Ark-Education Jobs 2018

EPG and has agreed on an exciting new, multi-year programme with Ghana’s Ministry of Education (MOE) to support their efforts to design, pilot, and evaluate a public-private partnership initiative to improve school quality at the primary and secondary levels.  We are looking for an Accra-based Project Manager to help us deliver this programme.  The Project Manager would work closely with EPG’s global team, based in London, and liaise regularly with MOE counterparts to coordinate EPG’s technical expertise and help ensure the success of the programme.

Job Description

Job Title: Project Manager – Ghana 

About Ark’s Education Partnerships Group

Education systems the world over are failing to give disadvantaged children the learning opportunities and outcomes they need to succeed in life. Ark, a nonprofit network of publically-funded academy schools in the UK, was launched in 2006 to address this challenge by transforming failing public schools into successful, government-funded academy schools serving disadvantaged children across the country.

The Education Partnerships Group (EPG) is a non-profit consulting team set up within Ark in 2014 to help governments in low – and middle-income countries deliver quality education to all children. EPG focuses on improving services and accountability in public education systems that operate in mixed market models that include both state and non-state school providers. EPG provides policy advice, analytic and technical services, and design and implementation support to national and sub-national governments, drawing on evidence, operational research, and evaluation to inform domestic and global policy, practice, and financing.  EPG’s support to countries also draws on Ark’s own experience in running high quality academies in the UK.

EPG has active and growing public-private partnership and school accountability engagements in South Africa, Uganda, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, and India, and is growing a pipeline of opportunities in other countries in Africa and Asia.

The Role

Ark EPG is looking for high quality candidates with entrepreneurial drive, deep experience, and a proven track record of working with government counterparts in education policy areas, using a high degree of technical knowledge and evidence.

Indicative responsibilities

• Nurturing and strengthening EPG’s relationships with senior level representatives of the MOE and Ghana Education Service (GES) as well as other government technical leads
• Providing technical knowledge and support to the MOE on the programme’s work streams, and strengthening the capacity of key MOE staff
• Taking responsibility for day to day project oversight, including developing and implementing programme plans and budgets, providing monitoring and reporting on progress, and managing risks
• Delivering on-the-ground oversight of technical resources from recruitment through contracting, delivery and close out (e.g. survey firms, etc.)
• Representing Ark EPG at relevant in-country meetings and communicating progress with EPG’s global team
• Building and deepening education networks in Ghana: within government, the non-state education sector, and relevant stakeholders in civil society
• Keeping up to date with relevant policy debates in Ghana both within government and in the relevant social and broadcast media
• Supervise the district research, and coordinate with the in country research team.
• Facilitating visits of UK staff and providing briefings to key EPG stakeholders

 Requirements

Essential requirements for the candidate are:

• At least a bachelor’s degree
• Significant experience in managing complex, multi-component projects in education
• Experience dealing with various stakeholders in the education sector; experience of working with government bodies and/or advising policy a strong advantage
• Familiarity with the design and implementation of rigorous external evaluations
• Excellent project management skills, as demonstrated by the ability to set and achieve clear objectives and deadlines to meet deliverables.
• Excellent prioritization and time management skills with strong attention to detail
• Excellent writing and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated strong organizational skills. Ability to handle multiple tasks, reprioritizing tasks where necessary.
• Proven track record of advising and influencing policy and practice
• Extensive networks in Ghana, including with the MOE and/or development partners and civil society
• The ability to work independently under remote management

To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter via our online application portal by 11am on the 10^th March 2018