Education Advisor

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Position: Education Advisor

Work Location: Khammouance (thakhek) or Vientiane Capital

This position is open to Lao Nationals only

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

About CRS Lao PDR

Since 1994, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has been dedicated to supporting communities in Lao PDR. Our ongoing strategic programs prioritize health, nutrition, quality education, and resilient livelihoods.

As an integral part of the extensive CRS global network operating in more than 120 countries, we work towards enhancing lives and upholding human dignity both locally and globally. Aligned with our overarching Vision 2030, which focuses on empowering youth, nurturing families, promoting inclusive development, building resilience, and advocating for justice, CRS Lao PDR engages with various partners, including government entities, civil society organizations, and businesses. Through these collaborations, we aim to empower Lao communities to realize their full potential and flourish.

Project Summary:

The School Lunch and Literacy Program (SLLP) is a five-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. The project will be executed by CRS as a sub-recipient of the World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES). It will be rolled out across more than 300 primary schools in 7 districts in Khammouane, Savannakhet, Bokeo, and Sekong, benefiting over 21,500 students. Key project activities include providing school meals, promoting education for all, conducting teacher training, enhancing school readiness, implementing WASH in schools, and improving school governance.

Job Summary:

The Education Advisor provides technical leadership for the Education component of the SLLP across all target provinces, while directly supervising Education Officers in Bokeo and Sekong provinces. This role leads technical development of literacy programming, represents CRS in education sector working groups, and engages with development partners to position CRS’s technical expertise. The Advisor ensures program quality and innovation through technical oversight of field teams, adaptation of best practices in literacy programming, and strategic guidance to implementation. The position requires balancing technical leadership across all provinces while ensuring effective implementation and team management in assigned provinces.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Technical Quality Leadership: Oversee implementation of school readiness camps, literacy materials development, and teacher support systems; Lead curriculum design and training programs for teachers and volunteers; Manage component budget and ensure compliance with donor requirements; Maintain program quality standards throughout the project cycle.
• Technical Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning: strengthen partnerships relevant to the project’s literacy components, applying appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches, also identify staff capacity needs and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and contribute to capacity strengthening and required interventions to support quality project implementation. The role involves supporting MEAL with trends analysis reports, ensuring accurate literacy data collection, reviewing project documentation, and participate in strategic program discussions for education programs, ensuring alignment with CRS’s Strategic Plans and regional strategies.
• Documentation & Reporting: Develop high-quality technical reports for donors and stakeholders; Document best practices and lessons learned; Prepare periodic progress reports against performance indicators; Maintain project documentation and technical resources.
• Team Management: Supervise and develop SLLP education project team in Bokeo and Sekong members (3 members); Lead team planning, goal setting, team well-being, and performance management processes; Provide mentoring and professional development opportunities; Conduct annual performance reviews and development planning.
• Partnership Building: support collaborations with government, national stakeholders, global partners, development partners, donors, iNGO, CSOs, and academia to build capacity, exchange knowledge, and reinforce cooperation for sustainable education program results.

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in the field of Education or equivalent.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience working on basic education and early childhood education projects, preferably in Laos and ideally with a global non-governmental organization or with an international NGO.
• Experience working with government stakeholders at various levels and strengthening community partnerships.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, and information management systems.

Required Languages – Fluency in written and spoken Lao and English are required. Proficiency in ethnic languages spoken in the program area is a plus.

Travel – The position is based in Thakek or Vientiane with frequent travel – up to 60% – to Bokeo; Xekong; Khammuane and/or Vientiane.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (SKAs)

• Critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with local stakeholders. Representation abilities.
• Ability to contribute to written reports
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities

Preferred Qualifications – (If applicable)

• Experience working on early child literacy and early childhood education projects is strongly preferred. Literacy-focused experienced is highly desired.
• Staff supervision experience.
• Ability to contribute to the development of technical proposals, a plus.

• Experience analyzing data and contributing to evaluation reports; MEAL skills and experience preferred.
• Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals.

Agency REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

• Agency competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff. When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
• Acts with Integrity – Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission. Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust – Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.
• Agency Leadership Competencies:
• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

Supervisory Responsibilities: 02 Education Officers in Sekong and 01 in Bokeo.

Key Working Relationships:

Internal – Program Manager II Program Quality, Program Manager SLLP, Education team members, School Meals Project Manager, WASH Project Manager, MEAL Officer, Literacy Technical Advisor

External – Government of Laos partners (Ministry of Education and Sports officials and staff at the national, provincial, and district levels), Savannakhet Teacher Training College, School Administrators in target provinces, peer agencies working in child literacy development and programming.

APPLICATION INFORMATION: To apply for this position, please submit an application letter stating your expression of interest along with your most current CV by emails to: LA_HR@crs.org.

Closing date for applications: August 13, 2025, Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.