Associate

Location:                  Lusaka, Zambia

Contract:                  12 months, potential to renew subject to funding

Hours:                       Full-time (37.5 hours per week)

Reporting to:          Programme Manager

About the role:

Education Partnerships Group (EPG) have recently been awarded a grant to support the Ministry of General Education (MoGE) in Zambia under the USAID-funded CATALYZE programme. EPG will work closely with the MoGE to review, prioritise and develop education policy in three core areas: regulation, accountability and public/private partnerships that are highlighted in the Government’s Education Sector and Skills Plan (ESSP) framework. In the first year we will build a team in Lusaka; undertake diagnostic work to map the policy landscape; and engage the MoGE and other key stakeholders to identify policy reform priorities.

EPG is looking for an exceptionally organised, highly motivated and capable Associate with excellent communication and problem-solving skills to support the set-up of EPG’s programme in Zambia. The Associate will report directly to the Programme Manager and will be responsible for supporting project set-up, management and deliver, administration, and team coordination. The Associate will also support the Programme Manager to delivery project outputs such as stakeholder mapping, and to cultivate and maintain trusted relationships with senior Ministry officials and other key stakeholders, and support on drafting key milestones and reports.

The right candidate will be passionate about the role education plays in transforming lives and see this role as an opportunity to support the MoGE strengthen the policy environment. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with initiative to develop a new programme in a new country for EPG and develop their own project management and policy development skills.

Indicative responsibilities:

• Schedule all internal and external meetings – both in person and remotely - attending meetings where required and taking detailed meeting minutes for external circulation;
• Regularly update project documents including programme and project-level workplans, monitoring and learning frameworks, and reporting templates;
• Support the Programme Manager to cultivate and maintain trusted relationships with senior Ministry officials across the Ministry of General Education (MoGE) and other development and service delivery partners;
• Support the Programme Manager to fulfil monthly and quarterly reporting requirements;
• Support the Programme Manager in setting up an EPG office in Lusaka;
• Liaise with MoGE officials and development partners to set up diagnostic interviews, taking minutes when required;
• Support the Programme Manager to collate relevant information on the education sector and policy development to inform diagnostic and work planning;
• Work in close partnership with the wider EPG Zambia and Global team to ensure efficient and high-quality delivery of all technical assistance projects;
• Provide overall coordination and administrative support to the EPG Zambia and Global team.

Candidate requirements:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences (Law, Public Administration, Economics, Education or related field);
• 2+ years of professional experience;
• Excellent project management skills, including planning, monitoring and reporting;
• Exceptional organisational skills with excellent attention to detail;
• Experience with the professional use of the Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)
• Strong written communications and presentation skills in English;
• Strong interpersonal skills with a sense of humility and willingness to work with diverse team members, often remotely;
• A commitment to improving education quality for all children;
• Commitment to EPG’s core values o Responsive | we start from a place of “yes”
  • Accountable | we accept ownership and healthy conflict
  • Rigorous | we create and meet high expectations
  • Inclusive | we seek diversity of perspectives and experiences
  • Respectful | we are quick to listen and empathize

How to Apply:

Apply with a CV and cover letter on our online recruitment portal. Please disregard the UK based questions as they do not apply to you. 

The deadline for applications is the 26th of March 2021. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis as they are received.