Job Details

Job Description

VVOB – education for development is an international non-profit organisation with over 40 years’ experience in strengthening the quality of education systems in Africa, Asia and South America in close partnership with ministries of education and their institutions. Our head office is based in Brussels, Belgium.

We implement our programmes and projects with one shared passion: to ensure the improvement of quality education.
Do you share our ambition to ensure that learners around the world can enjoy their fundamental human right to quality education, without exception?
Are you convinced as well that quality education guarantees equal opportunities for everyone and is the key to a better world?

We are seeking a Strategic Education Advisor with expertise in research and learning to join our team in Lusaka, Zambia.

You will:

• Lead the research and learning agenda across our projects actively promote evidence-based learning. You identify relevant research domains related to the country’s VVOB programme and ensure a good execution from start to finish. This includes monitoring and analysing policy trends, formulating learning agendas for VVOB’s projects in Zambia, liaising with internal and external partners to align the learning agenda with strategic priorities and strengthening VVOB’s monitoring tools and systems as well as improving dissemination methods and documentation structures.
• Advise in the construction of correspondent log frames and indicators and instruments for data collection, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and you assist in and improve the M&E processes. This involves providing technical support to the MEAL team and streamlining M&E processes and tools.
• Build and maintain a strong network with research partners in the development sector. This includes promoting VVOB in Zambia’s research agenda among relevant partners, supporting in managing partnerships with government and implementing organisations and representing VVOB in conferences.
• Support in reporting on ongoing projects and the formulation of new projects, including proposal writing from an evidence-based perspective, supporting the design of new projects to contain robust mechanisms for M&E, research and learning.
• Work with the Country Management Team, Education Advisors, project staff, and consortium partners to strengthen staff and government capacity for quality research and learning.
• Stay updated on policy trends, research and international best practices through networking.
• Collaborate with Strategic Education Advisors regionally and globally to advance VVOB’s Learning Unlimited. strategy and develop new initiatives.

Your expertise and experience

• Master’s degree in research, demography, education, human sciences, or another relevant field or equivalent.
• At least five years of relevant working experience including at least two years international working experience.
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of research, monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Experience in supporting research, monitoring, evaluation and learning in developing countries.
• Knowledge, experience and understanding of foundational learning projects is desired.
• Strong understanding of qualitative and quantitative methodologies is an asset.
• Experience with evidence-informed project management in education.
• Experience with change management and capacity strengthening processes in the context of research and learning.
• Ability and willingness to travel within Zambia for short periods of time.
• Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Office.
• Proficiency in English (CEFR level C1) is essential.