About US Embassy:

The United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda has enjoyed diplomatic relations with Uganda for over 30 years.  Ambassador Deborah R. Malac currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda.  The Mission is composed of several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy and at the direction of the Ambassador.

Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are:

• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• Peace Corps

Job Summary: 

USAID/Uganda is seeking for qualified individuals to fill the Project Management Specialist (Basic Education) position. This position is for an FSN professional to advance USAID/Uganda basic education goals, as a Senior Basic Education Specialist, and is in the Office of Education, Youth, and Child Development (EYCD). The Senior Basic Education Specialist works closely with other education, youth/workforce development and child protection team members to strategically adapt USAID/Uganda’s basic education efforts to the goals of USAID/Uganda’s Country Development Coordination Strategy (CDCS) and provides education sector expertise on education policy reform, education management, and effective strategies for sustainable improvements in basic education outcomes. S/he serves as advisor to USAID/Uganda management and the EYCD office. The Senior Basic Education Specialist focuses on national education policy development and reform, including issues related to financing and resource utilization, strategic planning, measurement, and classroom practice. As a senior advisor for policy-related aspects of the Mission’s education program, the incumbent works closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) and other donors to maximize the effectiveness of public sector financing and to achieve planned results within USAID’s larger development objectives. The incumbent has a leadership role in program management of the Mission’s basic education and related awards, providing appropriate oversight, robust responses to collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA), and overall direction for the basic education efforts of USAID/Uganda. The position requires significant programmatic and technical knowledge and a thorough knowledge of international basic education best practices, as well as major Ugandan education policy initiatives. S/he reports to the Basic Education Unit Lead and has frequent direct contact with senior Mission Management and/or US Embassy State Department staff, the MOES and other donors, and with USAID/Washington regarding matters relating to education sector policy in Uganda.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Policy Guidance (40% of time)

• The Senior Basic Education Specialists provides EYCD and USAID/Uganda with expert guidance on education sector reform, education sector financing, and education administration.
• Works closely with the EYCD Basic Education Team Lead on issues related to the education sector in Uganda, including in consultation, coordination, and partnership with the wider donor community.
• Produces Ugandan education sector policy briefs, strategy papers, and reporting documents, all based on in-depth sector knowledge and independently produced analyses.
• Advises the EYCD Basic Education Team Lead, EYCD Office Director and at times the Mission Director, Deputy Mission Director, or members of the Embassy Country Team on education policy in Uganda, including education sector initiatives and strategic planning, educational laws and policies, and education financing.

Basic Education Program Management and Oversight (45% of time)

• The Senior Basic Education Specialist has principal responsibility for strategically managing activities to improve national level basic education systems and policies. The position requires substantial programmatic and technical knowledge regarding major educational policies and practices that impede learning outcomes. S/he participates in the design and management of USAID education programs and projects and assesses potential programming modifications to ensure that USAID education strategy and policy in Uganda address key issues in the sector and that investments in the sector produce positive results. At the same time, s/he ensures that USAID/Uganda’s basic education activities are in line with international and local best practice and complementary to efforts of other donors.
• Provides oversight to contractors and grantees by serving as Contracting Officer’s Representative/Agreement Officer’s Representative (COR/AOR) (or alternate), and/or Activity Manager for selected implementing partners, including those implementing and evaluating basic education programs. Activity management will be guided by designation letter from the Contracting Officer and will include financial and pipeline analysis, tracking of deliverables and results, technical expertise to resolve challenges in achieving results, and general knowledge of Uganda specific issues such as violence in schools, adolescent pregnancies, child marriages, etc.
• Leads adaptation of the Mission’s basic education efforts in response to Collaboration, Learning, and Adaptation (CLA) assessments and independent performance and impact evaluations at both the program level and in collaboration with USAID, Ministry, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Develops tools and documents including operational plans, performance management plans and reports, portfolio presentations, and official briefing materials.
• Contributes to EYCD’s Development Outreach and Communications strategy by writing program success stories and sharing information on USAID/Uganda’s education program with audiences in Uganda and the United States.

