University Partnerships Senior Manager/Senior Technical Advisor

About IREX:

IREX is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $100 million, work in more than 100 countries worldwide with offices in 20 countries, and a global staff of 600.

Summary of Position:

IREX seeks qualified University Partnerships Senior Manager/Senior Technical Advisor candidates for an anticipated USAID-funded early grade education activity in Jordan. This five-year activity will aim to advance national efforts to strengthen the caliber of pre- and in-service teacher education and improve Kindergarten through Grade Three foundational and socio-emotional skills across the Kingdom of Jordan. Based in Amman, the University Partnerships Senior Manager/Senior Technical Advisor will build effective working relationships with stakeholders at selected public universities and facilitate communication between universities and the Government of Jordan.

This position is contingent on funding. Citizens of Jordan or permanent residents with work authorization strongly encouraged to apply.

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Cultivate effective working relationships with key stakeholders at selected public universities and with the Government of Jordan.
• Supervise all technical assistance provided to partner universities under this project.
• Work with partner universities to assess their current performance against good practice and identify target growth areas in the area of pre-service teacher training.
• Together with IREX’s partners, support universities to identify and put in place resources and policies to strengthen pre-service instruction.
• Collaborate with IREX team members and partner universities to design and implement targeted recruitment campaigns for each university’s pre-service teacher education program.
• Support partner universities to plan, develop curriculum and resources for, and implement their own pre-service teacher education programs.
• Manage project’s partners, including oversight of technical deliverables.
• Supervise coordinators who will provide technical and logistical support to the program.
• Represent the project publicly.
• Includes travel throughout Jordan.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Citizenship of Jordan or permanent residency with work authorization required.
• A Master’s degree and a minimum of 10 years of experience building productive multi-stakeholder partnerships, preferably in the education sector; or a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with an additional three years of experience.
• Must demonstrate an excellent track record of achieving results in building institutional capacity and performance in the education sector, preferably in early grade education pre- and in-service teacher training.
• Knowledge of the pre-service teacher training landscape in Jordan.
• Experience with international donor-funded development projects, particularly in Jordan and/or other Middle Eastern countries, desired.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication, interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, relationship building skills, and the ability to work cooperatively with team members, partner organizations, and stakeholders from government and education sectors.
• Fluency in Arabic and English required, including strong writing skills.
• Strong computer skills and proven track record in the advanced use of modern communications tools, internet, email, social media, and teleconferences.
• Detail-oriented with ability to multitask and adjust priorities in a fast-paced working environment in order to adhere to strict deadlines.
• Demonstrated leadership, integrity, and versatility.