Early Childhood Development Specialist

Location: African Center for Early Childhood Development, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Supported by: Van Leer Foundation

Duration: 12 months (renewable based on performance and funding)

Start Date: October 10, 2025

Background

The African Center for ECD is envisioned as a leading institution that provides strategic leadership, promotes best practices, supports research and quality assurance, and delivers training in the field of ECD. The Center is expected to be at the forefront of exploring and adopting innovative approaches to advance early childhood development across Africa. It will play a key role in generating and disseminating knowledge, while building the necessary expertise to support systems strengthening and policy development.

The Center envisions to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange, bringing together professionals from diverse disciplines and offering shared resources to strengthen the ECD ecosystem in Ethiopia and beyond. It will serve as a hub for promoting integrated, multisectoral ECD policies and programs, and for advancing a government-led approach to ensuring equitable access to quality ECD services.

Its work focuses on four strategic areas:

1. Serving as a knowledge hub for ECD in Ethiopia and the continent
2. Closing research and innovation gaps
3. Building the capacity of the ECD workforce
4. Promoting quality standards in ECD programs

To support the work of the African Center for ECD, the Van Leer Foundation is contributing to strengthening its capacity in early childhood development with a particular focus on play-based learning. As part of this collaboration, the Van Leer Foundation and the African Center for ECD are jointly seeking an Early Childhood Development expert who can bring deep experience and insight into play-based approaches and help advance the Center’s strategic goals in this area.

This position aims to strengthen the capacity of the African Center for ECD in play-based learning and evidence based ECD strategies.

Objectives of the Assignment

• To promote and integrate neuroscience-informed, play-based approaches into ECD policy, practice, and research in Addis Ababa and across Ethiopia.
• To support knowledge generation, dissemination, and capacity building in the field of ECD.
• To further strengthen the existing work of the Center, helping to establish it as a regional thought leader and technical advisor on play and brain development in early childhood for Ethiopia and across the Africa region.

3. Key Responsibilities

Research & Knowledge Generation

• Co-lead with Research Lead research papers on play-based learning and neuroscience in Ethiopian contexts.
• Design and implement research studies or evaluations in collaboration with academic and policy partners including working with behaviour change specialist for behaviour change research.
• Develop policy briefs, technical notes, and knowledge products for diverse audiences.

Capacity Building & Technical Support

• Provide technical assistance to government, NGOs, and academic institutions on integrating play-based approaches, ECD and caregiver wellbeing into ECD programs.
• Organize and facilitate workshops, webinars, and training sessions for practitioners and policymakers and for fellow Center staff.
• Mentor junior researchers and fellows at the Center. .

Advocacy & Strategic Engagement

• Represent the Center in regional and international forums.
• Build strategic partnerships with universities, ministries, development agencies and ECD networks both in Ethiopia, regionally and internationally.
• Contribute to the development of regional frameworks and guidelines on play-based learning.

Communication & Dissemination

• Collaborate with communications teams to produce engaging content (videos, blogs, briefs) based on latest evidence on ECD, play and caregiver wellbeing.
• Inform the development of a regional knowledge hub or digital platform for ECD.

4. Deliverables

• Two peer-reviewed publications submitted within 12 months.
• At least three capacity-building events conducted on play and caregiver wellbeing.
• Technical support provided to at least two initiatives either municipal, regional and/or country-level.
• Quarterly progress reports and a final synthesis report.
• Contributions to local and regional ECD knowledge products and advocacy campaigns.

6. Reporting & Supervision

• The specialist will report jointly to the Van Leer Foundation’s Africa Regional Representative and the Chief Program and Research Office of African Center for Early Childhood Development.
• Regular coordination meetings and performance reviews will be held quarterly.

5. Qualifications

• Master’s degree along with additional relevant experience in early childhood development, planning, social policy, social science, or related field.
• Excellent knowledge of Early Years development in relation to health, early education, childcare, social protection, parents’ wellbeing and equity.
• Seven or more years of relevant and practical experience with a focus on play-based learning, including considerable experience in working with or for city governments and/or non-profit institutions.
• Experience working in African contexts and with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills in Amharic, English and additional local language is a plus