Representation to the Government of Uganda, Other Donors, and Stakeholders (15% of time)

• The Senior Basic Education Specialist establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with a wide range of partners and stakeholders including central and decentralized levels of the MOES, other donors, and private sector and NGO representatives working to improve education in Uganda. The incumbent serves as a basic education technical specialist and shares responsibility with the Basic Education Team Lead in representing EYCD on various external education committees and with internal USAID stakeholders. S/he will ensure USAID/EYCD’s views and goals regarding basic education are well articulated during various internal and external education fora, including the Education Development Partners, Education Sector Consultative Committee, Education Sector Review, the Basic Education Working Group, other MOES working groups, CDCS integration working groups, and others, including as high as the Permanent Secretary and State Minister for Primary Education levels.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

NOTE:  All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.

• The applicants for the United States US Embassy Project Management Specialist (Basic Education) job opportunity should hold a master’s degree in education or other social science subject. Required.
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in supporting primary education systems reform programs and/or initiatives; including at least three years in strategy development and program management, is required.
• Demonstrated strategic planning, policy dialogue and problem-solving skills on complex bilateral/multilateral and/or public sector programs are required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of state-of-the-art and international best practices in the areas of education policy, administration and financing, programming and/or evaluation is required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the education sector in sub-Saharan Africa, including the range of issues and challenges impeding access to quality basic education is required.
• Demonstrated knowledge in the historical development of education in Uganda including; conditions in primary schools; familiarity with the MOES and its affiliated institutions (the Uganda National Examinations Board, National Curriculum Development Center, etc.); and knowledge of Ugandan basic education systems (i.e.: curriculum design, teacher training, classroom effectiveness, educational management, literacy development and testing and evaluation, etc.) is required.
• Familiarity with education financing models and public education sector initiatives, including multi-donor sector investment programs; substantive skills and experience in quantitative and qualitative methods for measuring basic education outcomes; and knowledge and/or previous experience with early grade reading pedagogy and assessment, including instruction in local languages with a later transition to English.
• Demonstrated skills in conceptualizing programs, policies, plans and developing strategies for their implementation as well as a high degree of managerial, analytical and leadership skills in program management is required.
• Strong negotiation skills are required.
• Demonstrated ability to obtain, analyze, and evaluate a variety of data and information to prepare precise and accurate factual and analytical reports and to make meaningful recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain a wide range of senior level contacts in the public and private sectors.
• Demonstrated ability to work on a team and to form positive and productive working relationships at all levels is required. Excellent writing skills and proficiency in Windows applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) are required.
• Ability and willingness for limited travel within Uganda is required.
• Language Proficiency: Excellent command of written and spoken English, Level IV (fluent).

All those interested in working with the US mission in Kampala should send their applications and strictly adhere to the following:

A typed and hand signed (around Section 6 - Declaration) DS-174 Employment Application for Locally Employed Staff or Family Member

(Click Here; Version Exp. 06/2022).

Offerors are required to complete sections 1 through 6. (Make sure to use additional Work Experience pages (Section 4), if needed, to provide complete work history).

Cover letter (addressed to the USAID Supervisory Executive Officer) clearly indicating the position for which you are applying and describing how you meet the minimum requirements.

Complete curriculum vitae/resume. In order to fully evaluate your application, the resume must include:

Paid and non-paid experience, job title, dates held (month/year). Please specify unpaid or part time work.

Any experience that does not include dates (month/year) will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements. (NOTE: Resume and DS-174 work experience should match.)

Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.

Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job- related honors, awards or accomplishments.

Name and contact information (phone and email) of three (3) professional references. At least one of the references must be a prior or current direct supervisor.

Supplemental [separate] document specifically addressing each QRF as outlined in the solicitation.

Copies of Academic Transcripts

Offers should be in a standard file type such as Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). All should be in one document which should not exceed 10MB.

Submitted offers and documents become the property of USAID and will not be returned.

Submit Application To:

Human Resources Office

By email at [email protected]

NB: Your application will be reviewed if you have fulfilled all the requirements including submission of standard file types such as Microsoft Word (.doc) and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) in a single attachment (No Zipped files, Links or Multiple Attachments) and should not exceed 10MB.

Please clearly indicate the position number and title you are applying for on the DS-174 form.

Closing Date : 15th July 2020