Sightsavers implements projects in over 30 countries in Africa and South Asia working to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote the rights of people with disabilities. We are looking for a Senior Technical Lead – Disability Inclusion to provide technical leadership for Pillar 2 of the Sierra Leone Secondary School Education Improvement Programme (SSEIPII).
Title: Senior Technical Lead – Disability Inclusion
Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone (with frequent travel within the programme area)
Contract: Two-year fixed term contract – renewable
Full-time
Salary: Local Terms and Conditions apply
About the role
SSEIP II is an FCDO-funded education programme to improve access to quality education, learning, safety, and health outcomes for 1.6 million children. It will run for an initial term of up to 60 months from March 2023 to February 2028. The programme has two Pillars – Pillar 1 (Policy) and Pillar 2 (Systems). Sightsavers is a member of the consortium implementing Pillar 2.
Working in close association with consortium partners, the Senior Technical Lead – Disability Inclusion will be responsible for ensuring SSEIPII strengthens the capacity of the Sierra Leone education system to provide inclusive education for secondary-aged students with disabilities, particularly girls.
Key duties and accountabilities include:
- Identify ways the Sierra Leone education system can become more disability inclusive
- Promote the participation of organisations of persons with disabilities in Pillar 2
- Support the review, revision, and dissemination of relevant policy frameworks
- Develop the capacity of relevant ministries and agencies, particularly at district level, to promote disability inclusive education
- Ensure Pillar 2 addresses the intersection of disability with gender
- Design and/or adapt approaches, interventions, tools, and activities
- Develop the capacity of consortium partners and of national stakeholders at all levels of the education system
- Contribute to consortium-wide technical discussions and to the design and delivery of programme interventions
- Travel within the programme area and possibly internationally
About you
The post-holder will come into contact with children, including children with disabilities, during programme implementation. It is therefore essential that the post-holder fully understands and is committed to following the safeguarding policies of Sightsavers and Pillar 2 of SSEIP II and the respective codes of conduct. An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity for people with disabilities will be required of the post-holder.
As the successful candidate you will have:
- Master’s degree in education or relevant discipline
- Significant experience designing or advising education programmes in Sierra Leone, ideally with a focus on disability inclusive education
- Significant experience working with MBSSE and/or other government agencies
- Experience supporting programme implementation
- Knowledge of development challenges and contexts in Sierra Leone, particularly barriers to inclusive education and opportunities for overcoming those barriers
- Familiarity with international agreements and national policy frameworks related to the education of children with disabilities
- Good understand of gender equity and disability inclusion issues
This is a highly varied and involved role and the above is not an exhaustive list of duties or required professional skills. Please see the job description for full details. Please note that this role is subject to successful funding.
How to apply
We anticipate that remote/ in-person interviews will take place in June.
To apply for this exciting new opportunity, please submit your CV and complete the role-specific questions via our recruitment portal here. We are particularly interested in learning of your motivations for applying.
Due to project deadlines, we are keen to fill this role as quickly as possible so applications will be considered as soon as they are received.
As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from all sections of the community. Sightsavers is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified women and persons with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply.
Closing date: 31 May 2023.