Strategic Learning Advisor (SLA), USAID/Niger Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA)

Summary:

Save the Children is seeking a Strategic Learning Advisor (SLA) for the upcoming USAID/Niger Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA). The goal of the Activity is to improve food and nutrition security and resilience among poor and chronically food insecure households and communities in a sustainable manner. The SLA will work closely with all staff to ensure principles of Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) are recognized and acted on as core elements of RFSA programming. This staff member will ensure active, intentional, and adaptive learning within and across interventions, and will play a critical role in incorporating refinement activities and learning into implementation. Additionally, the SLA will improve community engagement; peer-to-peer learning; knowledge capture, sharing, and application; activity-based capacity strengthening; and evidence and data utilization. The SLA, working with the COP and technical staff, will also ensure appropriate and continued coordination and joint-planning with other relevant USAID Bureaus and Missions and other relevant donor activities, host-government initiatives, and private sector actors. This position will be based in Niger for the anticipated five-year period of performance (exact location TBD). Hiring is contingent upon USAID approval of the candidate and award of the project to Save the Children. This position is unaccompanied. 

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties):

• Lead the formulation and implementation of a detailed program learning plan/ learning agenda and manage associated learning partnerships and processes.
• Manage a program “change log” during the Refinement or contextualization period of the program (initial 6-12 months), documenting changes to program design required as a result of formative research findings and operational planning discussions.
• Manage learning events and processes. Work with M&E team members to ensure adaptations to the program theory of change as new information comes to light.
• Lead the creation and management of a detailed program knowledge management platform, ensuring full integration with other relevant knowledge management platforms.
• Create guidelines for CLA in the context of the program. Manage CLA ‘pause and reflect’ events and resulting adaptive management analysis, decision-making, program/ approach adjustments, training, and follow-through.
• Work closely with M&E and technical teams to develop and implement innovative approaches for capture, analysis and uptake of qualitative and quantitative information to inform programs, improve performance and agility.
• Contribute to the creation of a culture of openness, trust, and continuous improvement within the program team and with partners. Train team members on CLA in addition to ensuring peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing and application, activity-based capacity strengthening, evidence and data utilization within the team.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, statistics, or relevant field with a minimum of five years of relevant experience in which two of those years of experience are in a specific CLA or leaning capacity. Master’s degree preferred.
• Relevant experience includes food and nutrition security-related learning processes, knowledge management, organizational learning and development, community of practice facilitation, and capacity strengthening.
• Demonstrated understanding and application of CLA is required.
• Ability and willingness to travel to project sites on a regular basis.
• Fluency in English and French required.
• Strong tool/curriculum development and training skills.
• Demonstrated, structured approach to coordination, sustainability planning, and linkage formulation.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating learning and knowledge sharing processes, in establishing and managing dynamic feedback systems to capture experiential learning and unintended consequences, and in fostering collaboration across teams or organizations is required.
• Experience working in a low to mid-income country context is required. Strong preference for work experience in Niger and/or other West African countries.
• Familiarity with USAID definitions, CLA approaches, and incorporating CLA approaches into large, complex programs is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)/RFSA programming is preferred.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond.  As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.