Executive Management Specialist, Education Pathways to Peace

Executive Management Specialist, Education Pathways to Peace

Project Overview and Role:

About the Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao (Pathways) Program
Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao (Pathways) is a Philippines-Australia partnership supporting quality inclusive kindergarten to grade 3 education for all children in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The program focuses on early years education as the foundation for life-long learning and development. By engaging and collaborating with a wide range of education stakeholders, promoting peace in education reform, and addressing inequity and disparity in education delivery, the program also contributes to peacebuilding in the region.

Delivered through the Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), activities are directed towards strengthening education policies and institutions, ensuring accessible and inclusive education for all children, providing an integrated education system and curriculum, and improving teacher quality and development.

Pathways is implemented by Palladium in consortium with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and Orient Integrated Development Consultants Inc (OIDCI).

The program’s base of operations is in Cotabato City and covers all five provinces of BARMM.

About the position

The Executive Management Specialist works under the overall guidance of and reports directly to Pathways’ Executive Management. S/he is a versatile professional who can work in a fluid environment with tight deadlines, juggling the requests of various members of the Executive Management. S/he is passionate about development effectiveness and has an eye for streamlining ways of working that lead to better results. S/he is confident and able to work collaboratively with the overall Pathways’ team, including senior advisors, and external counterparts. S/he is well organized and can think on his/her feet. The position reports to the Executive Management.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Child Protection: Level 1
The responsibilities of the project employee do not involve direct contact and working with children separate from people.

The key responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

Contributes to the Pathways Executive Management operating effectively and efficiently while preserving complete discretion in all tasks.
Attends Executive Management meetings, as requested, takes notes, and handles follow-up actions promptly and effectively.
Manages the flow of information from the Executive Management to the appropriate audience and follows through on deadlines and commitments made by various Pathways team-members.
Under the supervision of the Strategic Communications Advisor, drafts speeches and opening remarks for the team leader; prepares presentations for the Executive Management; supports internal communication; and facilitates rapid production of information for various audiences and purposes.
Assists in coordinating meetings with the Executive Management, government officials, partners, and other stakeholders.
Keeps the Executive Management calendar up to date, arranges, prepares, and administratively supports appointments and meetings (including high-profile meetings with program stakeholders such as the Program Steering Committee meeting, other program governance meetings, Monthly Management Dashboard meetings with the Australian Embassy), takes minutes as required, and ensures that arrangements are reflected in the Program Calendar.
Works closely with the Procurement Team to ensure that services such as venue rental, transportation, and other procurement services are organised for meetings initiated by the Executive Management.
Provides high-level partner contact lists and keeps them up to date.
Reviews incoming communication and prepare regular correspondence for the Executive Management’s signature, ensuring delivery and any other follow-up as needed.
Maintains a filing system to ensure the confidentiality of materials.
Responds to any reasonable ad hoc requests from the Executive Management.

Required Qualifications: The Executive Management Specialist should possess the following qualifications, experience, skills, and competencies:

Education related to administration, community development, development studies, primary education, communications, or any other relevant field.
Work experience as an executive officer, office manager, or chief of staff in the international development / INGO sector in the Philippines.
Practical knowledge and understanding of Mindanao’s and BARMM’s political and cultural contexts are essential.
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with people in a cross-cultural and dynamic environment.
Ability to work autonomously and under pressure; flexible professional competent in working in a fast-paced workplace with tight deadlines while managing the requirements of various members.
Exceptional coordination, liaison, and event-organizing skills.
A can-do attitude, well organize, initiative, and the ability to complete a task with minimal supervision.
Good written and oral communication skills in English and Tagalog; fluency in native Bangsamoro languages is an advantage.
Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other commonly used office applications.

Applications close on 15 March 2023.

Important Note:
Along with their CV (maximum 4 pages), interested applicants must submit a written response (2-4 pages only) addressing their suitability for the role as per the qualifications enumerated above.