Background

VVOB – education for development is an international non-profit organisation with over 40 years’ experience in strengthening the quality of education systems in Africa, Asia and South America in close partnership with ministries of education and their institutions. Our head office is based in Brussels, Belgium.

We implement our programmes and projects with one shared passion: to ensure the improvement of quality education. In striving for that ambition, we place our values ‘commitment’, ‘integrity’, ‘respect’, ‘quality’ and ‘innovation’ central.

Do you share our ambition to ensure that learners around the world can enjoy their fundamental human right to quality education, without exception? Are you convinced as well that quality education guarantees equal opportunities for everyone and is the key to a better world?

We are looking for a Strategic Education Advisors – Partnership and Communications who will operate from our office in Lusaka, Zambia

Position in the organisation

The Strategic Education Advisor (SEA) – Partnership and Communications reports to the Education Manager- Strategic Team and is part of the Strategy Department. You work closely together with the programmes team and connect closely to Management for partnership alignment.

As the SEA Partnerships and Communication you will perform a key role in strengthening current and developing future Zambian, Regional and Global partnerships to further support growth of the Zambian VVOB portfolio.

Key result areas

• You design and develop relevant and scalable projects in close collaboration with internal and external partners.
• You provide both short- and long-term strategic advice, information and guidance to VVOB and VVOB’s partners on Partnership and Communications and in line with policy trends, new developments and the glocal strategies to ensure the focus of strengthening the portfolio is in line with Global opportunities and needs.
• You provide authoritative guidance in issues related to partnership and communications..
• You take up a variety of roles in the capacity development process according to the needs, particular situations, and phases of the programme.
• You create and manage partnerships and strong networks with relevant partners, institutions and organisations.
• You provide strategic and instructional leadership across VVOB’s portfolio, ensuring coherence, quality, and sustainability of Remedial and FLN-related interventions across projects and levels of the system.
• You support the input and strategic thinking for a proposal on Remedial teaching and learning for the Zambian portfolio..
• You think of strategic adjustments that need to be made to the current programmes or how it is managed that need to change in, to ensure quality of delivery and sustainability.

Required expertise and experience

• Master’s degree in education, development studies, psychology, or related field or equivalent experience;
• In depth understanding of the Zambian education system and education sector;
• A strong established network among education partners in Zambia and beyond.
• Experience in programme and/or project & change development and management;
• Experience in organizational and institutional capacity development.

• Design and develop relevant and scalable projects in close collaboration with internal and external partners.
• Provide both short- and long-term strategic advice, information and guidance to VVOB and VVOB’s partners on Partnership and Communications and in line with policy trends, new developments and the glocal strategies to ensure the focus of strengthening the portfolio is in line with Global opportunities and needs.
• Provide authoritative guidance in issues related to partnership and communications.
• Take up a variety of roles in the capacity development process according to the needs, particular situations, and phases of the programme.
• Create and manage partnerships and strong networks with relevant partners, institutions and organisations.
• Provide strategic and instructional leadership across VVOB’s portfolio, ensuring coherence, quality, and sustainability of Remedial and FLN-related interventions across projects and levels of the system.
• Support the input and strategic thinking for a proposal on Remedial teaching and learning for the Zambian portfolio.
• Think of strategic adjustments that need to be made to the current programmes or how it is managed that need to change in, to ensure quality of delivery and sustainability.

• Partnership development and management
• Communications strategy and implementation
• Strategic advice and guidance
• Capacity development
• Network creation and management
• Instructional leadership
• Programme and project management
• Organizational and institutional development

• Master’s degree in education, development studies, psychology, or related field or equivalent experience.
• In-depth understanding of the Zambian education system and education sector.
• Strong established network among education partners in Zambia and beyond.
• Experience in programme and/or project & change development and management.
• Experience in organizational and institutional capacity development.