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Education Advisor

Date of Publication
Application Deadline
Company
WORLD UNIVERSITY SERVICE OF CANADA
Brief Description
 
Position title: Education Advisor
Position location: Ottawa preferred, remote optional
Working hours: Full time (preferred)
Reports to: Director of Programs
Salary Range: $64.500 to $76.000
Application deadline: September 13th 2021
 
Background:
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international
development organization focusing on three programmatic areas: Economic Opportunities,
Education, and Empowerment. Our vision is a better world for all young people. It is a more
inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world in which all young people, especially women and
refugees, are empowered to secure a good quality of life for themselves, their families, and
their communities.
 
WUSC currently works in over 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin
America, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $45 million. We have 90 people in
our Ottawa office, and over 200 people overseas implementing 16 development projects in
collaboration with donors such as Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the UK Foreign
Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Globally, we partner with a network of
higher education institutions, civil society organizations, private sector partners,
professionals, students, volunteers, faculty and community leaders that work with us to
achieve our mission.
 
WUSC’s Education Portfolio
Currently, WUSC’s education portfolio includes four multi-million dollar initiatives and
several smaller projects throughout Africa, including in Mali, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, and
South Sudan. WUSC’s education initiatives are funded by two primary donors: Global
Affairs Canada and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). As an
organization that is strongly committed to youth, gender equality, and issues of forced
displacement, WUSC’s education portfolio reflects these priorities. Our education initiatives
are largely focused on programming for adolescent girls and young women who are
refugees, displaced, or otherwise affected by conflict. WUSC has a focus on upper primary
to post-secondary education, and works to ensure that adolescent girls and young women
are able to complete a full course of primary and secondary education, and successfully
transition into post-secondary educational or employment opportunities.
 
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Working out of our headquarters in Ottawa (or remotely), the Education Advisor will play a
strategic role to grow WUSC’s Education portfolio, contributing to corporate, policy
influence, and strategic objectives related to education. The Education Advisor will also be a
core member of the WUSC Programs Team, working in a matrix environment as a technical
resource for integrating education best practices into WUSC’s portfolio of overseas
programs. The Education Advisor will also develop tools, resources and conduct training
and coaching to staff and partners to support cross-project learning and the overall
technical rigor of WUSC’s education portfolio.
 
Education Advice & Coaching to WUSC Programs and Projects - 50%
● Provide high-quality technical assistance to diverse teams across the organization,
including program delivery teams;
● Support program staff in integrating evidence-based best practices in education into
project planning and management approaches (including results based
management tools) and propose strategies to increase project/program impact on
learning outcomes;
● Facilitate the use of data and learning from existing education programs to promote
evidence-based learning, reflection and decision making within programs/ projects;
● Identify strengths and weaknesses in existing practices at WUSC, and support the
development of improved systems, processes, and tools;
● Work with program managers and MERL Advisors to ensure that results
measurement and knowledge management systems are established to ensure that
relevant education results (i.e. learning outcomes, retention, completion,
attendance, quality of learning environment, etc.) are captured and reported to
relevant stakeholders;
● Create education resources (including training) and tools (ie. tipsheets) to assist staff
in implementing evidence-based education interventions; and
● Undertake limited project management responsibilities on smaller initiatives, such
as coordination between finance and programs counterparts; development of
reports and planning documents; and review of contracts.
 
Education Advisory Support to new Programs - 20%
● Work with the Program Development unit to ensure the integration of
evidence-based best practices in education into new program design;
● Help to review and/or develop content for proposals that reflects WUSC’s
experience in its education portfolio;
● Recommend financial and human resources necessary to execute high quality
education programming;
● Support new project inception planning, particularly the development of the
program/ project-specific advice for high quality education interventions; and
● Support project teams in the recruitment and capacity building of project managers
and technical staff on education issues.
 
