LITERACY/READING TECHNICAL ADVISOR ACCRA, GHANA

CARE seeks a Literacy/Reading Technical Advisor (LRTA) for an upcoming, four (4) year program in Ghana. This project has a heavy focus on providing technical expertise to the Ghana Education Service in early grade literacy and numeracy for primary school students. The project aims to improve reading skills in 2 million primary students by 2016.

Summary

Responsibilities include working with staff and partners to expand the use of the NALAP (National Literacy Acceleration Program) method and approaches to be used in the early grades. The Literacy/Reading Education Technical Advisor will further provide technical support for the development of a literacy instruction framework with related teacher and student materials in collaboration with the MoE. The Specialist will also provide teacher education support for instructional coaches working teachers to implement the revised curriculum. The assignment is highly technical and managerial, and is designed to provide high-level support for effective local capacity building. The Literacy/Reading Education Technical Advisor will be based in Accra. The Literacy/Reading Technical Advisor reports to the Chief of Party.

Primary Responsibilities

• Works closely with the Chief of Party, Ministry of Education, partners and other stakeholders to develop and operationalize mother tongue literacy and English transition frameworks;
• Assists in the design and implementation of curriculum and instructional pedagogical approaches to improve early literacy in mother tongue and English transition;
• Serves as a top-level advisor to the Ministry of Education on mother tongue literacy instruction particularly for early grades; making recommendations, as needed;
• Collaborates with the other donor implemented projects and partners working on mother tongue literacy in the early primary grades;
• Directs the implementation of related parent or community involvement initiatives in mother tongue literacy skills acquisition in a non-formal environment;
• Designs and implements professional development activities for pre-service and in-service teachers on early grade mother tongue literacy and transition to English instruction;
• Oversees the implementation of mother tongue literacy and transition to English technical aspects of the project;
• Participates in the design and implementation of a continuous assessment program for the target languages.
• The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees with this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of a Master's Degree and ten years of experience in the education sector with deep understanding of scientifically based reading research;
• Knowledge of a balanced literacy framework, early literacy competencies and reading diagnostic measures;
• Continuous assessments on literacy;
• Ability to measure basic foundation skills for literacy in the early grades;
• Knowledge of mother tongue and English transition instruction strategies;
• Expertise in assessing/diagnosing ability to read and comprehend, then recommending appropriative interventions;
• Experience working in the international community;
• Must possess leadership abilities and proven team/interpersonal skills;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively bring the disciplines, functional skills, and experiences of the
• proposed staff to bear on the proposed project;
• The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees with this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Desired Qualifications:

• PhD/EdD degree preferred;
• Familiarity with Ghanaian local languages and at least one other local language preferred.

Position Specifics:

• Number of Positions: 1
• Location: Accra Ghana
• Expected Travel Percentage: 40%
• Schedule: Full-time
• Status: Accompanied
• Anticipated start date: October 2012

Our diversity is our strength; we encourage people from all backgrounds and experiences, particularly women, to apply.

Apply on-line today at: www.care.org/careers

LITERACY/READING TECHNICAL ADVISOR ACCRA, GHANA