State ICT and Data Support Specialist at Cambridge Education - 3 Positions

Cambridge Education (CE) is an education services company that provides expert education consultancy in partnership withgovernments, donors and development agencies around the world. CE has a substantial and expanding portfolio of education projects in Nigeria, and is seeking applications for the following position:

Job Title: State ICT and Data Support Specialist

Department: The Education Programme, targeted States, with periodic visits to Abuja, Nigeria
Reporting to: State Team Leader and Programme
Grade: D

The Northern States positions are expected to be in northern Nigeria with teams based in some or all of these states: Sokoto, Bauchi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Niger and/or Yobe.

Job Profile:

• The Programme is a six-year UK government funded programme designed to provide strategic technical assistance at Federal level in up to 6 Lead States on teachers’ skills improvement. It aims ultimately at improving student learning.
• The State ICT and Data Support Specialist will provide technical advice on the introduction and integration of digital technology through all aspects of the programme and its component learning materials, teacher development, M&E and management activities at state level.

Tasks:

• To identify the most effective, scalable and sustainable model of supported open and distance, distributed and blended learning approaches for the programme and the most appropriate forms of technology to support this;
• Liaise with software providers, mobile phone companies and providers, and other technology hardware and software providers, to identify and adopt, adapt or develop packages of hardware, software and systems which best meet programme purposes;
• Support the introduction and utilisation of innovative approaches the use of ICT for teacher development;
• Provide overall ICT service and support, establish and develop sustainable systems for maintenance of chosen technologies, and provide technical lead on all ICT related tasks essential to the effective running of the Teacher Development Programme;
• Monitor the use and effectiveness of the ICT provision in both INSET and PRESET components through data collection and provide assistance in finding short term and long term solutions to any challenges in the use of ICT
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge base of ICT and developments in teaching, learning and training, and advise other team members accordingly, evaluating and sharing examples of innovative and effective practice elsewhere;
• Produce technical plans, analyses, briefings and reports on ICT-related aspects of the programme.

Special relationships and contacts
The post will also require close cooperation and collaborative working arrangements with staff and consultants working on related programmes in the Governance and Health Services fields.

Knowledge, essential competencies, skills and qualifications:

• Degree, or equivalent documented experience, in relevant aspects of computing, open and distance education or ICT-based training;
• Experience of implementing ICT in fragile environments;
• Experience in leading the use of ICT for distance or distributed learning on a large scale;
• Informed ability to identify and analyse the costs and benefits of ICT options for learning;
• High level of technical skill and up to date knowledge of ICT and its use in education;
• Excellent communication and training skills to support non-technical ICT users and managers.

Application Closing Date
5pm Friday 12 April 2013.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should be sent by email to recruitments@camb-ed.com.

Note: This job description reflects the present requirements of the post. As duties and responsibilities change and develop the job description will be reviewed and be subject to amendment in consultation with the post holder.