Promote Internal & External Learning on Education - 30%
● Participate in critical working groups and networks, such as the Canadian
International Education Policy Working Group, and ensure that WUSC is delivering
on key strategic objectives with and through these groups and networks;
● Manage WUSC’s participatory Education Community of Practice to facilitate
cross-program knowledge sharing;
● Facilitate organizational learning opportunities, including training, seminars,
webinars, tipsheets, etc;
● Take leadership on future revisions and updates of WUSC’s Education Thematic
Paper, which guides WUSC’s strategic goals across our education portfolio;
● Lead the development of the organizational annual Education Thematic Area
Workplan and ensure the execution of this plan;
● Conduct analysis of opportunities to maximize education results within WUSC’s
Theory of Change focused on education, employment and empowerment of youth;
● Liaise regularly with technical counterparts to share best practices, tools, and
organizational approaches to education quality;
● Represent WUSC at a variety of public forums (conferences, events, working groups,
etc) and share results, lessons learned, and knowledge from WUSC’s education
programs to position WUSC as a key actor in the education sector;
● Participate in WUSC’s communications work by drafting communications materials,
providing data, information and other material for use with WUSC’s Canadian and
International constituency for communications strategies and fundraising activities.
 
Qualifications:
● MA/MSc or equivalent in education, international development, or related fields
such as migration studies, human rights, or gender equality;
● A minimum of 5-7 years of active work experience in education programming in an
international development context is required; the ideal candidate will have both
theoretical and practical background in education;
● Knowledge of international frameworks and best practices related to education and
specific challenges related to girls’ education and education for refugee and
displaced children and youth; and
● Experience designing and working with teams to deliver specific components of
education programming, such as teacher training; remedial education or
accelerated learning classes; digital education initiatives; life skills activities, etc.
 
Competencies:
● Strong analytical, research, and writing skills;
● Proven ability to work productively and build consensus with a variety of
stakeholders (in-country teams, local partners, local government bodies);
● Flexibility with competing demands and ability to prioritize;
● Effective interpersonal and influencing skills, including the ability to build
relationships, network, communicate and represent at a senior level are essential;
● Flexibility, with a strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit to accommodate
high levels of responsibility and multiple priorities;
● Commitment to local capacity building and the ability to engage local stakeholders
in policy design and implementation;
● Passion and commitment to anti-racism, diversity and inclusion, gender equality,
refugee inclusion and youth empowerment;
● Share in WUSC’s commitment and approach to advance gender equality and social
inclusion for all young people;
● Ability to contribute to WUSC’s organizational culture that respects differences,
including sex, age, ability, refugee or migration status, race, ethnicity, religion,
gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and other identity factors.
 
Languages:
Complete fluency, oral and written in English essential. Advanced capacity to work in
 
French required.
 
WHY WORK WITH WUSC?
Join Us. Our work is important, cutting-edge, and fast-paced. We
encourage curiosity, innovation, and flexibility, and we provide a
phenomenal learning experience.
WUSC offers a dynamic international work environment with a diverse intercultural
workforce. We offer employees exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain
experience all while making a difference in the lives of youth around the world. Employees
at WUSC work hard to create lasting change in education, economic opportunities and
empowerment.
 
The WUSC office is in centrally located Hintonburg in Ottawa. Currently WUSC team
members are working remotely. WUSC offers flexible working arrangements, competitive
benefits, four weeks of annual leave (for full-time employees), safe and healthy working
conditions, and fair compensation. Click here to learn more about WUSC Top 100
Employers of National Capital Region 2021.
 
APPLICATIONS
WUSC’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around
the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives and partners shall
correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC promotes responsibility,
respect, honesty, and professional excellence and we will not tolerate harassment,
coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form. Successful applicants will be required to
undertake an enhanced criminal record check where appropriate.
 
WUSC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from
people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking
part in all aspects of the selection process. Only those candidates selected for an interview
will be contacted. No telephone calls please.
 
If you wish to apply for this position, please follow this link to register on WUSC’s
candidate database.