Director – Educational Quality and Assessment Programme

Director – Educational Quality and Assessment Programme

SPC – Secretariat of the Pacific Community

Suva, Fiji

The Director – Educational Quality and Assessment Programme will manage the work of the Educational Quality and Assessment Programme ensuring the delivery of high-quality services to member countries, the region and SPC. The role will be guided by the EQAP Business Plan as endorsed by the CRGA subcommittee known as the PBEQ and the SPC strategic plan.

The key responsibilities of the role include

Strategic planning, policy and programming advice

• Direct and oversee strategic planning to ensure that the work of the division meets the needs of SPC programs, member governments, partners and other clients and stakeholders.
• Provide strategic and high-level technical advice along with leadership to EQAP and SPC (including the senior leadership team), the senior program team, SPC divisions, governments and regional and international partners with respect to planning, policy and programming in education quality and assessment.
• Lead the development of EQAP’s business plans, annual work plans, monitoring and evaluation plans, strategies and policies.

Leadership and people management

• Ensure a positive working environment that is conducive to intra-divisional collaboration and quality work outputs and outcomes. Support and promote health, safety and staff well-being.
• Participate and contribute in the SPC Senior Leadership Team.
• Manage the overall financial resources including the divisional budget, donor reporting processes in line with project and program management requirements.

Program management

• Provide overall leadership in the delivery of EQAP services to member countries, with an emphasis on support for the improvement of educational quality.
• Set and monitor standards of accountability for outputs from sections within EQAP to maintain and build the reputation and credibility of EQAP as the regional entity for education quality.
• Ensure growth and development of EQAP in line with SPC, regional and member priorities.

Stakeholder engagement and Relationship Management

• Evolve and expand the partnership between MFAT, DFAT and EQAP in alignment with the funding design aligned to EQAP’s business plan and programs priorities.
• Oversee the preparation of project and program proposals designed to secure funding that supports initiatives intended either directly or indirectly to improve educational quality (i.e., PacREF).
• Represent SPC and EQAP effectively at national, regional and international forums / other meetings as required.

Provide support to Senior Leadership of SPC

• Contribute to SPC Senior Leadership Team in development of corporate policy and plans.
• Participate in and provide effective contribution to DDG Suva Technical Leaders meeting and SLT meetings as required.
• Provide leadership in support of achieving SPC strategic and operational goals and priorities

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in an educational field covered by the EQAP mandate.

Technical expertise

• At least 10 years of teaching experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in: State/national or international assessment and at least one of:
  • State/national curriculum development or
  • teacher training or
  • educational policy development.
• At least 10 years of demonstrated senior management experience, including in personnel, project and financial management.
• Wide knowledge of education particularly in educational assessment as well as in the other fields covered by the EQAP mandate.
• Extensive management experience at a state or national level within an education assessment system.
• Highly developed leadership and planning skills.
• Demonstrated ability to network, communicate and represent effectively at national, regional and international levels.
• Knowledge of key global and regional frameworks and plans for education.
• Cross-cultural skills and the ability to work with team members from different cultural backgrounds.

Language skills

• Excellent English communication skills (oral and written) with a working knowledge of French being an advantage.
• Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness
• Cross-cultural skills and the ability to work with team members from different cultural backgrounds.

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