Regional Technical Advisor – Education (PlayMatters)

About the role

The Regional Technical Advisor – Education will lead the technical development of PlayMatters, a four‑year education initiative that uses learning through play to improve outcomes for children aged 3‑12 in Uganda, Ethiopia and South Sudan. Reporting to the PlayMatters leadership, the advisor will work across country teams to adapt, test and refine teacher‑focused active learning content.

Key responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for the design, adaptation and testing of active teaching and learning materials aligned with PlayMatters objectives.
• Collaborate with IRC regional, country and global technical teams, as well as partner organisations, to ensure coherence and quality of curriculum interventions.
• Support capacity‑building activities for teachers and education officers, promoting the Learning through Play methodology.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of educational content, incorporating feedback to drive continuous improvement.
• Contribute to the development of coordination mechanisms that increase system‑wide uptake of PlayMatters approaches.

Required profile

• Demonstrated experience in education program design and technical advisory within humanitarian or development contexts.
• Strong understanding of active learning, play‑based pedagogy and curriculum development for early primary education.
• Ability to work collaboratively across multiple countries and with diverse stakeholder groups.
• Solutions‑oriented mindset with a commitment to improving learning outcomes for children affected by crisis.

Required skills