TaRL Africa (a project under FiRM Africa) is looking for a Country Director to build and strengthen the TaRL team currently working with the Ministry on the PEC programme and further support the growth and development of PEC in Côte d’Ivoire. The Country Director will report to a senior director in the TaRL Africa central team and will be responsible for managing the country team and operations. The Country Director will also work with the government and the TaRL Africa team to use lessons learned in the field to adjust the implementation of the programme, while carefully considering the evidence behind the approach.
This role involves working in close collaboration with the Ivorian Ministry of Education and its partners, and maintaining effective working relationships with all programme stakeholders. The post will be based in Abidjan and will require frequent travel within Côte d’Ivoire as well as to other countries in the sub-region.
Major Functions
● Develop TaRL / PEC expertise
● Become an expert of PEC program delivery and methodology, and the evidence behind the TaRL approach, reading-related academic papers, and compiling lessons from Pratham and J-PAL teams around the world.
● Being an active member of the TaRL Africa team: contributing to reflections on the adaptation of TaRL pedagogy across Africa, to improve children’s learning.
● Work with Ivorian partners and political actors to take ownership of TaRL pedagogy, and support the adaptation of TaRL in the Ivorian context.
● Lead the training, coaching, and monitoring of systems used during the implementation of the PEC, and support all partners in improving the effectiveness of these systems.
● Represent FiRM Africa in Côte d’Ivoire and the surrounding region across platforms and stakeholders
● Manage the project to achieve the TaRL Africa team’s objectives
● Support and nurture the country team in Côte d’Ivoire, and build the team to continue to support the government, and work closely with TaRL Africa’s core team across the continent
● Understand the education system and different actors in Côte d’Ivoire and other countries within the sub-region
● Maintain relations with the government and other partners, and coordinate the work of the Ministry of Education with other PEC partners.
● Ensure that useful lessons on implementation and the pedagogical approach are collected, synthesized, and disseminated, particularly within the Ministry
● Manage budgets, and oversee expenses, procurement procedures, and all other financial and administrative activities
● Contribute to writing reports for the different partners
● A Masters Degree in Public Policy, Education, Management, Economics, or other related disciplines
● 5-years professional experience of similar nature is required, especially on programmes involving multiple actors
● Perfect command of professional French is essential, both oral and written, as well as very good skills in English, writing, and speaking in public
● Excellent managerial skills, including the ability to work with a diverse, dynamic team comprising professionals with varied skill-sets and functional expertise
● A good understanding of the importance of scientific research for effective public policy development and the ability to communicate academic data to a non-specialist audience
● Experience with event organizing
● The ability to create and manage budgets
● Good adaptability to a changing work environment
● Professional experience in the sub-region is advantageous
● Experience in developing monitoring and evaluation systems advantageous
● Ability to internalize FiRM Africa’s organizational and managerial culture: team spirit, creation of a thriving and empowering working environment for the teams, and dedication to the improvement of children’s education.
This vacancy is archived.