Child Protection and/or Gender Equality EXPERIENCE: Required (must have): 10 years or more of relevant professional experience in role(s) with progressively senior levels of leadership in international development at a global level Strong knowledge of issues related to quality education in development and humanitarian programs, as well as international bodies and policy

4 5 years of experience in managing and developing staff within a cross-functional organization Experience with working on Canadian Government funded projects and other international development projects COMPETENCIES / PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES: Consistently communicates a compelling vision that generates excitement, enthusiasm and commitment to the group s mission, purpose and goals. Ability to critically and reflectively explore new knowledge, theory, perspective and practice to support evolving leadership in an education role. Demonstrates ability to adapt, learn and change through self-awareness and management of emotions and ability to develop supportive and productive work relationships. Sets priorities and takes calculated risks in order to optimize resources and improve operational effectiveness and program/service delivery. Reviews and modifies contingency strategies to address potential issues. Assesses impact (cost, risks, etc.) associated with changes to current processes, systems, services or operations. Considers the wider implications to the organization, partners, donors, governments, etc. Ensures approved change initiatives are implemented and sustained. Manages key user/client expectations. Champions the culture of continuous improvement that institutionalizes learning, innovation, achievement and support. Ensures these attributes are given priority attention while conducting the business of the organization. Identifies and pursues opportunities to build and strengthen partnerships and alliances that are mutually advantageous and support the strategic interests of Right To Play. Applies culturally appropriate approaches to communicate and interact with the Right To Play team and diverse audiences. Values and recognizes individual and team contributions. Expresses positive expectations of staff and provides specific coaching and feedback. Demonstrates a commitment to and understanding of children s rights and protection. SPECIAL CONDITIONS: Ability to travel internationally is required Compensation: Employment Start Date: Contract Duration: We offer a competitive salary and benefits package Immediately Full time, contract position until September 2017 with a possibility of renewal

5 HOW TO APPLY: If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your resume and cover letter to: and kindly include Education Specialist and your name in the subject line. Please indicate your salary expectations in the cover letter. While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Right To Play is a child-centered organization. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to the safety and protection of children in our programs. The successful candidate will be required to provide a satisfactory police record check as a condition of employment. All applicants are notified that, where needed, accommodation for disabilities will be provided on request. This includes accommodation for attending interviews and assessment tests. To learn more about who we are and what we do, please visit our website at Right To Play - Human Resources Philosophy Right To Play is an international humanitarian organization that uses the power of sport and play to improve the lives of children in the disadvantaged areas of the world. We believe that all children have the right to play. Right To Play s human resources philosophy reflects the spirit that drives the organization. The philosophy influences the kind of people who are interested in working for us, the kind of people we recruit and how we treat our people. Right To Play s culture is entrepreneurial, where employees are encouraged and empowered to perform in the context of rapid international growth, and to aim for the highest quality and adopt global best practices in delivering our programs. Our employees are global citizens who are passionate about improving the world we live in through value-based grassroots activities. We work on the ground with and through people in the communities we serve to improve the lives of their children. By having a constant presence in these communities and helping them develop the resources and skills they need to help themselves, we aim for sustainable, long-term development. To translate our vision into action, our philosophy for delivering our programs is LOOK AFTER YOURSELF, LOOK AFTER ONE ANOTHER. Our employees are the backbone of this delivery, and the philosophy supports them by defining the desired outcomes of our human resources philosophy. This means that we pay competitive salaries, provide comprehensive benefits, encourage employee social events, provide development opportunities and a great work environment. We measure the success of this philosophy by indicators such as employee satisfaction surveys and staff turnover rate, as well as the overall success of Right To Play.