1. POSITION VACANT: Senior Specialist – Primary Education (SS-PE), ChildFund India, New Delhi

2. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:

ChildFund India is a partnership-based child development organization affiliated with ChildFund International, a global network of 12 international child development organizations, representing the voice of deprived, vulnerable, marginalized, and excluded children in India, regardless of race, creed, and gender.

ChildFund India has been transforming the lives of millions of children in India through child-focused initiatives since 1951, helping improve the well-being of vulnerable children by empowering the community to undertake and manage holistic child development programs, and by networking with other stakeholders, as well.

ChildFund India promotes communities whose individuals and institutions participate in valuing, protecting, and advancing the worth and rights of children. ChildFund in India works in 85 districts across 15 States. Through long-term partnerships and direct implementation, it annually reaches nearly 3 million children, youth, and their families from 3200 communities/villages.

For more information about ChildFund India please visit https://childfundindia.org/

2. JOB DESCRIPTION/ RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior Specialist - Primary Education (SS-PE) is a key position, with responsibility for providing technical leadership to program design and implementation of primary education projects at ChildFund India, supported through sponsorship or other forms of funding, including corporate, and/or government support, in line with the Country Strategy Plan.

Reporting to the Program Director, the SS-PE shall be responsible for developing and executing a coherent education program portfolio, representing the organization in external forums, and supporting the growth of quality programming through the acquisition and stewardship of resources.

The post-holder shall be responsible for the life stage two portfolio of ChildFund India and support the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) component of life stage one (birth to five years). S/he shall also be responsible for project planning, program quality, and effectiveness, designing and providing directions and guidance for implementation, regular progress review, and documentation, budgetary control and management, and donor reporting. S/he shall be a part of the Country Management Team (CMT) and liaise with the ChildFund International Regional Office (RO) and International Office (IO) for life stage two related actions, including ECCE.
 

Key Job Responsibilities:
(1) Remain alert and responsive to any child safeguarding risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills to promote strong safeguarding practices, understand the child safeguarding policy and procedures, and ensure conduct consistent with ChildFund’s Child Safeguarding Policy;
(2) Ensure the design and quality of the primary education program portfolio for ChildFund across the 3 life stages. This shall include working closely with the International Technical Teams to develop standards, indicators, core guidance, and effective practices; and ensuring these are implemented in all projects supported by ChildFund India across the country;
(3) Strengthen the education portfolio by developing and managing technical partnerships at the national level, building field-level staff capacity, providing timely technical support to local partners, and ensuring the quality evaluation of projects;
(4) Develop a coherent learning agenda aligned with ChildFund International's theory of change and life stage approach. This shall include identifying key questions in the development arena related to child development, promoting a culture of inquiry within the organization, ensuring a plan to gather evidence, promote knowledge, execute applied research, and developing a cadre of professionals across ChildFund in India. S/he shall additionally provide support for evidence-based programming, prepare Project Design Development (PDD) and the Annual Operating Plan and Budget (AoPB), and take the lead in establishing signature programs;
(5) Collaborate and network with other developmental organizations and participate in relevant forums on primary education at the National level to position ChildFund India as a strong strategic partner. Also, take the lead in exploring network and partnership opportunities and establishing mutually benefiting partnerships with strategic advantages for the organization;
(6) Conduct project reviews together with the monitoring and evaluation unit, aiming at strengthening program quality standards and providing guidance to the monitoring and evaluation teams on measuring the effectiveness and impact of program interventions;
(7) Organize periodic budget reviews together with relevant project and finance teams to ensure optimum utilization of funds throughout the year and 100% at the end of the project period, for both subsidy and grant projects;
(8) Support the communications unit in preparing capacity statements, specific brochures, success stories, magazines, or any other programmatic documents, related to livelihood;
(9) Coordinate and engage with the communications and knowledge management team for designing and implementing thematic-related communication materials such as preparing consolidated reports, case studies, success stories, project outcome documents for dissemination and publication, campaigns, etc.;
(10) Lead/ support resource mobilization by developing concept notes, and technical papers, assessing donor environment, developing linkages, and participating in networks. Take a lead role in raising resources through government, bilateral and institutional collaborations and support the business development team in raising corporate grants;
(11) Represent the organization in external forums through presentations, networking, publications, and engagement in development discourse or advocacy initiatives. Develop program positions, as appropriate;
(12) Stay abreast of cutting-edge practices in education and ensure that the ChildFund India program portfolio contributes to this discourse and benefits from it;
(13) Any other responsibility, as assigned by the Line Manager.

3. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND COMPETENCIES:

Qualification and Experience

(1) Applicants must have a master’s degree in education, social science, or development studies;
(2) Eight to ten years of experience in the development sector, of which five to six years must be in providing management and/or technical support to education programs at the national level;
(3) Experience in training design and capacity building of staff, including mentoring and leadership;
(4) Prior experience in growing a program portfolio in collaboration and partnership with government and bilateral agencies, along with familiarity with the donor landscape active in education;
(5) Demonstrated success in providing technical leadership to partner organizations spread across different geographies in India.

Skills and Competencies

(1) Strong project and people management skills with proven ability to set strategic direction and develop operational plans;
(2) Proven ability to cultivate and steward relationships with partners and donors;
(3) Knowledge of participatory community development approaches;
(4) Excellent presentation, public speaking, and interpersonal skills;
(5) Demonstrated experience of utilizing an influential style of leadership;
(6) Strong computer skills, and familiarity in the use of the Microsoft Office suite of applications;
(7) Organized, team player, self-starter, and results-oriented individual;
(8) Excellent written and spoken skills in English and Hindi Language. Knowledge or skills of any other Indian language shall be desirable.

4. COMPENSATION OFFERED:

Gross compensation budgeted for the position is attractive. The offer made to the selected candidate shall be commensurate with qualifications, experience, and salary history.
 

5. LOCATION: New Delhi
 
6. REFERENCE: SS-PE-CFI
 

7. CONTACT INFORMATION:

Team SAMS
Strategic Alliance Management Services P Ltd.
1/1B, Choudhary Hetram House, Bharat Nagar 
New Friends Colony, New Delhi 110 025
Phone Nos.: 011- 4081 9900; 4165 3612
 

8. APPLICATION PROCESS:

Eligible candidates interested in the position are requested to apply using the link https://recruitment.samshrm.com/JOBS/CFI, by or before, July 10, 2023.

ChildFund India is committed to a workplace culture that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms. Furthermore, ChildFund India is committed to ensuring a workplace that safeguards and protects all children, including preventing their sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as preventing the sexual exploitation and abuse of its staff, partners, and program participants.

ChildFund India is committed to safeguarding the interests, rights, and well-being of children with whom it is in contact and to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for children