Deputy Country Director – Programmes (PEAS) - Employment, career opportunity in Uganda

Job Title:  Deputy Country Director – Programmes (Kampala)
Organization:  PEAS
Country:  Uganda
Deadline: 14th Oct 2013

Background:
PEAS (www.peas.org.uk) is a dynamic charity with a mission ‘to unlock the potential of Africa by expanding access to affordable quality secondary education’. To do this, we build and manage the fastest growing network of sustainably financed secondary schools in Africa. PEAS is supported by major corporate, government and private funders and our innovative financial model is pioneering in the field of Public Private Partnerships in development education.

The Deputy Country Director for Programmes (DCDP) is a new role which will provide strategic leadership to the PEAS programmes in Uganda (Education, Child Protection, School Inspections and Monitoring & Evaluation). This role will drive the continual improvement of education provided across the PEAS network of schools and will ensure that PEAS schools are the best free/low-fee schools in Uganda.

PEAS is looking for an exceptional candidate with a strong-track record of driving educational outcomes in order to position PEAS as a recognized global forerunner in low-cost high quality education.

Key Responsibilities of the role:

PEAS Uganda Education Strategy

• Lead the development of the PEAS Uganda Education Strategy in line with the PEAS Education Philosophy and values
• Oversee the implementation of the PEAS Uganda Education Strategy to ensure the continual drive for improving the quality of education across all PEAS Uganda schools
• Use internally and externally generated data (e.g. PEAS M&E data, exam results, PEAS School Inspection results etc) to review and develop the PEAS Uganda Education Strategy
• Contribute to the design of PEAS-global programmes, education tools and education policies

Driving Education Quality and Accessibility

• Line manage PEAS Regional Program Managers holding them to account for supervising schools and supporting them to meet ambitious School Improvement Plan targets
• Line manage key central office education and programmes staff (Education Quality, School Inspections, Child Protection and Participation and M,E&R) to ensure that they are providing necessary tools, guidance and technical expertise to regional staff
• Oversee the implementation of tangential programmes across the school network which support the PEAS objectives to improve the quality and accessibility of secondary education
• Ensure that PEAS admissions policies are effectively implemented across the network so that education quality is secured through quality interventions not student selection and that PEAS schools expand access to education to marginalised children
• Build the capacity of the PEAS-Uganda programmes team through needs assessment, training and identification of additional capacity for recruitment and consultants

Child Protection

• Oversee the development and implementation of a Child Protection Strategy for PEAS Uganda
• Ensure that all Child Protection issues are reported and resolved effectively according to PEAS Child Protection policy and procedures
• Ensure that all recommendations arising from PEAS internal Child Protection audits are implemented

Programme monitoring, evaluation and reporting and research

• Working closely with PEAS UK M,E&R to oversee the implementation of the PEAS-Uganda M,E&R framework
• Ensure that PEAS-Uganda programmes departments use of M,E&R data to make evidence-based interventions to improve educational outcomes
• Facilitate the implementation of any required external evaluations of PEAS-Uganda
• Produce high quality quarterly and annual reports for PEAS and donors within agreed reporting schedules

Compliance

• Assume responsibility for implementing programme activities defined by specific grants (e.g. DfID Girls Education Challenge Grant)
• Ensure that PEAS programmes departments are held to account for and supported to achieve contractual deliverables
• Coordinate specific donor reports (for institutional grants) with Finance & Grants Manager and the GEC Coordinator
• Review compliance issues on grants and contracts

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience and qualifications

• Educated to degree level in an education, international development or related field (masters desirable)
• Minimum of 5 years management experience in a development or humanitarian INGO (including representation at a senior management level)
• In depth understanding of national and international development issues, in particular as they relate to education and children in Uganda
• Strong track record of improving educational outcomes in low-resource settings
• Experience overseeing the implementation of programmes funded by institutional or bi-lateral donors (e.g. DfID, World Bank etc)
• Strong track record in grant reporting and financial management
• Experience managing, supporting and developing a high-performing team.
• Experience of developing and implementing Child Protection plans and of managing Child Protection risks

Skills, knowledge and personal attributes

• Knowledge of key issues in development education, public private partnerships in education, educational leadership and Teaching & Learning
• Ability to think and plan strategically
• Ability to use internally and externally generated data to make evidence-based decisions
• Ability to advocate and represent authoritatively
• Committed to building own capacity and capacity of others
• Collaborative and participatory management style (listens and seeks to understand different perspectives)
• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent MS Office skills, particularly MS Work and Excel
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English language
• Committed to the PEAS values
• Passionate about improving the life chances of all children through educational opportunity

How to apply:

Application Process

Applicants are advised to submit a cover letter (paying particular attention to the Person Specification), curriculum vitae, a brief writing sample (unedited by others), and contact information for two references to recruitment@peas.org.uk

Please include all portions of your application in one attached document (PDF preferred), and use Deputy Country Director – Programmes as the subject of your email.

Please state your salary expectations in your cover letter.

Only complete applications will be reviewed, and only qualified candidates will be shortlisted and contacted by email.

Closing date for applications: 14th October 2013 at 17.00 (5pm GMT)

PEAS is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its recruitment practices and, in order to build the strongest possible workforce, actively seeks a diverse applicant pool.
‘PEAS has a strict child protection policy. All staff are expected to abide by this.’