Early Grade Reading Specialist – Consultant Full-Time

Cambridge Education is seeking qualified candidates for a Reading Specialist to provide technical guidance and quality assurance for an early grade reading project in Mozambique.

Ajuda de Desenvolvimento de Povo para o Povo (ADPP) and Cambridge Education are partners in Planet Aid’s Food for Knowledge project, funded by the US Department of Agriculture under the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.

In addition to school feeding, nutrition, agriculture, and other related activities, the Food for Knowledge project aims to help improve the reading abilities of students in the early primary grades by enhancing reading instruction in two national languages, Changana and Rhonga, in targeted rural primary schools in four districts of Maputo province.

Job Description

The Reading Specialist provides technical support and quality assurance of literacy program activities and work products to improve early grade reading instruction in the schools. Activities include design, development, and revision of grades 1, 2, and 3 teaching and learning materials, support in planning and delivery of teacher training and coaching initiatives, student assessment, and field observation. S/he must have expertise in early grade reading with the ability to mentor and build the capacity of a diverse team of professionals in Mozambique.

There are no requirements as to where the consultant is based, and the level of effort is flexible. Ideally, the Reading Specialist would travel to Mozambique at least four times per year, with each trip ranging between 2-4 weeks in duration.
The consultant will also be required to provide some project support remotely, although it is estimated that 75% of work will be conducted in Mozambique.
The estimated duration of the position is 12 months.

Candidate Specification

• A Master’s Degree in education, early literacy or a relevant field is required.
  A PhD is preferred.
• Experience in providing technical guidance to program staff in early grade reading material development, teacher professional development, teacher and classroom supervision and monitoring, and student assessment initiatives.
• Familiarity with USAID tools and methodologies to improve reading outcomes.
• Experience in sub-Saharan Africa is highly desired, and prior experience in Southern or Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa or Mozambique is preferred.
• Prior proven experience with the development and implementation of evidence-based early grade reading materials, and preferably early grade reading materials in local languages, training programs, classroom monitoring protocols, and tests and assessments, including EGRA, is required.
• Demonstrated ability to work with host government and other relevant partners in central and/or local government settings.
•  Leadership skills, including ability to guide collaborative decision-making processes with various stakeholders.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organization skills with a demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in teams.
• Language: The candidate must be professionally proficient in written and spoken Portuguese and English. Working knowledge of a Mozambican language or other Bantu language is preferred, but not required.

Mott MacDonald Inc, trading as Cambridge Education, is an equal opportunity employer.
We value diversity at our company and do not discriminate.
We take positive steps to create an inclusive culture.

About the Organization

Cambridge Education are part of the Mott MacDonald Group. The Mott MacDonald Group is a uniquely diverse £1 billion global management, engineering and development consultancy, which delivers leading edge solutions for clients across 12 core business areas. As one of the world’s largest employee owned companies, we have more than 170 offices in 43 countries and employ 14,500 important people.