Introduction:

STEM is a Global Affairs Canada–funded project which aims to increase the number of Ethiopian men and women with relevant skills and qualifications for work in the mining sector as part of the country’s National Growth and Development Plan (2016-2020). The project’s goals are to strengthen university and technical vocational institution’s capacity to produce skilled and qualified graduates that have relevant technical and environmental skills and knowledge for the mining sector; to improve the instructional capacity of university/TVET instructors; and to ensure that community members, especially women living in and around mining sites have the appropriate skills and abilities to benefit from employment opportunities resulting from mining activities.

STEM invites aspiring and competent applicants for the Higher Education Specialist Position.

Job Summary

 The Higher Education program component is intended to “improve the ability of university degree programs in geology and mining engineering to produce graduates, especially females, that have the environmental and technical knowledge and skills needed by the mining sector in Ethiopia”. The Higher Education (HE) Specialist will work with four selected universities, ministries and other partners to enhance and improve the quality and delivery of geology and mining engineering curricula at the undergraduate level. This includes but is not limited to a review of existing undergraduate mining and geology curriculum and a needs-based assessment of library and laboratory resources and facilities with the primary purpose of enhancing undergraduate student learning.

The Higher Education Specialist will have responsibility for the planning and implementation of program activities and for the day-to-day delivery of the Higher Education component. The HE Specialist is a subject matter specialist in higher education in geology/earth sciences and mining engineering, has been involved with the development of university undergraduate curriculum, courses and programs, and has experience in teaching and learning. The work of the STEM HE Specialist will support the Government of Ethiopia to achieve its national development policy objectives and plans (GTP2, ESDP V) as they pertain to the mining sector.

General Responsibilities

The Higher Education Specialist will report directly to the CPFD, and is supported by Canadian-based administrators, as required. The HE Specialist is a professional/technical support role and is responsible for implementing the on-going daily and operational activities within the TVET program stream in Ethiopia. The HE Specialist and the Higher Education Technical Expert will work closely as a team to deliver the planned outputs.

Specific duties include but are not limited to:

• Provide information and guidance to the project team about the higher education system in Ethiopia to inform programming strategies and approaches
• Advise on ways to design programs, strategies and approaches for the higher education component that are rooted in the Ethiopian context and that incorporate best practice in undergraduate geology and mining programs
• Facilitate the process of revising undergraduate earth sciences/geology and mining engineering curriculum
• Identify relevant training content and technical knowledge for short courses and training programs
• Identify actions to improve female student success and promote gender equality in universities and post-secondary institutions including co-operative programs and/or practical attachment opportunities for male and female undergraduate students
• Conduct training needs analyses of universities facilities and educational resources and instructional capacity in geology and mining engineering departments
• Contribute to the on-going analysis and interpretation of gender disaggregated information/data collected by the project for management and performance improvement
• Plan and carry out assessment of existing earth science and mining engineering programs courses in key mining related areas to address gaps as they relate to human resource requirements in the mining industry
• Identify professional development needs targeted to university instructors and lab technicians to improve their knowledge, skills and qualifications using innovative short term training programs, especially to female students
• Liaise with higher education focal persons in universities and ministries to communicate and relay information relevant to project success
• Plan, coordinate and facilitate key higher education activities and programs on behalf of the project
• Support the design and delivery of project-based higher education training and capacity development initiatives
• Participate in higher education-related capacity development programs sponsored by the project or events organized by partners/stakeholder as assigned
• Support the M & E systems through identifying possible performance indicators for inclusion in the project performance management framework, and key sources of data for collection of sex disaggregated data
• Other duties as required

Employment Type:  

Contract & Full time

Job Requirement

Interested applicants should provide a curriculum vitae addressing the following required items:

• University degree (Masters preferred) in education, geology/earth sciences, mining engineering or related science field of study
• 5 years of experience working as a lecturer/instructor, preferably at the TVET or university level
• Practical work experience in geology/earth sciences curriculum content/course design
• Excellent command of written and spoken English
• Working knowledge of Tigrinya and Amharic
• Excellent interpersonal skills and human relations capacity