Federal Budget and Planning Advisor at Creative Associates International

Creative Associates International is a fast-growing, social impact company that specializes in the areas of education, economic growth, democratic transitions, and stabilization in post-conflict environments. Based in Chevy Chase, Maryland (within the DC metro area), this global development organization has a field presence in more than 25 countries and a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department. Since its founding in 1977 by four enterprising women, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike. Creative Associates International has been working in Nigeria for more than a decade to support education programs in Nigeria.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Federal Budget and Planning Advisor

Job ID: 2022-2598
Location: Abuja
Category: Program Management

Program Description

• Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and in close partnership with federal partners and select Nigeria States (designated as legacy [Bauchi and Sokoto], launching and technical assistance), the five-year Leveraging Education Assistance Resources in Nigeria (LEARN) project will support sustainable improvements in reading outcomes for first and second grade pupils.
• The goal of LEARN is to strengthen and scale early grade reading (EGR) best practice by ensuring that standards-based, context-appropriate assessment, materials, training, and administrative supports needed to improve literacy skills for P1-2 pupils are embedded within the federal policy, funding, and monitoring frameworks, and state and local authorities have the implementation protocols, capacity, and resources to carry out and sustain standards-based, data-driven EGR reform.
• The project objective is to instill ownership in and build capacity of school-community, local, state, and federal systems to establish a base for adequate, consistent data-driven funding, monitoring and performance that increase the equity, inclusion, and wellbeing necessary to achieve sustained EGR gains.
• LEARN will therefore be building on lessons learned from prior Nigeria reading programs to introduce a flexible, cost- efficient EGR intervention model that can be tailored to state contexts.

Position Summary

• Work with the federal level education MDA’s and other stakeholders in developing and using evidenced-based decision-making process for planning and budgeting.
• The Advisor will liaise with the relevant stakeholders to ensure effective implementation, institutionalization, sustainability and scale up of planning, management, and budgeting tools.

Reporting & Supervision:

• The Federal Budget and Planning Advisor will report to the Senior Federal Policy Reform and Planning Advisor.

Primary Responsibilities

• Support the provision of an enabling environment in relevant education MDAs and other parastatals for states to leverage funding sources and other opportunities in teacher training, teaching, learning materials production, and school support services for EGR.
• Provide support for national and sub-national NEMIS/EMIS systems for generating harmonized and robust education data analysis that incorporate MLA, reading assessments, evaluations, and research to make decisions and plan education improvement initiatives.
• Provide technical support to relevant education MDAs in the development, review, utilization, and performance tracking of the Education Sector Strategic Plan, National Education Account, Budget Planning Tool, costed implementation guidelines and Institutional Capacity Assessment.
• Provide support to improve the capacity of government education officials to develop leadership, managerial, and supervisory skills for sustainability of EGR policies and regulations.
• Provide technical assistance for disseminating new policies, tools, procedures and opportunities for bottom-up feedback at all levels through workshops involving government education officials, community meetings, paper publications, and ongoing media campaigns.
• Any other duties as may be assigned.

Qualifications
Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Business, Finance, or related field required; Master's Degree may be substituted for an undergraduate degree in business, finance, or related field and two additional years of relevant experience.
• At least eight years’ experience relevant to this position required, with at least six years in a leadership position responsible for developing budgets and financial frameworks, preferably in the field of education.
• At least four years of direct supervisory experience required.
• Demonstrated experience working with government agencies, actors, and stakeholders at the federal and state levels.
• Demonstrated expertise in federal and state system planning and budgeting.
• Demonstrated expertise in systems development and roll-out.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead workshops, trainings, and strategic planning sessions.
• Experience in developing and using monitoring and accountability systems.
• Knowledge in data management, analysis and report writing.
• Fluency in written and spoken English highly desired, advanced proficiency required.

Preferred Experience & Skills:

• Previous experience in similar role.
• Proven experience directly and indirectly supervising and managing staff and teams.
• Experience with a USAID-funded or other international organization implementing a program operating in insecure areas is desired.
• Strong ability to deploy and use various forms of tracking tools.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills are required.
• Excellent record keeping, and documentation skills are required.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.