Team Leader – Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao At Palladium International

Job Description:

Team Leader – Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao (Pathways)

Classification: Long-Term Adviser
Duration: 1 year with the possibility of extension
Location: Cotabato City, Philippines (or Manila with weekly or fortnightly travel to Cotabato City)
Reports to: Contractor Representative

Project Overview:
Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao (Pathways) is supported by the Australian Government in partnership with the Government of the Philippines to provide quality inclusive Kindergarten to Grade 3 education for all children across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The program focuses on early years education as the foundation for life-long learning and development. By engaging and collaborating with a wide range of education stakeholders, promoting peace in education reform, and addressing inequity and disparity in education delivery, the program also contributes to peacebuilding in the region. Delivered through the Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), activities are directed towards strengthening education policies and institutions, ensuring accessible and inclusive education for all children, providing an integrated education system and curriculum, and improving teacher quality and development.

About the Role:
The Team Leader is the senior program representative, responsible for overseeing implementation of the Pathways Program and reporting to the Steering Committee and DFAT on program administration and management. The Team Leader oversees all aspects of the Program to ensure that it is a learning organisation able to innovate, adapt and produce high-quality, value-for-money Education development outcomes. S/he has overall responsibility for developing and implementing Program strategy, results an d progress reporting, maintaining technical rigour in activity design, evolving organisational structure and driving a high performance and collegiate culture. S/he drives methodological innovation and adaptation, providing strategy and organisational leadership, guidance and performance management to an international and inter-disciplinary team based in the Philippines. The Team Leader oversees delivery of Pathways Program addressing long-standing and on-going challenges in early grade education in BARMM and supports the priorities of MBHTE in responding to the learning recovery of K-3 learners’ agenda and education reform priorities, to inform relevant regional stakeholders and audiences, including DFAT and the development community in a way that enhances the reputation of the Program. The Team Leader is also responsible for budgeting, monitoring and communicating results, and identifying and managing risks to Program performance. S/he is also responsible for ensuring strong and productive relationships are maintained between Pathways and its funders, continuously maintaining and driving the Program’s relevance to emerging priorities and agendas.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
Ensure all activities under the Program aim to deliver the outcomes required by the Program’s Statement of Requirements including the timely delivery of all goals and deliverables.
Liaison and strategic communication with other education stakeholders at all levels of governance to raise awareness of the Program and seek opportunities for collaboration.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships and program partnerships with key stakeholders, including the Department of Education (DepEd) and in BARMM Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), training providers, partner governments, UN agencies and other DFAT Programs.
Management of communications and public diplomacy.
Oversee the development of Pathways strategic documents (Annual Work Plan, Six Monthly Progress Report, Gender Analysis among others) and communications products.
Participate/facilitate engagement with stakeholders to refine, and continually improve, the draft Program Theory of Change and Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Framework (MELF).
Supply DFAT and its representatives with information and briefings on progress and issues related to the Program’s implementation.
Provide high-level strategic direction and oversight of all aspects of the Program’s implementation.
Arrange and manage the secretariat support to be provided to the Steering Committee and DFAT, as required, that will include, but not be limited to providing relevant and timely information for decision making, including agenda preparation and discussion papers.
Provide strategic direction to build a culture that strategically positions and aligns the contributions of the Program to strengthening the priorities of the Ba ngsamoro Government on early years education sustaining stakeholder engagement and participation in education delivery and the institutionalisation of Madrasah education system.
In close collaboration with Palladium and DFAT, proactively mitigate and/or manage emergent issues and risks as they arise.
Drive innovation in early grade education development, strengthening the sustainability of the Program ensuring to apply an approach that responds to the unique geographic, cultural and socioeconomic context of BARMM in which Pathways operates.
Lead the development and implementation of responses to any external/client issues and/or recommendations supporting institutional strengthening and capacity-building in relation to early years education in a complex administrative setting.
Ensure gender, equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), climate change and the environment are considered throughout the program.
Build an organisational culture that values the importance of how program activities respond to broader DFAT policies on GEDSI, climate change and the environment.
Design and implement integrated human resource and project management systems that support continuous improvement, accessibility, and inclusion across the Program’s activities.
Support team members to deal with country-specific risks and challenges.
Take the lead in signaling and developing a team culture that promotes teamwork, critical enquiry and creativity, and which brings together different skillsets to generate innovative Education development solutions.

Experience, skills and qualifications:
An appropriate number of years relevant work experience in team leadership and management, particularly for a diverse/multi-cultural team.
Experience managing large, complex (preferably DFAT) Education and/or development programs.
Understanding of key early years education concepts and issues in BARMM, foundational policies for quality Madrasah education in BARMM and the Madaris education system.
Experience working with donors and governments in Asia Pacific and globally.
Demonstrated experience in donor reporting with a preference for experience with DFAT guidelines and deliverables.
Demonstrated experience in risk management.
Excellent interpersonal skills including cross-cultural experience.
Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion, particularly in a cross-cultural context.