Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Home Based Specialist

Description

Summary- This position is responsible for oversight and development of systems to make available opportunities and support for growth of Head Start families so they can identify their own strengths, needs and interests and find their own solutions.  This position provides oversight and supervision to the home-based program option of the Head Start program including integration of all content areas, as well as setting up and providing linkages with community agencies.  This position takes the lead in implementing services in Education and Early Childhood Development, Family Partnerships and Home-Based Program Option.  May serve as a Teacher-Home-based with an assigned caseload as deemed necessary for the program operations. As a front line representative of Save the Children the position holder is required to ensure the safety and security of children and families that he/she comes in contact with and represent the agency values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity and Integrity Essential Duties, 1.      Program Planning & Implementation 2.      Recordkeeping 3.      Training Responsibilities and Impact       Coordinates the full range of home-based services; ·         Coordinates a training schedule for all home visiting staff over time; ·         Accompanies home visiting staff to observe individual children/families; ·         Provides training and technical assistance, ·         Coach, mentors and builds capacity by working directly with home based staff, parents and community partners to ensure high quality services; ·         Serves as resource person for parent training; ·         Serves as home visitor when deemed necessary for program operations; ·         Develops and implements a plan and system of continuous monitoring and evaluation of activities within the program; ·         Maintains tracking and documentation systems; ·         Supports and assists as needed in data entry; ·         Monitors budget related to the home-based program; ·         Completes the identification, purchase and annual inventory of home-based supplies and equipment in accordance with the budget; ·         Ensures the standards for training and staff qualifications; ·         Plans and implements pre-service and ongoing in-service for home visiting staff and other staff as necessary; ·         Provides reflective supervision to home visiting staff regarding their caseloads on a regular basis; ·         Provides training and technical assistance to staff and parents based upon pertinent issues and interests expressed in family profiles to include advocacy, family-centered approach, family literacy, self-sufficiency and other topics as identified; ·         Responsible for setting up and tracking that all Home Visitors have a professional development plan that ties into an agency-wide T/TA plan ·         Works with individual home visitors to develop training plans for obtaining CDA renewal credential and then and AA degree or higher Early Childhood Education degree Required Background and Experience, Skills and Behaviors ·         Minimum is a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, ECE, Child Development, Family Studies or related field ·         Experience working with families including family-centered, family-strengths model, resource and referral and/or case management required. ·         Training and experience to develop consistent, stable and supportive relationships with very young children ·         Knowledge of infant and toddler development and safety issues and methods for communicating effectively with infants, toddlers, parents and other staff. ·         Knowledge of program planning and supervisory techniques and practices. ·         Ability to supervise staff and manage a multifaceted program. ·         Ability to manage numerous tasks, possess good organizational skills. ·         Ability to work effectively in a team environment. ·         Ability to exercise professional judgement and evaluating before making decisions. ·         Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with agency staff, children and parents, and outside agencies. ·         Effective communication skills good problem solving and time management skills ·         Bilingual preferred (English/Spanish or English and other languages present in the local area).

Sr. Specialist Basic Education

Description

Summary The Basic Education Sr. Specialist will provide technical support and guidance to country offices for the design, training, monitoring, and documentation of Save the Children’s Basic Education programs for children. S/he will advance the implementation of SC’s Literacy Boost approach and related literacy and numeracy activities and help develop complementary approaches in related areas (e.g. gender, education in emergencies, inclusive education, socio-emotional learning, technology etc.) Also, the Sr. Specialist will help mobilize resources to support Basic Education programming through proposal development, represent the Basic Education Team both internally and externally, and support the BE Team in key administrative areas, such as Knowledge Management or Reporting. Essential Duties, Responsibilities and Impact Technical Assistance and Quality Programming (60%) ·         Provide regular technical assistance and leadership to specific countries in formulating program designs and country strategies for Basic Education ·         Provide technical guidance and training to country programs to ensure quality BE programming that will increase the number of children who are learning. ·         Assist in the conceptualization and development of integrated approaches to Basic Education programming, by sharing technical expertise in a related area (e.g. gender, education in emergencies, etc). ·         Collaborate with technical advisors from other thematic areas (e.g. early childhood development, school health and nutrition) to advance cross-sectoral programming approaches that meet the needs of young children. New Business Development (15%) ·         Play a key role in the development and submission of quality proposals in response to identified opportunities in literacy and basic education. ·         Establish and maintain new/existing relationships with key donors Basic Education Team Strategy (15%) ·         Provide input into Department of Education and Child Protection's strategic and operational plan ·         Represent Save the Children US to Save the Children International, through participation in meetings and activities. ·         Represent Save the Children US to external forums related to Basic Education as needed. Admin Support (10%) ·         Provide general administrative support to the Basic Education technical team in the areas of knowledge management and reporting, as necessary Required Background and Experience, Skills and Behaviors Strong level of technical knowledge, skills, and experience in basic education programming, with an emphasis on literacy and complementary expertise in a cross-cutting area (e.g. gender, education in emergencies, technology). Experience provide technical advice, training, guidance and management related to basic education programming in low-income countries, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa. ·         Minimum 5-7 years' experience relevant experience required ·         Bachelors in education, international development or related field; Master’s degree strongly preferred ·         Experience working in basic education, with expertise in literacy, numeracy, and/or training and program design ·         Experience implementing education programs in contexts similar to those where Save the Children works ·         Experience in curriculum and/or materials development to support literacy, numeracy and/or teacher training. ·         Prior elementary (primary school) teaching experience and/or coaching mentoring teachers, K-3 preferred. ·         Experience working in conflict, post-conflict, or fragile environments, preferred ·         Experience and skill working in cross-cultural contexts with adults ·         Excellent communication and interpersonal skills ·         Proficiency in English and in at least one additional language (French, Arabic, Portuguese or Spanish) ·         Requires 30% travel

