ESSA Job Vacancy For Knowledge & Research Director

• Explore, develop and formulate ESSA’s contribution to collate, create and communicate useful and usable knowledge on Tertiary Education in sub-Saharan Africa, with a specific focus on education and work, as well as to capitalise on it for policy and practice.

• Identify and map existing Tertiary Education digital and non-digital knowledge repositories and networks, analysing their effectiveness to transfer knowledge between stakeholders. Contributions and attempts to closing the gap between research and policy/practice of education are of particular interest

• Shape, on the basis of this comparator analysis, how ESSA can be most impactful; what knowledge is required, how is it made available and who are target audiences

• Develop and implement knowledge transfer plans, effective learning management systems and solid information architecture design at the institutional Tertiary Education level.

• Design and manage a pilot ‘Knowledge Hub’ that has potential for scale. This will be made  available to public and private investors in order to develop a better understanding of the field and harness evidence to inform their decision-making

• Collaborate with national governments and other partners to leverage their funding for both the development and integration of knowledge (public goods) into national Tertiary Education systems

• Work with the ESSA team to capitalize on the knowledge ESSA has already generated. Design, build and manage networks of global communities that can benefit the exchange of knowledge and collaboration to support Tertiary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Providing guidance and support to the ESSA team and partner institutions to understand the spaces they operate in

• Build ESSA’s network of research institutions and researchers, in Africa and beyond

• Lead on ESSA’s current and future programmes that aim to support the visibility and accessibility of African researchers and research on education (please consult the African Education Research Database which has been created in cooperation with the REAL Centre at University of Cambridge) 
  Co-Design and manage other research and knowledge related ESSA initiatives to come

• Support the development and implementation of our monitoring, learning and evaluation plan

Technical skills:

• Blends academic and practical experience and understanding of how to apply and share knowledge, such as in philanthropic organisations

• Strong interest in Africa, and in education and the role it plays in development

• Strong digital understanding and, if possible, experience with the creation and/or the management of online resources, in other words: digitally savvy.

• Understanding of knowledge transfer plans and procedures, effective learning management systems and solid information architecture design

• Proven track record in qualitative research

• Experience in creating, managing and sustaining networks

• Excellent communication skills, diplomatic and credible with senior leaders.  Intellectually rigorous and thrives with ambiguity

Leadership and management:

• Ensures that initiatives and priorities effectively deliver objectives and are aligned with ESSA’s strategic priorities

• Entrepreneurial approach, with the ability to work remotely and succeed in a start-up and globally dispersed working environment 

• Displays resilient and motivational leadership across ESSA

• Collaborates closely with colleagues across all areas of ESSA, contributing essentially to strengthen the organisation.

• Readiness and ability to manage a growing team, as soon as the resourcing situation allows.

• Leads by example, acting as a role model for integrity and fairness, and promoting a culture of opportunity, collaboration, equality and diversity

• Promotes the sharing of expertise and supports learning opportunities across ESSA