Community Engagement Lead

Chemonics seeks a Community Engagement Lead for the anticipated New Primary Education Activity based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Community Engagement Lead will be responsible for managing and overseeing program activities focused on community support of educational activities that ensure all children have access to education. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world. The anticipated USAID New Primary Education Activity will work in areas affected by crises in Ethiopia, while deepening interventions to promote holistic foundational learning for children in these areas. This activity will target primary school age children and include out-of-school children who may be suited to those grade levels. This may include overage children, based on the understanding that many children will enter primary school late. As this activity will focus on strategies to target the significant portion of children who do not gain foundational skills on time, within these grade levels and age ranges, the activity will target the lowest performing students and/or those children who have dropped out or who are at risk of dropout. The anticipated USAID New Primary Education Activity will support areas severely affected by conflict, drought and other natural disasters, and where learning outcomes are lowest. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

Responsibilities Include:

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to the design, technical implementation, and monitoring of all activities focused on community and caregiver promotion of children’s learning, wellbeing, and resilience.
• Identify and advise on the use of relevant approaches, such as SBCC strategies
• Lead collaborations with local government and community stakeholders
• Support the development of mechanisms to identify out-of-school learners, and functional referral pathways for at-risk children
• Liaise and build connections with protection service providers
• Oversee support to school communities in developing and implementing action plans for continuing school safety, learning, and wellbeing for children and educators
• Advise on home- and community-based learning
• Collaborate with other component leaders to achieve project outcomes
• Provide technical support to the implementation of activities in close collaboration with the Technical Director
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief of Party

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in social science, behavioral economics, strategic communications, or similar field required.
• Seven years of experience leading community engagement activities required, preferably within the education sector.
• Professional experience working with school communities, caregivers, local actors, and local governance structures; expertise in home- and community-based learning coupled with an understanding of adult learning techniques.
• Demonstrated experience supporting at-risk children, wellbeing initiatives, and a strong understanding of protection services in Ethiopia.
• Nuanced understanding of social, political, and economic dynamics of Ethiopia.
• Deep understanding of conflict sensitivity and trauma-informed approaches
• Experience on USAID or other international donor-funded projects in Ethiopia strongly preferred.
• Excellent organizational and supervisory skills and ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, environment.
• Detail oriented, and ability to prioritize tasks.
• Proficiency in English required.
• Qualified applicants from Ethiopia highly encouraged to apply.