Earn over 190 millions annually as Project Management Specialist (Reading) – United States Embassy / US Mission
Job Title: Project Management Specialist (Reading)
Organisation: United States Embassy, US Mission in Uganda
Duty Station: USAID, Health & HIV/AIDS Office, Kampala, Uganda
Salary Grade: FSN-12 (Ugshs 191,547,014 – UGX 282,336,746 inclusive of allowances).
Reports to: USDH Education Officer
About US Embassy:
Welcome to the United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda. The United States has enjoyed diplomatic relations with Uganda for over 30 years. Ambassador Deborah R. Malac currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda. The Mission is composed of several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy and at the direction of the Ambassador.
Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are:
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Centers for Disease Control
Peace Corps
Job Summary: The Project Management Specialist (Reading) will be responsible for advancing USAID/Uganda early grade reading goals. The incumbent is a member of the Education, Youth, and Child Development Office (EYCD) and shares responsibilities with other team members in achieving the overall goals of USAID/Uganda’s CDCS. Specifically, the incumbent spends a major portion of time on activities related to the quality delivery of basic education reading services at the national level, and as a technical specialist in early grade reading for the Mission. The incumbent works closely with the Education Development Officer, and is expected to be the lead in providing early grade reading input and guidance to EYCD, the Mission, and the Ministry of Education and Sports. The incumbent will have a leadership role in program management of the Mission’s early grade reading and related awards, providing appropriate oversight, robust responses to CLA, and overall direction for the overall early grade reading efforts of the Uganda Mission. The position requires significant programmatic and technical knowledge and a thorough knowledge of reading acquisition and measurement best practices as well as major Ugandan reading education policy. The incumbent works closely with other education, youth/workforce development, and child protection team members to strategically adapt USAID/Uganda’s reading efforts to the goals of its Country Development Coordination Strategy 2.0. An estimate of the time the incumbent should devote to each area is indicated in Section 14.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
EYCD Program Management and Oversight: 50% The incumbent has principal responsibility for strategically managing activities to improve national level systems and policies in the Education sector under EYCD with a specialized focus on early grade reading. The position requires substantial programmatic and technical knowledge regarding the major educational policies that address early grade reading. The activities include:
- AOR/COR/Activity Manager for performance and impact evaluations (P&IE) of large education reading programs with emphasis on Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA).
- The incumbent is required to lead in adapting the Mission’s early grade reading efforts in response to Collaboration, Learning, and Adaptation (CLA) assessments and independent performance and impact evaluations at both the program level and in collaboration with USAID, Ministry, donors, and other stakeholders.
- AOR/COR/Activity Manager (or alternate) for the School Health and Reading Program and/or the Literacy Achievement and Retention Activity, and/or other related programs as assigned, with an emphasis on achieving early grade reading results and leading the strategic adaptation of USAID/Uganda’s reading efforts with CDCS 2.0. Activity management will be guided by designation letters from the Contracting Officer, including financial and pipeline analysis, tracking of deliverables and results, technical expertise to resolve challenges in improving early grade reading results, and general knowledge of Uganda specific issues such as violence in schools, adolescent pregnancies, child marriages, etc.
- AOR/COR or Activity Manager of Basic Education Reading Programs currently in the initial design phase.
- Contribute to overall EYCD Office management of items such as the Mission Operations Plan, PPR reporting, development of office-wide documents such as a PMP, portfolio reviews.
Technical Guidance: 50%
- The incumbent serves as a basic education reading technical specialist and shares responsibility with the Education Development Officer in representing EYCD on various external education committees and with internal USAID stakeholders.
- S/he will ensure EYCD/USAID’s views and goals regarding early grade reading are well articulated during various internal and external education fora, including the Education Development Partners, Education Sector Consultative Committee, Education Sector Review, the Basic Education Working Group, other MOES working groups, CDCS 2.0 integration working groups, and others as assigned including as high as the Permanent Secretary and State Minister for Primary Education levels.
- The incumbent is expected to frequently and articulately promote early grade reading as the essential starting point for a literate population in support of the U.S. Government’s early grade reading strategy. Literacy is an essential prerequisite supporting the U.S. Government’s strategic goals in health (including HIV/AIDs), democratic governance, and economic growth.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
NOTE: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.
- The ideal candidate for the United States US Embassy Project Management Specialist (Reading) career opportunity should possess a master’s degree in literacy, early grade reading, or another clearly relevant education or other social science subject is required. Doctorate is preferred.
- A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible professional experience working in the education sector, five years of which must have been in early grade reading, is required.
- If with a doctorate; 10 years’ experience is acceptable.
- Significant involvement with primary education systems reform programs and major program implementation experience in multiple districts is preferred. Early primary classroom experience teaching reading is advantageous.
- Strong background in current status of early grade reading pedagogy and achievement, including instruction in local languages with a later transition to English as a model of teaching early grade reading in Uganda is required.
- Grounding in the historical development of education in Uganda; personal knowledge of typical conditions in primary schools; familiarity with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and its affiliated institutions (the Uganda National Examinations Board, National Curriculum Development Center, etc.); well-grounded in knowledge of Ugandan basic education systems (i.e.: curriculum design, teacher training, classroom effectiveness, educational management, literacy development and testing and evaluation, etc.); comprehensive understanding of factors that interact to impede learning, especially reading at the early primary level is required.
- A strong technical knowledge of general early grade reading assessment is required.
- A demonstrated strong knowledge of early grade reading pedagogy required.
- Substantive knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods for measuring early grade reading skills preferred.
- Excellent writing and interpersonal communication skills; ability to form positive and productive working relationship at all levels; ability to use word-processing and spreadsheets programs.
- Ability to obtain, analyze and evaluate complex data and to prepare precise and accurate factual and analytical reports.
- Ability and willingness for limited travel within Uganda.
- Language Proficiency: Excellent command of written and spoken English, Level IV (fluent).
How to Apply:
All qualified candidates should submit the following;
- A signed AID-302-3 Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts, Download Here
- Cover letter clearly indicating the position for which you are applying and describing how you meet the minimum requirements
- Updated Curriculum Vitae/Resume
- Copies of Academic Transcripts
- Names, contact numbers, and e-mail addresses of three (3) professional references. At least one of the references must be a prior or current direct supervisor.
- U.S. citizen, Resident Aliens and other nations (resident in Uganda) must attach a copy of a valid work permit.
Send them to: KampalaHR@state.gov in standard file types such as Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). All should be in one document which should not exceed 10MB.
Deadline: 17th July 2018
: List of Current Job Vacancies / Opportunities in Uganda