Program Specialist, Early Childhood

Description

Summary The Program Specialist is the on-the-ground Save the Children staff member providing training, technical assistance, and management support to program partners to ensure quality program implementation and results for children.  Save the Children programming is focused on children and families for the prenatal through age ten (P-10) continuum of child development and education.  Early Childhood Program Specialists focus on prenatal through age five and school-age Program Specialists focus on elementary school-age children.  Under the supervision of the Deputy Program Director and working as a member of the state team and in collaboration with the national program team, the Program Specialist oversees and supports program implementation, monitoring, and evaluation at assigned partner sites.  Specific duties and responsibilities are outlined below. Essential Duties, Responsibilities and Impact Program Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation (55%) ·         Guide and support program staff to ensure quality implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of Save the Children’s program models according to established standards. ·         Provide in-person and remote training and technical assistance for program staff; maximize the use of technology to do so. ·         Visit each assigned site in compliance with the program model to conduct observation, coaching, and mentoring.  Complete site visit reports. ·         Ensure accurate and up-to-date data collection and reporting for each assigned site. ·         Consult with the Senior Specialist about program questions and needs. ·         Regularly communicate with the Deputy Program Director and Senior Specialist about program implementation challenges and successes and how to resolve complex issues. ·         Develop and provide/facilitate local, regional and national trainings Partner Operations and Management (20%) ·         Support the Deputy Program Director with partner management including but not limited to annual partner planning, sub-award budget and spending, grant budgets and reports, annual district/site stakeholder meetings, partnership performance management, sponsorship, and emergency/disaster communication and reporting. ·         Meet regularly with each site supervisor. ·         Ensure timely and accurate incident reporting and necessary follow-up. ·         Support the Deputy Program Director with identification and assessment of new sites. ·         Provide new sites with start-up support including but not limited to hiring and training program staff, technology and program materials, and Partner Portal usage. Local and State Relationships/Advocacy (10%) ·         Support the Deputy Program Director, and program partners as appropriate, with local, regional, and state community engagement activities, community partnerships/coalitions,and state level relationships. ·         Support the Deputy Program Director with local, regional, and state program presentations. ·         Support program partners with media opportunities to highlight Save the Children programs. Professional Development (10%) ·         Participate in Save the Children Program Specialist calls, meetings, and trainings. ·         Stay current on relevant national standards and best practices ·         Share knowledge and experience with the national program team and program specialist colleagues. ·         Participate in national program team projects and USP work groups. Other (5%) ·         Work in collaboration with USP teams (e.g., Early Childhood; National Directorate; Technology, Monitoring and Evaluation; Sponsorship; Policy and Advocacy; Resource Development; Marketing, Communications, and Media). ·         Provide stories from the field to national staff. ·         Support, and contribute as appropriate and requested, to Save the Children priorities and initiatives. ·         Support Deputy Program Director with VIP visits and other duties as assigned. Required Background and Experience, Skills and Behaviors ·         A minimum of a High School Diploma with 3-5 years’ experience in Early Childhood Education.  Master’s degree in early childhood education, child development or related field with at least three years relevant experience in the area of infant/toddler development is preferred.  ·         Experience as a trainer/mentor/coach. ·         Experience with home visiting programming, working in rural communities with limited resources, and working with families who are economically challenged is preferred.  ·         Experience in working with or supporting professional/paraprofessional home visitors.  ·         A strong foundation in relationship-based work and supervision. ·         Knowledge of early development with emphasis on infant/toddler development and early language and literacy ·         Knowledge and experience using reflective practice. ·         Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated capacity as a team player and relationship builder ·         Demonstrated organizational and management skills related to program implementation ·         Experience developing and delivering training and technical assistance in-person and remotely ·         Proven experience working effectively with limited-resource communities ·         Strong written and oral communication skills including through the use of technology ·         Working knowledge of financial and sub-grant management ·         Ability to be flexible and adaptable to dynamic changes in the work environment  ·         Willingness to travel extensively in the state or region and nationally as needed

Reference

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm