Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The goal of my Community of Practice is to help eradicate poverty of young children and their families. There is a great need to end poverty here in America. However, an even greater need lies in other countries.

The three organizations that peaked my interest and I would like to learn more about are;

Save the Children- Save the Children is an amazing organization that works to help children and their families all over the world with food, shelter and good health. They assist children in times of crisis as in many ways as well as assisting child development centers in providing quality care for children from all walks of life. Save the Children gives children in the United States and around the world what every child deserves – a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When disaster strikes, we put children's needs first. We advocate for and achieve large-scale change for children (Save the Children, 2011).

There are 85 job opportunities available in many different capacities of the Save the Children organization located here in the United States and abroad.

The position that I am interested in is the Advisor, Basic Education and Literacy.

Job Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in education, child development, international development, or other related field
• 10+ years program experience in education; significant experience working with educators and education systems in sub-Saharan Africa, preferred
• Experience in program design and proposal development, including private and public donors.
• Strong proposal writing skills
• French speaker highly preferred
• Ability to travel up to 40% of the time

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. I share the same vision as UNICEF because I believe children thrive when their basic needs are met and it is important to provide them with all of their needs so that that infant mortality rates decrease as well as child poverty (UNICEF, n.d.).
I would be interested in working on what they refer to as a Talent Group which is very similar to a Community of Practice because it is a group of people with different specialized focuses that work together towards a common goal.

Job Qualifications: Vary depending upon the area of expertise one brings to the table.

Academy for Educational Development – Founded in 1961, the Academy for Educational Development is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to solving critical social problems and building the capacity of individuals , communities, and institutions to become more self-sufficient. AED works in all the major areas of human development, with a focus on improving education, health, and economic opportunities for the least advantaged in the United States and developing countries throughout the world (Academy for Educational Development, 2011). This organization is very relevant to the focus of my Community of Practice in their efforts to eradicate poverty through educational development on many levels (AED,2011).

The position I would be interested in would be Technical Advisor I, Child Protection, Care and Wellbeing through Economic Strengthening.

The Technical Advisor will take a leading role in the design and assessment of the two field projects, as well as in carrying out desk-based and field research to develop guidance on household-targeted economic strengthening. The role requires technical and programmatic expertise in child protection, particularly the reintegration of separated children into families (e.g., street children, institutionalized children, children separated during an emergency, former child soldiers), and in providing technical assistance, capacity building, and training to donors, practitioners and other organizations (Academy for Educational Development, 2011).

Job Qualifications:
• PhD or Master’s degree in international development, economics, social sciences, or a related field
• Successful candidates in this role typically have 12+ years of total experience, with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in child protection programming. Experience with child reintegration into households desired.
• Significant programmatic experience in or demonstrated knowledge of household-level interventions to address social protection and/or economic strengthening. Demonstrated understanding of issues and programming approaches related to strengthening household capacities to provide adequate care and protection for vulnerable children.
• Experience working in or deep understanding of multi-sectoral interventions, especially those incorporating economic strengthening, is highly desired.
• Experience in research management or project management would be valuable in this role.
• Strong analytical, writing, and representational skills are critical for this position.
• Willingness to engage in ongoing learning about new approaches and technical areas outside of core expertise areas, including actively pursuing training and informal learning opportunities.
• Ability to manage projects, set realistic priorities and plan for the successful implementation of activities.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, and strong intercultural communication skills. Fluency in French is a plus.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to coordinate diverse stakeholders to achieve common objectives.
• Experience working in developing countries, especially in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Relevant computer software skills (including, at a minimum, the standard applications in MS Office).


References:
Academy for Educational Development. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aed.org/en/index.htm
Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/