Overview
Background: Creative Associates International is a fast-growing, social impact company that specializes in the areas of education, economic growth, democratic transitions, and stabilization in post-conflict environments. Based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, this global development organization has a field presence is more than 25 countries and a strong client portfolio of that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department.Since its founding in 1977 by four enterprising women, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.
Position Summary: Creative Associates seeks a Senior Technical Director for the anticipated USAID Niger Non-Formal Education Activity, which will target out-of-school adolescents and youth, particularly girls and those affected by conflict and crisis, who do not have access to safe, equitable, and contextually relevant learning opportunities needed to strengthen their resilience and contribute to their communities. Specific areas of focus anticipated include strengthening foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, social emotional learning (SEL)/soft skills, building resilience capabilities and assets, and strengthening pathways between non-formal to formal education. The Senior Technical Director is responsible for the overall planning, implementation, and management of the non-formal education technical approach of the project across all required subject areas in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership and coordination of program activitiesfocused on the non-formal education sector for out-of-school adolescents and youth, with a focus on girls and those affected by conflict and crisis;
- Collaborate closely with the Chief of Party to provide technical leadership and expertise to ensure the fulfillment of deliverables;
- Oversee design, delivery, and monitoring of the project’s overall technical approach and activity implementation;
- Monitorthe goals and objectives of the project ensure progress towards successfulimplementation;
- Ensure activities are gender-responsive and are respectful of student diversities;
- Regularly interact with local partners, private sector, and other humanitarian and development organizations to enable effective collaboration and cooperation within the non-formal education sector;
- Manage performance and provide mentoring, coaching and training to technical and program staff;
- Build relations with key education stakeholders and actively collaborate with the USAID to effectively support program implementation and address operational and programmatic questions and challenges;
- Effectively apply the USAID Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) and adaptive management approaches to promote innovation, improved methodologies, and project implementation;
- Ensure that results-oriented program components produce high-quality deliverables and maintain relevant and timely reporting;
- Manage partners to ensure they deliver quality services on schedule; and
- Oversee synergies and cohesion between project components and activities.
Qualifications
- An advanced degree in education or a related field;
- At least 8 years of experience of progressively increasing responsibilities in technical management roles in the education sector;
- Experience working in West Africa is required; experience working in Niger preferred;
- In-depth understanding of the context, key actors, and challenges and opportunities within the non-formal education sector in Niger;
- Expertise in foundational and soft skills development for adolescents and youth;
- Experience in and commitment to creating equal education opportunities for girls, children with disabilities, and other children at risk of discrimination or marginalization;
- Proven ability to effectively work and mentor staff in multicultural and multilingual societies;
- Proven ability to collaborate successfully with USAID, regional institutions and organizations, government officials, international donors, and civil society organizations;
- Proven ability to adapt and innovate programming around real-time project barriers
- Experience with adaptive management approaches, collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) and overseeing MEL activities on donor-funded projects;
- Fluency in written and spoken French required; Professional proficiency in English desirable.
PI207921577