JOB DETAILS:
Bantwana Initiative Uganda (BIU) is a Non-Government Organization and its programs focus on the development of high quality, comprehensive Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) service delivery models in the country. BIU brings a significant track record of excellence and innovation in improving access to and quality of integrated OVC care and support and strengthening coordination and harmonization of care, protection and support services for OVC households from community to national level. Learn more at (www.bantwana.or,ug)

As an equal opportunity employer, Bantwana Initiative Uganda. is seeking to hire full-time experienced /qualified persons to fill the following positions below for the anticipated 5-year USAID Uganda Targeting the Learning Crisis (TLC) Activity, which aims to create sustained, measurable improvements in development outcomes in Basic Education through Targeted Instruction (TI) for foundational skills, a learner-centric pedagogy that reorganizes math and reading instruction based on children’s actual learning levels, rather than on the prescribed gradelevel syllabus.

BIU as a consortium partner of the TLC Activity, seeks to implement a cost-effective, sustainable, and impactful programming, centered around evidence-based early childhood education for preprimary years, in order to significantly improve foundational skills and school readiness for Ugandan primary students using a Community Based Early Childhood Education (CBECE) model, in 14 districts of Uganda (7 in Lango sub region and 7 in Busoga sub region).

Please note: The following positions are contingent on approved donor funding.

Position: District Project Officer (DPO) (4 Positions)
Reports to: Regional Coordinator
Duty Station: Lira & Jinja, Regional Offices, Uganda (indicate your preferred duty station

Job Summary:
The District Project Officers (DPO) will be responsible for leading the direct implementation of day-to-day TLC ECE field activities in the targeted districts. S/he will provide technical and administrative support to the Community structures and ECE centers working with TLC to ensure effective and efficient delivery of services to the target beneficiaries, while stimulating learning, team environment and external relationships at the district, sub-county and community level. Working with the OVC partner, the DPO will address bottlenecks/challenges affecting the achievements of TLC ECE service delivery targets across the target districts leading to increased enrolment of 3-5year olds into primary school with pre literacy and numeracy skills. S/he will work closely with the Regional Coordinator, MEL Officer and Finance and Operations Assistant to ensure adherence to BIU and TLC standards and procedures. The DPO will report to the Regional Coordinator.

Key Job Responsibilities and Duties:
• Lead BIU TLC project implementation, monitoring, reporting, developing and maintaining partnerships to meet TLC ECE objectives in the targeted districts.
• Identify opportunities and implement agreed strategies to increase access to high-quality ECE programming for marginalized groups and build referral pathways for successful transition of children to primary school in the TLC target school communities.

• Work closely with other TLC consortium partners, OVC/REAL Father partner staff, and District Local Governments to map targeted beneficiaries/ECE centers and build strong partnerships for comprehensive service delivery to the targeted beneficiaries.

• Provide technical expertise to Community Resource Persons and ECE caregivers on efficient and effective delivery of the Community Based Early Childhood Education (CBECE) model, and handle administrative and supervisory responsibilities.
• Strengthen the capacity of Community Resource Persons, ECE Centers and other key education stakeholders within the targeted districts to integrate gender equity, social and emotional learning and other social inclusion considerations into intervention design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.

• Participate in the development of project annual, quarterly, monthly and weekly work plans and organizing of CBECE review and reflection meetings at district level
• Work with the Regional Coordinator and OVC/REAL Father partner staff to ensure an integral approach during implementation of TLC ECE interventions.

• Ensure relevant targets are met, as well as identifying new initiatives that strengthen and deepen programming to achieve learning outcomes among the 3-5year olds.
• Support timely development and submission of project reports both quarterly and annual progress reports, including documenting all administrative and programmatic activities such as meeting minutes, case studies and day-to-day field level observations.
• Provide mentorship, support supervision and coaching to Community structures and ECE caregivers to enable them deliver the CBECE model to beneficiary households and ECE centers including employing Learning through Play (LtP) age- and developmentally appropriate approaches.

Required Qualifications and Experience
• A bachelor’s degree in Leadership, Management, Education, Social Works and Social Sciences, Community Development, Gender Studies, or any other related degree in Humanities. Additional training in Project Planning and Management is an added advantage.
• Minimum of 4 years progressive experience implementing USG funded or other key Education donor funded projects.

Specific Knowledge, Skills and abilities Required;
• Experience in developing, managing and monitoring high-quality ECE programming for marginalized groups, particularly in community-based early childhood settings, and home-based (parenting) settings.
• Proven experience in applying Learning through Play methodologies is an asset.

• Good understanding of the ECE eco-system including knowledge of contextual barriers to pre-primary education within the targeted districts
• Experience working on consortium projects and collaborating with the private sector to increase service provision marginalized children and communities.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to build personal relationships with staff, TLC consortium partners, OVC/REAL Fathers partner staff and Local Government stakeholders within the targeted districts in a culturally sensitive manner

• Effective oral and written communication skills to make formal and informal presentations as need arises.
• Good understanding of MS Office programs (including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) and Google products (Drive, Gmail, Docs)
• Ability to work in a challenging environment, under high pressure and able to cope with tight deadlines.
• Ability to ride a motor cycle (active permit) and willing to travel frequently to project sites including beneficiary households. Knowledge of one of the key local languages in the targeted districts is desired.

Interested applicants with the required Qualification, Knowledge, Skills, Attributes and Abilities should send their applications and CVs (detailing responsibilities carried out in previous positions) as one pdf to the HR and Admin Officer, Bantwana Initiative Uganda through the following email:
Indicate clearly on the application subject line the position and region applied for easy reference.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Child Safeguarding is the responsibility that Bantwana Initiative Uganda has, to make sure its staff,
operations, and programs do no harm to children, that is, they do not expose children to the risk of harm and abuse, and that any concerns the organization has about children's safety within the communities in which they work, are reported to the appropriate authorities