The Head Education Specialist Tanzania is responsible for the management and development of the Education Specialist team in Tanzania. This role will be responsible for achieving key performance indicators through effective management of staff, contribution to regional and global strategy, engagement of internal and external stakeholders to raise visibility and financial resources to contribute to the organizational mission and vision. This role will report to the Head Education Specialist, East & Southern Africa on all operational matters related to the EduQuality program, and delegate activities to other members of the team where necessary.

The Head Education Specialist, Tanzania (HEST) will be instrumental in driving the success of the EduQuality (EdQ) program.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Team & Program Management

• Prioritize the support and growth of individual team members, as well as team cohesion and culture.
• Responsible for achieving country-level targets, quarterly/termly team target reviews, and annual staff performance reviews.
• Manage regular effective communications across multiple digital channels, team meetings, one-on-one meetings, and other co-ordination support as needed.
• Prioritize actions to enhance program delivery based on internal and external research, feedback from school/partners, and the wider team; provide regular recommendations to the leadership team to continuously refine and improve delivery processes. 
• Leverage the extensive and varied expertise embodied by the ES team to best meet program needs, and review/reallocate individual responsibilities as needed; leverage expertise from global team as needed.
• Created linkages between special projects (pilots, research, etc.), the ES team, leadership, and global team. 

Cluster Development & Management 

• Ensure ES are equipped to promote effective collaboration between school leaders, teachers, and cluster members in training cluster leadership to perform their role, including the self-assessment of their cluster using the Hargreaves criteria.
• Lead the planning and implementation of Introductory Seminars to bring new schools and clusters into the EdQ program, in collaboration with the ES team, EdQ Project Management Associate, and financial institution partners.
• Support the team in delivering approximately nine cluster meetings per cluster per annum.
• Support ES colleagues in timely reporting on all required activities in a systematic way using agreed approaches (i.e., Collect app, report writing, etc.).

Pathways to Excellence

• Ensure all ES follow the developed procedures in supporting school leaders in their School Self-Assessments and in both developing and monitoring the School Development Planning process each annum.

School Leadership Professional Development

• Oversee preparations, logistics, and implementation of the School Leadership Professional Development (SLPD) training, with support from the EdQ Project Management Associate.
• Ensure ES team are properly trained and support to deliver high-quality trainings to school leaders.

Teacher Mentor Professional Development

• Oversee the effective approaches to teacher development and mentor training and on-going support by the ES team. 
• Ensure the schools have the materials and capability required to train replacement mentors when existing mentors leave; seek ways of improving the effectiveness of mentor in the clusters. 
• Provide training to the ES team on the use of adult facilitation/coaching and training of trainers to bring consistency of practice to the work with cluster teachers and mentors. 

Measurement & Evaluation

• Collaborate with the Director of Operations and local M&E team to implement the EduQuality M&E framework to drive program learning and improvement.
• Assist ES team in how best to support M&E activities through co-ordination with school leaders and data collectors/enumerators.
• Gather and document learnings and effective practices from the field on a regular basis for dissemination to the larger network of partners with the goal of continual improvement in service offerings.
• Publish or contribute to publications, where applicable, to share outcomes, program design, and effectiveness of interventions with the broader financial institution and educational communities. 
• Liaise with learning partners, as necessary, who are engaging with the work of EduFinance for the study and reporting of impact. 

Financial Institutions

• Liaise with financial institution partners as required to maintain quarterly/termly reporting and co-ordination.

Materials & Product Development

• Support the development and review of new EdQ products/materials to ensure alignment with in-country curriculum and teacher standards, context, language, and culture.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

• Five staff in Arusha and Dar es Salaam.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Postgraduate degree in school-based education or education development, with significant experience in the education field. Graduate degree preferred.
• At least 10-15 years of relevant education experience in education development, pre-primary and primary education, early literacy and reading development, special education, and school leadership and teacher professional development.
• 10 years of experience managing a diverse multi-functional team.
• Leadership in large-scale education program implementation.
• At least 2-3 years of formal experience as a classroom teacher and/or school leader at pre-primary and primary levels.
• Strong writing, data collection, and ICT skills (e.g., Microsoft Office products, EdTech, mobile tablets, etc.). 
• International education experience or training is preferred.
• Ability to manage contract negotiations with external vendors and ability to manage internal work-related expenses is required.
• Experience working within cross-cultural global organizations and INGOs.
• Knowledge of and experience with USAID-funded projects preferred. 
• An understanding of and a commitment to advancing the mission and core values of Opportunity International
• An understanding of and a commitment to advancing the mission and core values of Opportunity International

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Written and verbal fluency in English and Swahili, additional 1 or 2 local languages preferred. Must be able to attend & fully participate in meetings conducted in English.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

• Access to a personal vehicle for 40% domestic travel; 10% international travel
• Able to travel with minimal notice and maximum flexibility
• Willing to travel independently and without escort or planning support

ABOUT OPPORTUNITY

Opportunity International was founded in 1971 to bring about a measure of justice, dignity, and purpose for families living in poverty. We do this by supporting local financial institutions that provide innovative financial solutions to empower people, create small businesses and build vibrant communities. We serve 12 million hardworking entrepreneurs in 28 countries worldwide and have big plans for the world: a world without poverty where people can live with dignity and purpose. 

Learn more about our company by visiting our website: https://opportunity.org/

ABOUT EDUFINANCE

Opportunity EduFinance is a nimble, fast-moving, and rapidly expanding core function of Opportunity International’s global footprint. EduFinance aims to get more children into better quality schools. It does this by increasing access to capital for affordable private schools and parents, and by boosting the capacity of school leaders and teachers in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). It does this in over 25 countries and is growing rapidly. 

The Education Finance program accelerates investment into affordable education in low-and-middle income countries, to get more children access to better quality schools. In 2022, EduFinance became a WISE Award winner – which recognizes programs addressing global education challenges and serving as “a model of excellence that serves as an inspiration for innovation and creative action for education.”