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Education Specialist, Project to Reduce Child Labor in Agriculture in Mexico

The Education Specialist (ES) will provide leadership in developing high-quality vocational training and education interventions for the Project to Reduce Child Labor in Agriculture in Mexico. Leading interventions to increase access to quality education and vocational training, as well as working closely with public schools to improve learning outcomes are key components of this position. Additionally, he/she will be responsible for understanding and implementing programs that address the special educational needs of youth removed from hazardous working conditions when they enter/return to school or are provided with alternative education services. Position is contingent upon receipt of donor funding.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The Education Specialist will oversee the implementation of the program’s education activities and coordinate reporting requirements. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:
  • Assessment of existing education system.
  • Managing and leading school assessments.
  • Developing vocational training and/or education interventions including student assessment, teacher training, educational materials/curriculum development, educational management, educational monitoring and information systems, and labor market analysis.
  • Managing project interventions that focus on issues related to vocational training and secondary education, including access to higher education.
  • Developing community-driven systems for identifying and enrolling into school, or vocational training programs for adolescents, child laborers or those at risk of child labor.
  • Designing and delivering teacher training on curricula as well as child labor awareness and special education needs of withdrawn and at-risk child laborers.
  • Designing and delivering a community child labor awareness and prevention campaigns.
  • Participating in community mobilization to implement and design Community Actions Plans (CAPs) to address exploitative child labor and to provide livelihood services to households.
  • Designing interventions for increasing government action to prevent child labor and improve education alternatives for youth aged 15-17.
  • Managing staff in the field and overseeing education activities such coordination with scholarship programs, cash transfer programs and school improvement initiatives.
  • Serving as Deputy Project Director, assisting the Project Director with administrative and personnel management.
  • Other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education:
Bachelor’s degree required (master’s degree preferred) in education, specialized education, gender studies, international development, and/or other related fields.
Work Experience:
Required:
  • Minimum of three years of experience in a leadership position responsible for developing education interventions and the technical aspects related to Winrock’s strategy, including student assessment, teacher training, educational materials/curriculum development, bilingual education, educational management, and educational monitoring and information systems for migrants, as applicable.
  • Experience in managing projects to address issues related to primary and secondary education for migrant populations in rural areas.
  • Understanding of special educational needs of children removed from child labor when they enter/return to school or are provided with alternative education services.
  • Experience working with vulnerable children and their households, preferably in Mexico.
  • Experience working successfully with Ministries of Education and other government agencies, networks of educators, employers' organizations, and trade unions or comparable entities.
Desired:
  • Knowledge of exploitative child labor issues in agricultural settings, and experience in the development of formal, non-formal and vocational education programs for children and youth removed from exploitative child labor and worst forms of child labor.
  • Additional experience with education policy and monitoring and evaluation is an asset.
  • Programmatic experience highly desired in child protection, child labor prevention, workforce development, gender, community mobilization, youth employment, and/or public health issues.
  • Experience with U.S. Dept. of Labor (USDOL) or other donor-funded programs to reduce child labor and address youth employment is desirable.
Skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills in Spanish and English required; knowledge of indigenous language relevant to targeted beneficiaries is desired.