Sr. Program Officer, Edtech Hub Southeast Asia Regional Lead

Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too.

We have a unique and vibrant culture at R4D. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our work environment and help advance our mission. Diversity—of ideas, identities, perspectives and backgrounds—is vital to who we are and what we do. We seek people who embrace these values and will help reinforce them. Our work culture is collaborative, creative and entrepreneurial. We operate based on trust and respect. Teams across the organization frequently collaborate on programmatic work and support each other in continuously building a better R4D.

EdTech Hub

EdTech Hub is a global research-to-practice program which generates new insights on the use of EdTech in low- and middle-income countries and supports EdTech decision-makers to use those insights.

EdTech Hub’s long-term Country Engagement work consists of technical assistance to governments and their partners in seven focus countries: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. As the Hub’s portfolio of work grows, so has its geographic focus. In partnership with a newly launched FCDO ASEAN program focused on girls’ education, EdTech Hub is increasing its regional engagement and offerings in Southeast Asia.

In addition to engagement by providing direct technical assistance in the region, EdTech Hub will expand the scope of its Helpdesk offer in Southeast Asia, enabling more government decision-makers and their advisers to request real-time support on how to make evidence-based decisions on the use of EdTech. The Helpdesk receives requests from education decision-makers to provide short term technical assistance on questions related to EdTech. The Helpdesk delivers targeted support, such as synthesis of relevant evidence and examples, expert review, workshop facilitation and more, to address requesters’ needs, usually over the course of 1-3 months. In doing so, the Helpdesk bridges the gap between EdTech research findings and practical application, and also serves as a means for the Hub to gather insight into decision-makers’ interests and demands related to EdTech.

Opportunity:

As Regional lead you will draw on your significant expertise in education and EdTech in the Southeast Asia region to serve as Southeast Asia Regional Lead for EdTech Hub.

EdTech Hub’s Country and Regional Leads are responsible for building and managing stakeholder relationships and providing technical assistance by working closely with EdTech Hub’s global network of EdTech specialists. Through this role, EdTech Hub is seeking to build its regional presence in Southeast Asia by offering technical assistance to strengthen the use of technology in a regional programme focused on girls’ education and marginalized children. This will include working with the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat, governments of ASEAN Member States (AMS), ASEAN Secretariat, British Council, the Australian Centre for Educational Research (ACER), UNESCO, and other stakeholders.

EdTech Hub is seeking applicants with strong stakeholder management skills and deep expertise in developing, implementing and/or advising on education policies and programmes in Southeast Asia. Experience working in the following countries would be especially valuable for this role:

Timor Leste

Cambodia

Laos

Indonesia

Vietnam

In addition to direct engagement through technical assistance, the Southeast Asia Regional Lead would also work closely with the Hub’s Helpdesk team, supporting Helpdesk responses related to the region. This could include facilitating Helpdesk response scoping calls to understand education decision-maker needs, providing technical and managerial direction in responding to those needs, conducting quality assurance (QA) reviews of Helpdesk deliverables including overall feedback on early and late-stage drafts, and more generally guiding teams on technical content, format, and length of deliverables.

A successful candidate for this role will have EdTech policymaking, implementation, and/or research experience in the Southeast Asia region. The candidate will have robust in-region networks that they can bring to EdTech Hub’s work in Southeast Asia, as well as a track record of designing, working with partners to launch, and implementing successful development programmes. The role requires empathetic listening to understand partners’ needs, technical expertise in EdTech, and people and program management skills to guide operationalization of the support that decision-makers need. The SPO must be a highly-motivated self-starter, a creative problem solver, have strong analytical, communication, and collaboration skills, and will have a commitment to excellence and producing results. We are a team that is resourceful, responsible, tenacious, high-energy, and always has a positive attitude.

The Regional Lead will have the opportunity to have a significant impact by bringing their experience in education and EdTech to a team that has well-developed mechanisms for supporting decision-makers. You will have the chance to work on a daily basis with colleagues around the world, especially in Africa, South, and Southeast Asia, the US, and the UK.

This position is open to individuals based in Southeast Asia. The position requires willingness and availability to travel regionally within Southeast Asia on a regular basis. The position reports to the Director of Engagement.

Responsibilities

• Developing guidance materials, draft strategies, and related policy advice
• Undertaking research or synthesizing existing evidence on country context and EdTech tools and innovations
• Providing guidance, support, and quality assurance support to Helpdesk response team on delivering responses to Southeast Asia requests
• Facilitating and/or coordinating Helpdesk response scoping calls with local partners
• Develop and facilitate workshops and/or participate in events where key stakeholders (government and development partners) may be present in order to support capacity development and/or program and policy design; these may be virtual or in-person
• Coordinating and collaborating closely with EdTech Hub’s team of 14 country co-leads to provide technical input and expertise, quality assurance reviews, and strategic insight as requested
• Provide internal and external technical and thought leadership by:
• Coordinate and collaborate remotely with EdTech Hub’s global teams and experts, providing leadership and input on activities specific to the region, such as:
• Provide support to the team managing the day-to-day operationalisation of Helpdesk requests from the Southeast Asia region. This may include:
• Overseeing the delivery of technical assistance and products through coordinating workstream and personnel
• Representing EdTech Hub at events, conferences, workshops, and speaking engagements, both in-person (international travel expected) and virtually
• Strengthen EdTech Hub networks and influence in relevant communities at the intersection of ecosystems of research, international development, education, and technology. Manage key partner relationships to build the Hub’s position and credibility in the Southeast Asian region
• Participate fully as a member of R4D by contributing, assisting and participating in projects, activities, and initiatives as requested by management
• Serve as a member of EdTech Hub’s Country/Regional Engagement team, working to ensure alignment between EdTech Hub’s strategic operations and the delivery of its portfolio of work in focus geographies
• Contributing to technical guidance (i.e. good practices in education and EdTech) within EdTech Hub at both the senior leadership and implementation levels
• Producing other knowledge products that help address decision-maker needs and questions on EdTech

Qualifications

• Familiarity with EdTech or ICT in education policymaking; the strengths, limitations and nuances of the EdTech evidence base; and a bird’s eye view of the global ecosystem of EdTech stakeholders, initiatives, and key issues relevant to low- and middle-income countries
• Colleagues would describe you as a strong analyst, dot-connector, strategic thinker, and a thorough, responsive team player who takes initiative
• Ability to deliver high-quality outputs and results within tight timeframes
• Preferred but not required: fluent in languages prevalent in the region, such as Vietnamese, Khmer, Lao, Malay, Burmese, Tagalog, Thai and/or Tetun
• Full professional fluency in written and spoken English
• Exceptional oral & written communications skills
• 7+ years of relevant work experience in the fields of international education and EdTech, at a donor/funder organization, government, EdTech company or implementer, or multilateral organization (such as UNICEF, UNESCO, or World Bank)
• Successful candidates are likely to have the following qualifications:
• Undergraduate/graduate training in international development, education, economics, social sciences or a related field
• Proficiency in Google Suite, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, and Word
• Comfort working with a diverse team of colleagues from many different countries, cultures, and backgrounds
• Excellent project management and problem solving skills

Additionally, we prize people who are:

• Enthusiastic about joining a diverse and inclusive work environment
• Productive, energetic, creative and task-oriented
• Good active listeners and facilitators
• Adept at exchanging constructive feedback
• Equally comfortable and capable working independently and in teams
• Highly collaborative and approachable

Results for Development is an EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled/Affirmative Action Employer committed to fostering

and nurturing an energetic, collaborative and diverse workforce. R4D provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits.