Pedagogical Manager – VSI at PLAY International

Purpose of the job:

The Pedagogical Manager’s main responsibility is to work across projects to ensure the creation, development, improvement, and evaluation of pedagogical content used on the different projects. His/her second responsibility is to manage the team of trainers/pedagogical coordinators who are implementing the field activities and to ensure their capacity building. As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Pedagogical Manager contributes to the mission development. He/she will work under the direct supervision of the Head of Mission and in close collaboration with the Programme Manager in Kosovo and the Pedagogical Team in HQ (France).

Context of the position:

PLAY International is a non-confessional and apolitical French NGO founded in 1999 from the idea that sport could be a catalyst for social change. Its main objective is to promote sport and play as a tool to educate, integrate, and empower young people and children. Since then, the NGO has developed and managed education projects in a dozen countries for the benefit of a million children. PLAY International currently has 4 missions (France, Burundi, Kosovo, Senegal) and a Lab (Playlab).

PLAY International is active in Kosovo since 2002. In a multi-ethnic context and a population facing challenges of discrimination and exclusion, sport is an opportunity in Kosovo to bring people from different backgrounds and communities together and the pedagogical content used by PLAY a tool to empower teachers and young people to build a more inclusive society. The Pedagogical Manager needs to be aware of the multi-cultural and sensitive context he/she is operating in and work closely with the local staff, stakeholders, and beneficiaries.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

1. CREATION, DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT OF PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT (cross-cutting – 50%)

In close collaboration with the trainers/pedagogical coordinators and HQ Pedagogical Referent, create, review, and finalize the pedagogical content of the various projects. Ensure the quality and adaptation to local context of the content being used in all projects within the Mission. This includes:

• Develop a calendar of pedagogical content creation across the various projects being implemented, together with the Programme Manager;
• Ensure the calendar is respected and content is created on time;
• Carry out assessments of local context to ensure pedagogical content is adapted to the local needs;
• Review the existing pedagogical material (including the catalogues of games and manuals for volunteers and teachers) and adapt to the new needs/objectives/strategy, together with pedagogical staff;
• Develop new and innovative content (Playdagogy games, thematic sheets, workshop sessions, new games, etc.) together with pedagogical staff, for HQ Pedagogical Referent to validate;
• Design training curricula in a logical and progressive way;
• Write applications to receive official training accreditations by the Ministry of Education;
• Develop tools to monitor and evaluate the pedagogical aspects of projects (qualitative and quantitative), including questionnaires on workshops and seminars; assessment grids to evaluate field work of volunteers and teachers; criteria for receiving a diploma of “Inclusive Sport Animator” etc.;
• Support the analysis of the collected material and reporting.
• TEAM MANAGEMENT & STAFF CAPACITY BUILDING (cross-cutting – 30%)
• Supervise and support a team of 4 trainers (pedagogical staff) who coordinates the activities and is in contact with the participants and beneficiaries (task coordination, follow-up of field activities etc.);
• Manage a team of 4 trainers (recruitment, performance evaluation etc.);
• Train pedagogical staff according to needs (oral presentation skills; how to evaluate beneficiaries in the field; conflict resolution; building motivation of beneficiaries, etc.).
• Contribute to the capacity building of local and international staff on cross-cutting themes (including gender awareness and equality, both in the field and in theory; communities’ inclusion and non-discrimination, etc.) identified together with the Head of Mission and the Pedagogical team in HQ;
• Design mission’s common pedagogical guidelines and tools ensuring the quality of the trainings, the trainers’ competencies, and commitments (including gender awareness and equality, communities’ inclusion, and non-discrimination, etc.);
• PROJECT CO-MANAGEMENT & MISSION DEVELOPMENT (15%)

In close collaboration with the Programme Manager and the Head of Mission, contribute to projects regarding all aspects of pedagogical activities. This includes:

• Contribute to the reflection on the Kosovo mission’s strategy and future orientations; including contributing to the identification and formulation of new projects to anticipate the pedagogical needs taking into account the project’s duration, objectives, beneficiaries, etc.;
• Contribute to the management of certain projects by supporting the organisational, logistical and financial aspects of the project implementation;
• Contribute to the monitoring and evaluation;
• Contribute to report writing.
• SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM (SMT) (5%)
• Play an active and dynamic role in the SMT to contribute to the overall success of the Mission;
• Attend and contribute to SMT weekly coordination and any other meetings as required.

Key Relationships:
Internal: Head of Mission, Programme team, Administration and finance team, Pedagogical Referent in HQ.

External: Adult, youth and child beneficiaries, local partners (National Olympic Committee, Ministry of Education Curriculum department, University of Pristina etc.)

Other important features or requirements of the job

A willingness to develop and grow skills and experience through training, collaboration with colleagues and initiative.

Ensure safeguarding and guidelines are applied and upheld in line with organisational standards and policy for the following areas:

• Child protection
• Equal Opportunity and Diversity
• Health and Safety
• Information Knowledge Management

  Operational project work requires occasional (or sometimes regular) work outside normal hours, for example in the evenings or at weekends. TOIL should be agreed with the line manager in advance to maintain an adequate work-life balance. Postholders may be required to travel abroad on PLAY International business and should therefore hold valid travel documents.

  Skills and Experience Required

  Essential

  Education and Knowledge

  • University degree (Minimum Bachelors but preferably Masters) in Pedagogy, Education, Sport, Physical Education, Social work, or another relevant field
  • Knowledge of project management
  • Good knowledge of the development and cooperation issues, and/or of the Sport for Development and Peace sector

  Professional experience

  • At least 2-year experience in the fields of physical education and/or socio-sportive activities and/or non-formal education
  • At least 1-year experience creating and developing pedagogical content on sport, inclusion, gender aspect, anti-discrimination, peacebuilding, human rights, etc. through workshops and seminars
  • Experience managing a team and a project
  • Interest in post-conflict area and developing countries

  Skills

  • Pedagogical and trainer skills: creativity; training content design; understanding of pedagogy by

  objective; participative methodology with strong debating skills

  • Socio-sportive skills: lead a sport session, work with different groups (youth, adults, teachers) in

  formal and nonformal education settings

  • Good team management skills (good communication and relational skills, problem solving)
  • Organization and planning skills; management of stress and priorities
  • Adaptation skills to local context
  • High motivation towards the objectives of the Mission, strong commitment, and willingness to learn
  • Strong sense of initiative and autonomy
  • Teamwork

  Languages

  • Excellent knowledge of English (oral and written)

  IT Skills

  • Excellent knowledge of Office

  Desirable

  • Experience working in a multicultural environment desirable
  • Experience abroad desirable
  • Knowledge of Serbian or Albanian is a plus
  • Knowledge of French is a plus
  • Additional certification related to non-formal education

  Right to work in Kosovo. Right to travel in the Western Balkans. Valid passport and identity card.