Associate Head - Ethiopia

ABOUT STIR EDUCATION 

We are an international NGO that supports education systems to reignite intrinsic motivation so that every child, teacher and official is motivated to learn and improve. At a practical level, that means we support governments to reignite intrinsic motivation in teachers and local officials, through teacher networks. Our vision is a world where teachers love teaching and children love learning. Since 2012 we have reached 200,000 teachers and 6 million children across 70 districts in India and Uganda and have recently launched our programme in two districts in East Java, Indonesia.

OUR MODEL 

We achieve this through a five-year learning partnership with an education system, where we align all levels of the education system (officials, teachers and children) around the goal of increasing intrinsic motivation.

Practically, this means that teachers undergo monthly network meetings with about 20 to 30 local peers. Through these meetings they’re supported to develop their practice in areas ranging from effective questioning to creating warm but orderly classroom routines – all designed to create a more effective relationship between the teacher and child. In doing so they develop a sense of autonomy (the sense they can change things), mastery (sense of getting better as a professionals) and purpose (reconnecting emotionally with their peers and students) – the key drivers of intrinsic motivation.

District officials undergo a training and coaching programme that motivates and supports them to prioritise, run and monitor the teacher networks and a close partnership with the state or national government enables the government to align this intrinsic motivation approach within their priorities, structures and systems.

The approach is run by the government from day one and after about five years of partnering with an education system we hope to have embedded a culture of improvement at all levels for the system to continue to strengthen itself. We typically allocate one member of our own staff per district to train, energise and coach the district officials running the approach, and a small team at the national or state level.

OUR VALUES 

How we approach our work is as important as what we do, and our core values guide the way: Humility – We don’t have all the answers upfront.

Ownership – We empower each other with high expectations & support.

Openness – We will listen, learn and improve, and lead through obstacles.

Purpose – We’re united by a shared vision we’ll build & achieve together.

THE OPPORTUNITY - ASSOCIATE HEAD

STiR is seeking to select an Associate Head (AH) for the Ethiopia programme, based in Addis Ababa or Sodo. The Associate Head (AH) role presents an opportunity for the right candidate to create a lasting impact on education in Ethiopia. This role will drive the process of building a shared vision with the Ethiopian education stakeholders at national, regional, and zonal level, as well as other key stakeholders central to the success of the programme implementation. This role will be responsible for the expansion of the programme across Ethiopia and oversee its quality implementation; and ensure a collaborative culture of excellence is built within the programmes team and across teams in the organisation.

The role is based in Addis Ababa/ Sodo and will report to STIR’s Senior Director for Programme Delivery (SDPD), with about 20% travel to the field for programme monitoring and team support.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

DEVELOP A CLEAR SHARED VISION FOR STIR IN ETHIOPIA ALONG WITH THE GOVERNMENT

• Build a clear and shared vision and robust plan for STiR in Ethiopia by working closely with internal team supported by the SDPD.

• Ensure buy-in from senior government leaders in the MOE and at regional and zonal levels and build demand for a sustainable approach towards programme implementation
• Working with the Senior Manager for Design and Programme Readiness, enable contextualising of the programme delivery and model as per MOE and region’s dynamics and structures, while keeping STiR’s vision and mission inalienable throughout
• Strengthen government relationships at each level by being aware of trends and challenges in government and being in regular contact with the key stakeholders for sharing learning and brainstorming etc.

ACT AS AN AMBASSADOR FOR STIR WITH FUNDERS AND PARTNERS

• Map the potential landscape, key players and influencers in the state, from government, non-profits, academics, development partners, foundations etc., and develop a plan of engagement to achieve a shared vision that is aligned with STiR's.
• Support STIR’s fundraising efforts in Ethiopia, actively seeking new funders and supporting proposals.
• Build relationships and partnerships with key players in the education sector in Ethiopia such as the Ethiopian Teacher’s association, UNICEF, Link Education, FCDO and the World Bank.
• Champion STiR effectively with messages suitably tailored to the country
• Contribute to discussions around teacher professional development and system strengthening with a focus on intrinsic motivation and sustainable behaviour change
• Pitch and present STiR’s work in an impactful manner with potential funders, at conferences and public events in consultation with/ guidance from the SDPD and the Donor Partnerships Team.
• Ensure the experiences (stories and case studies) of the Woreda Leads and are shared and used in representing STiR; actively provide opportunities for the team to represent the org externally

PROGRAMME LEADERSHIP

• Line management responsibility for a small team of Woreda Leads, empowering the team to make decisions and take responsibility for their areas of accountability
• Regularly visit the Woredas to be aware of ground realities and appropriately support the Woreda Leads, district alignment and any other support required
• Ensure the team capabilities and capacities are used fully to deliver quality work and enable further development of strengths
• Role model the organisational values and ensure the team is supported in building a values aligned organisational culture
• Lead by example in both giving and receiving feedback both positive and areas for development
• Understand the gap areas and develop robust plans working with different central functions to set the culture of high expectation

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION

• Closely work with the Design and Programme Readiness, M&E and other functions to ensure effective delivery of programme
• Work with Donor Partnerships team to enable funder visits, planning of sessions and communication to funders, meeting potential funders specific to the state
• Work closely with the People & Culture team to ensure team engagement and development
• Collaborating, cross learning and sharing with teams from other geographies.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Work closely with the Finance team to prepare and own the programme budget; understand the variance and manage the budget accordingly
• Support in building robust processes and systems to ensure that any financial spending is judicious

• Strategically work towards finding solutions that support STiR to be financially sustainable

KEY COMPETENCIES REQUIRED 

• 8-10 years of professional experience with at least 3 years leading programmes across multiple woredas
• Proven experience in setting strategic direction and leading non-profit work in partnership with governments
• Strong delivery focus, 'can-do' attitude, growth mind set and ability to rapidly adapt
• Knowledge and experience of building and nurturing government relationships and collaborating with wide variety of stakeholders
• Experience of managing and developing a team and the ability to lead, motivate and
• develop others
• Experience of fundraising is an advantage
• Strong understanding of the education system and policy framework in Ethiopia
• Creative and critical thinking - from adaptive design to problem-solving
• Have a high level of energy and a commitment to excellence
• Commitment towards STiR’s values
• Ability to work under pressure and solution oriented

• Excellent organization, delegation, performance management, administration, and
• time management skills
• Strong project management skills
• Excellent conceptual and decision-making skills
• Have a high level of drive and energy and a commitment to excellence
• Strong sense of ownership for every deliverable along with developed sense of integrity, humility and discretion

• Strong ability to communicate and develop effective working relationships with all
• stakeholders
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
• Strong personal impact with highly developed communication and influencing skills; ability to build strong relationships and connections with people of all levels of seniority
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Amharic and English

REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS 
Remuneration of ETB 101,124/- per month (ETB 1,213,491/-  per annum) will be paid for your service (subject to relevant taxes) along with Medical Insurance.