Overview
Creative Associates International is a dynamic, fast-growing, mission-driven global development firm that specializes in education, economic growth, governance and post-crisis stabilization. Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a field presence in more than 25 countries with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, among others. Since its founding in 1977, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.
Position Summary:
Creative seeks a Technical Advisor (TA) to provide expert technical leadership to advance the ED Division global efforts to improve education for children and youth in both stable and conflict contexts. The TA brings specialized state-of-the art thinking and contributes to program design and the development of approaches, methodologies, materials and tools. By contributing to targeted market positioning activities, participating in new business captures, and contributing to proposal design and preparation, the TA supports the business objectives of the Education Division.
This also includes monitoring market trends and business opportunities in his/her technical area, developing and implementing innovative and state-of-the-art programmatic solutions, writing technical components of proposals, and working with COPs and DCOPs to advance organizational learning in the technical area. Work assignments also include leading technical representation of a key technical practice area in the field, HQ, and with strategic partners and clients. As a leader on the HQ team, the TA is a seasoned networker supporting all aspects of technical program capture and implementation. The TA travels internationally to perform many of the responsibilities of the role.
Reporting & Supervision:
The Technical Advisor will report to the Technical Unit Director in the Education Division.
Expected Outcomes:
Leadership
Provides superior technical leadership guidance and management support. Leads expert level contributions to programming, business development and resources in a specific technical area that leads to successfully implemented field programs. Provides technical area leadership across programmatic divisions in a specific technical area that helps position Creative as a thought leader and expert implementer by clients in the technical area. Ensures field perspectives and client strategy are reflected in technical activities on all projects. Honors all aspects of programmatic and fiscal compliance.
Technical Leadership
Positions Creative as a leader with expert level research and contributions to technical resources, serving as a subject matter expert helping to expand the company’s portfolio in a specific technical area. Leads the representation of the division in managing client relations and in positioning and expanding the company’s technical depth. Brings field expertise into discussions on corporate strategy in a specific technical area, assuring that cross-cutting themes relative that technical area are included in each geographical area and sector strategy. Facilitates leadership in emerging themes in the technical area, enabling staff to access the latest technical policy and best practice materials.
New Business Development
Positions Creative as a top implementer in a specific technical area by actively leading capture activities and contributing technical expertise on new business development efforts and writing strong, winning proposals. Key leader in annual work planning at the global and country level in identifying bid opportunities in the technical area. STAs bring an entrepreneurial spirit, seizing opportunities in the local marketplace, creating and nurturing opportunities for new business generation, and visibly represents the company with stakeholders. Plans and executes new business pursuits with technical insight and intellectual curiosity.
Learning & Adaptation
Contributes significantly to Creative’s visibility and excellence in the technical area by actively participating in external networks and communities of practice, providing short-term technical assistance to field programs and leading capacity building efforts locally. Develops and cultivates networks of technical and functional experts to access for learning and adaptation across the business. Improves technical and operational capacity through implementation of best practices, promoting all avenues of peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. Helps lead M&E plans that track and document progress towards technical learning and innovation. Participa
Responsibilities
Technical
Provide technical guidance and subject-matter expertise by:
- designing formal/non-formal education solutions and products for children and youth that address needs related to: education systems strengthening, early grade literacy and numeracy, early childhood education, curriculum design, EGRA/EGMA implementation, education in emergencies or other relevant technical areas.
- incorporating technology-based innovations to improve educational quality, student/teacher performance, access/engagement, cost-effectiveness, and scale-up
Support projects via:
- providing technical support and mentoring to technical field staff to ensure local capacity development in key technical areas
- oversight and quality control of project technical deliverables
- creating and/or delivering participatory engagement/advocacy/capacity development methodologies with project teams, communities, national partners, and government stakeholders
Drive technical thought leadership around area of expertise by:
- representing the firm in relevant education networks
- networking with sector clients, experts, academic, non-profit, and corporate partners through high-quality interactions and consistent communications
- promoting cross-departmental and multi-disciplinary collaborations to help maximize staff learning, exchange, innovation adoption, implementation efficiencies, and impact
- advancing the education division’s research agenda and influence by supporting the gathering of project-generated evidence (e.g., in early grades literacy/numeracy)
New Business Development
- Leads and/or contributes to the Education Division’s strategy development
- Contributes to the new business pipeline through networking, monitoring, and sharing leads for new programming or additional funding for existing programming
- Gathers and shares business and competitive intelligence, as appropriate
- Works directly with Proposal Managers and others in the Business Development Division, the Education Division, HR, Cost / Pricing, among others, to design and develop robust technical, management, partnering, recruitment, and cost strategies in a timely manner prior to solicitation release
- Leads and/or contributes to capture planning and proposal development, ensuring effectiveness of capture and the proposal process
- Leads and/or contributes to bid strategy formulation and writes technical sections of proposal
- Serves as a subject matter expert, contributing to customer focused and forward-thinking program design and ensuring lessons learned and best practices are embedded in proposal program design
- Participates in bid staffing interviews and partnering negotiations, as appropriate
- Supervises and guides consultants contributing to business development efforts, as assigned
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Education or related area
- 10 years of experience implementing basic education projects in international settings
- 6 years of specific experience in technical area of expertise
- Prior experience implementing USAID-funded projects
- Experience writing USAID proposals
- Excited about working on new business development activities and proposal writing
- Ability to work closely with host country governments and local organizations and stakeholders
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and superior writing skills
- Fluency in written and spoken English
- Ability and willingness to travel (destination may include post-conflict countries)
- Strong team player and builder
Desired Skills & Qualifications:
- Knowledge of a balanced literacy framework, early literacy competencies and reading diagnostic measures
- Experience developing and supporting monitoring and evaluation frameworks and plans desired.
- Fluency in a second language (Arabic and French are preferred).
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Only finalists will be contacted. ?No phone calls, please.
Creative Associates International Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer (gender/race/disability/veteran) and provides equal opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law.
Please view Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Posters provided by OFCCP here.
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