Education Specialist

Organization: Right To Play Ethiopia

Department/Division: Program Quality

Reports to: Country Director

Work Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Authorized to work in: Ethiopia (Eligible to work legally without work visa sponsorship)

Target Hiring Range: Local salary scale applies (Grade 8). Hiring range and benefits will be shared with applicants as part of the recruitment process. Please note that this is a national position, and salary will be paid in local currency.

Target Start Date: As soon as possible

Contract Duration: Full-time, one-year contract with possibility of renewal based on performance and availability of funding

Application Closing Date: November 17, 2025

ABOUT US:

We reach millions of children each year in some of the most difficult places on earth, helping them to stay in school and learn, overcome prejudice, heal from trauma, and develop the skills they need to thrive. We do this by harnessing play, one of the most fundamental forces in a child’s life, to teach children the critical skills they need to dismantle barriers and embrace opportunities, in learning and in life.

Established in 2000, Right To Play reaches children through experiential programming in 14 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. These programs are supported by our global offices in Toronto, Canada; London, UK and seven national offices across Europe and North America.

OUR CULTURE:

• Accept Everyone – Be intentional about inclusion
• Make Things Happen – Seek opportunities to lead and innovate
• Display Courage – Act with integrity
• Demonstrate Care – Look after yourself and one another
• Be Playful – Have fun at work

Please visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we do and watch this video to find out about the five pillars of our Culture Code.

ROLE SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Country Director, the Education Specialist will be responsible for providing technical advice and guidance on the development and implementation of education programs in line with the Country Strategic Plan and Right To Play’s global theory of change. You will work to integrate Right To Play’s methodologies into the system level education planning and delivery, the curriculum of provincial and national boards/agencies, as well as the activities of Right To Play’s strategic and implementing partners. This includes developing materials and resources as necessary, in collaboration with the Global Program Quality and Impact (PQI) team, Global Education Specialist and other internal relevant stakeholders. You will also provide technical input to the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist/Officer on the development of education-related performance measurement frameworks, baseline assessments and evaluations. You will play a leadership role in policy engagement with external stakeholders. You will also be responsible for analyzing education related results from Right To Play’s interventions and bringing innovative knowledge to organizational approaches.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

1. Program planning, implementation and delivery (60% of Time):

• Together with the Program Manager, leads the designs and development of education program strategies in close coordination with the Global PQI team and Global Education Specialist to ensure alignment with RTP’s global theory of change.
• Leads technical planning and monitoring of RTP’s education program(s) in line with the Country Strategic Plan, the Ministry of Education plans, and donor requirements.
• Supports the Program Manager in developing education focused project proposals and concept notes for new projects.
• Identifies and develops new partnerships with education-focused NGOs, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and communities.
• In coordination with Program Manager, the MEL Specialist and program staff ensures that issues of gender equality, inclusion, child protection and safeguarding, accountability, risk and vulnerability are addressed and monitored throughout all education programs.
• Leads in developing curricula and resources for basic education programs (pre-primary and primary) as needed, working in collaboration with the Global Education Specialist.
• Builds networks with other Education Specialists in the region to support cross-learning with other RTP country programs in the region.
• Stays abreast of new developments and opportunities to develop new initiatives to improve education outcomes for children in the country.
• Provides technical leadership on the procurement and/or development of appropriate teaching and learning materials, training manuals and education resources.
• Develops and promotes support-materials for incorporating activity-based learning methods for teachers.
• In close coordination with the Program Staff, conducts need assessments in support of designing training for education departments, teachers and Education District Officers, and RTP strategic and implementing partners, where applicable.
• Works closely with teacher training and curriculum development institutions to integrate RTP methodology into curriculum, textbooks and classroom teaching.
• Regularly develops lessons learned and best practices and shares them with the programs team, relevant stakeholders, ensuring that program lessons are being used to promote improved program delivery.
• Collaborates with the MEL Specialist/Officer (MELS/O) to develop appropriate systems, tools and procedures for the monitoring and evaluation of education programs.

2. Representation, advocacy and policy engagement (25% of Time):

• In close coordination with the Program Manager and the Country Director, leads RTP’s advocacy and policy effort in the education sector by participating in national coordination forums as applicable national strategic planning for the education sector, relevant technical working groups and other key coordination platforms.
• Represents RTP in various platforms and maintains positive relationships with governments and other relevant stakeholders regarding RTP activities.
• Regularly updates stakeholder analysis for the education sector and ensures that RTP is engaging with and is visible to the most influential actors in the sector.
• Coordinates research and advocacy interventions related to the program at national and international level, using data from school-level interventions to advocate for national-level policy development/implementation, in close coordination with the MEL Specialist/Officer.
• Leads and develops RTP’s analysis and best practices in education programming in the country and disseminates through documents and position papers with education stakeholders and within RTP at the regional and global levels.
• Provides technical inputs to regional and global strategies, policies and resources related to education programming to ensure that country experience and realities are well-reflected.

3. Capacity building support (10% of Time):

• Ensures that country staff are properly supported with the technical knowledge and skills necessary to deliver education program interventions.
• Conducts regular visits to the field to provide technical support to program teams.

4. Perform other duties as assigned (5% of Time)

WHAT YOU’LL GET:

The opportunity to collaborate with an innovative global team who are passionate about working with children and youth. You will gain experience working for a globally recognized organization with a healthy culture premised on our Culture Code (accept everyone, make things happen, display courage, demonstrate care and be playful). You will be immersed in an environment where learning and development is encouraged and valued, and “play” is appreciated as a core avenue to building community.

• Competitive salary and benefits (e.g. medical and life insurance, transportation allowance)
• 20 paid vacation days per year
• 3 personal days per year
• 5 personal learning and development (L&D) days per year
• Maternity/paternity/parental leave top up and support
• Annual learning week
• Annual staff recognition awards
• Opportunity to connect with employees across our offices (e.g. Facebook Workplace)
• Opportunity to engage in global projects and initiatives
• Wellness programs
• Playful activities and events

EDUCATION/TRAINING/CERTIFICATION:

• Master’s degree in Education or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience

EXPERIENCE:

• 5 years’ experience implementing and providing technical guidance on basic education programs and liaising with government officials
• Proven experience in project planning, report writing, networking, partnership-building and working with NGOs
• Significant experience in designing and delivering training and/or the development of education materials and resources
• Experience managing direct reports

COMPETENCIES/PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Superior organizational skills and ability to multi-task on a constant basis
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills to build rapport with staff, partners, government officials, donors and community leaders
• Ability to adapt and work under pressure meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Creative and flexible with problem solving skills
• Demonstrated professionalism and diplomacy
• Ability to represent oneself as an effective Right To Play ambassador to high level officials
• Strategy planning skills for education initiatives
• People management particularly influence management

TECHNICAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

• Understanding of active learning approaches, particularly play-based learning
• Knowledge and understanding of best practices in basic education programs, including technical experience in teacher training and resource and curriculum development
• Understanding of community development processes
• Strong MS Office and program management tools and procedures
• Knowledge and experience with programmatic approaches related to life skills or social emotional learning
• Knowledge and experience in education research, quantitative and qualitative methods
• Experience in teacher training and experience in coaching

LANGUAGES:

• Fluency in spoken and written English
• Fluency in spoken and written local language

BONUS IF YOU’LL BRING (NOT ESSENTIAL):

• Experience in strengthening civil society organisations
• Experience in coaching
• Knowledge/experience in child protection, gender mainstreaming and/or governance
• Knowledge of adult learning
• Knowledge of international donors