Senior Reading Advisor At FHI 360

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FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in health, education, nutrition, environment, economic development, civil society, gender, youth, research and technology - creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today's interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 70 countries and all U.S. states and territories.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Reading Advisor

Requisition: 2020200942
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job Type: Full time

Details

• We are currently seeking qualified candidates for the position of Senior Reading Advisor for an upcoming USAID-funded opportunity in Nigeria entitled, Leveraging Education Assistance Resources in Nigeria (LEARN).  
• This position will be based in Nigeria – in Abuja or field offices in the project’s target states – and is contingent upon award.

Project Description

• The anticipated Leveraging Education Assistance Resources in Nigeria (LEARN) Program will support the government of Nigeria to accelerate the mastery of reading skills for children in the early primary grades in select states of Nigeria.
• The anticipated 5-year activity is expected to build upon the results of the existing USAID Northern Education Initiative Plus, improving reading outcomes for Nigerian pupils in grades 1-3 by helping Nigerian government institutions and schools effectively leverage their resources and ensuring program schools are safe, supportive, and conducive to learning.

Position Description

• The Senior Reading Advisor will provide technical leadership in assuring high quality reading and writing programming and related teacher professional development in Nigeria.
• In collaboration with the Government of Nigeria, USAID, other implementing partners, and other key stakeholders, provide technical oversight on education systems and policies to support high quality decentralized reading programming across target states; provide technical leadership adaptation and improvement of professional development systems for teachers, coaches, and mentors; review and revise existing early grade reading materials; design context-appropriate, classroom-based reading assessments and related instructional materials; Support community reading campaigns and other outreach that strengthens the ecosystem of literacy support and initiatives. 

Job Summary / Responsibilities

• Working with the Chief of Party and other team members as needed, participate in discussions with government stakeholders on policy and sustainable systems to improve student literacy outcomes;
• Build strong collaborative relationships with governmental agencies, including national, provincial and municipal governments, donor and partner organizations and other NGOs to establish collaborative working processes, enhance quality and effectiveness of programming, and serve as a knowledgeable resource in the area of literacy programming;
• Lead the team of technical staff and partners working on revisions to curriculum and teaching and learning materials, ensuring technical quality standards and appropriateness for context;
• Provide technical leadership to design and revise professional development in reading for teachers and government stakeholders, assuring adherence to research and best practices;
• Provide capacity building in the teaching of reading as needed for staff and partners;
• Oversee development of a context-appropriate, classroom-based reading assessments;
• Support efforts aimed at building community and parent engagement for reading;
• Evaluate, through data and site visits, the effectiveness of literacy-related activities and make recommendations for improvement to meet project goals, especially student learning outcomes;
• Represent the organization on this component externally at professional meetings and conferences.

Note: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work and are subject to modification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Master's Degree is required in one of the following fields: Reading Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Elementary Teachers Education, or Education with a reading focus;
• Working knowledge of linguistics, instructional design, bilingual education and/or language transition;
• At least eight years of demonstrated technical expertise, preferably in Nigeria or a similar context;
• At least five years of demonstrated excellence in a management position, preferably including direct supervision of professional and support staff, and quality evaluation of staff performance and deliverables is required;
• Demonstrated technical expertise with literacy assessment, teaching and learning materials, and scripted lessons required;
• Experience and expertise in overseeing the design of teacher professional development for large-scale education programs required;
• Ability to organize and conduct trainings and technical workshops related to literacy;
• Experience and skills related to policymaking and/or parent and community engagement;
• Experience teaching in primary schools strongly preferred;
• Sensitivity to and understanding of cultural and political challenges of implementing projects in developing countries required;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• Proficiency in Hausa preferred.