BACKGROUND: The International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest humanitarian international NGOs, provides relief, rehabilitation and development support to vulnerable people and communities over 30 countries. We began work in Ethiopia in 2000 in response to severe drought in Ethiopia’s Somali region and are currently providing assistance to Ethiopians and refuguees in six regions in Ethiopia, implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.
Position Summary:
IRC is seeking an Education Officer for a five-year project, “PlayMatters”, funded by the LEGO Foundation. This position will be a part of the larger PlayMatters initiative to increase play-based learning opportunities for nearly 1 million pre-primary and primary school aged refugee and host community children impacted by the humanitarian crises in East Africa and living in Ethiopia and Uganda. This project aims to build children’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical and creative skills through play in their homes, schools, and communities and will be implemented in partnership with War Child, Plan International, , Behavioural Insights Team and Innovations for Poverty Action.
The Education officer will be responsible for ensuring that PlayMatters consortium and IRC staff identify, engage, and influence key education stakeholders in Ethiopia responsible for and engaged in promoting learning outcomes for refugee and local children ages 3 to 12. This includes collaboration with government, UN and other humanitarian coordination decision makers, education implementing partners, and large scale development initiatives to improve learning through play.
The Education officer will report to the PlayMatters Education Manager at the field office level with additional oversight from the country level PlayMatters project team; work closely with the camp based education officers, ARRA, SCI, WEO specialists and other implementing partners to integrate Learning through Play (LtP) into existing preschool, primary school, Accelerated Learning Programs (ALP) and child friendly space activities targeting children in refugee and host community. S/he will also assist in the development/adaptation and testing of developed content and approaches for teachers, parents/care givers, and children/Community. S/he will also assist to map education stakeholders, existing teaching and learning materials for preschool and primary school children in Ethiopia and existing community structure and support to establish a framework for LtP competencies and quality LtP standards. In doing so, the Education Officer will work with the education manager/Senior Education Officer to ensure the type of engagement in design and implementation necessary to achieve joint priorities and objectives of providing play based learning opportunities for all children.
Job Responsibilities: