About Zindagi Trust

Zindagi Trust works on improving the quality of education available to the average Pakistani child through pilot projects in school reform and policy advocacy. It has transformed two government schools in Karachi into model institutions and used the success of its work there to impact thousands of government schools through policy changes in school governance, child protection, etc.

The Trust’s vision for a successful school is one that produces well-rounded citizens, not just students who score A’s. To this end, it focuses on making classroom learning fun but also on developing strong co-curricular programs and on opening minds to new life and career choices. It has groomed national and regional champions and high achievers in chess, football, art, science, and youth leadership. Crucially, it has empowered young women – from a section of society where they are still marginalized – to enter professional and public life.

Job Title: Academic Officer

Purpose and Scope:

The primary role of the Academic Officer is to ensure that high-quality education interventions are imparted at the schools. The incumbent will be expected to work with data in order to advise senior management based on data-driven decisions and strategies to improve the overall learning of students and staff members. Work closely with PD (Professional Development) Team and administrators to ensure that all aspects of the School’s academic programs are running successfully and smoothly.

The incumbent will report directly to the Chief Academic Officer at Zindagi Trust while working closely with the school staff and professional development teams.

Responsibilities:

Ensuring successful implementation of academic interventions

• Assisting with the development and implementation of academic programs and initiatives
• Develop and monitor the execution of school’s annual academic calendar.
• Research various learning resources including library books, curate and develop content that promotes hands on learning.
• Identify potential teaching/learning models used in the same context and pilot in school to improve quality of education.
• Design and implement context relevant interventions for integrating technology in teaching/learning.
• Design remedial intervention plans in close liaison with school teams that would improve student performance.

Research & Analysis

• Analyze assessments/diagnostic tests of students with the PD team and identify emerging patterns.

• Identify areas for research which may include understanding the effectiveness of implemented interventions
• Support in the analysis of teacher improvement data with the PD team and identify prioritized areas of development
• Present findings and recommendations for improvement to School Management and HO.
• Conduct needs analysis sessions with students to understand areas of opportunity
• Stay abreast with government policy shifts and trends that relate to ZT-managed schools.

Collaboration with external stakeholders

• Collaborate with external academic stakeholders to implement academic interventions
• Collaborate with the PD team to identify and involve external partners/trainers as needed for teacher professional development
• Liaison with government stakeholders to ensure alignment of implemented interventions

Required Skills

• Proficiency in technology and MS Suite

• Knowledge of the academic field: crucial to have a thorough understanding of the field of education in the context of Pakistan. As well as a familiarity with current trends and best practices in education. This can help you to make informed decisions about curriculum development and other academic matters.
• Excellent communication skills: The incumbent needs to be able to effectively communicate with a wide range of stakeholders, including students, staff, and external partners. This may involve presenting ideas and information in a clear and concise manner, as well as listening actively and seeking to understand the perspectives of others.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills: As an academic officer, you will be expected to analyze data and make decisions based on that analysis. You should have strong analytical skills and be able to approach problems in a logical, methodical way.
• Adaptability: Should be able to adapt to new challenges and circumstances as they arise. You should be able to think on your feet and be comfortable with change and uncertainty.
• Collaboration and teamwork: As an academic officer, you will often be working with others to achieve shared goals. It is important to be able to collaborate effectively with others and to be a good team player.

Experience

Minimum 2 years of relevant experience in education.

Location

A full-time position based in Karachi with frequent travel to ZT-managed schools in Karachi

How to apply:

Prospective candidates should send their CV to career@zindagitrust.org with a cover letter describing how their previous experience fits within this role.

LSBE Lead

Location: Time equally divided between SMB Fatima Jinnah School and Khatoon-e-Pakistan Govt. School

Reporting to the Chief Academic Advisor

Research and Evaluation

• Evaluating the applicability of a variety of LSBE interventions in the local context.
• Assisting and collaborating with the Zindagi Trust (ZT) Monitoring and Evaluation team for process and impact evaluation.

Content Analysis, Curriculum Development and Implementation

• Evaluating the LSBE content currently taught at primary and secondary levels at the schools managed by ZT and recommend changes based on research.
• Mapping Standard Learning Outcomes (SLOs) in the National Curriculum to various components of LSBE.
• Developing LSBE curriculum with grade appropriate SLOs and assessments.
• Evaluating books and other teaching materials available in the country pertinent to LSBE.
• Observing LSBE classes at schools to evaluate the efficacy of content delivery and providing feedback to the teachers.
• Establishing teams of key teaching and non-teaching staff members at schools and maintaining constant contact with them to ensure appropriate implementation of the program.

Policy Development and Documentation

•  Writing a comprehensive school-based child protection policy for dissemination to ZT’s schools and beyond.
•  Preparing an operational manual for a wider implementation of LSBE program across a large number of schools.

Training

• Managing and mentoring teachers that deliver LSBE content at the schools
• developing and updating material, training tools and training modules pertinent to Child Protection Policy and LSBE.
• Arranging, delivering, and overseeing trainings to ensure effective delivery of the content at different grade levels.
• Adding to the team of Master Trainers and arranging special refresher programs for existing Master Trainers.

Collaboration and Outreach

• Collaborating with partner organizations
• Educating parents and community at large by regular and specific programs for both the genders.
• Qualification and Skills
• Master’s Degree in Gender Studies or relevant discipline required.
• 2-3 years’ experience in development sector, especially in the education sector is required.
• Familiarity with secondary research, writing literature review and referencing is required.

• Exposure to curriculum analysis and development will be an added advantage.

How to Apply:

Prospective candidates should send their CV to career@zindagitrust.org with a cover letter describing how their previous experience fits within this role. This position is open for applications.

DESIGNATION:

Academic Coach ( Shangla )

SHANGLA GIRL'S SCHOOL

Nestled between the mountains dotted with lush forests and colorful ceilings, Shangla Girls School (SGS) is the first secondary, not-for-profit school for girls in Barkana, Shangla. The school is a recent development spread over 20 kanal land overlooking green terraces and snow-capped mountains across the river.

Having a population of 600 students, SGS offers a variety of facilities such as playground with basketball court, indoor sports, a computer and science laboratory, a library and classrooms equipped with audio-visual connectivity. As of now, the school has grades K-10 fully functioning with a teaching staff comprising of over 40 members. Our school is remote and cut-off from most of the country, but at Zindagi Trust (ZT) we aim to ensure that these geographical limitations do not hinder any learning opportunities of our students. Over the years, we have seen immense potential in our students, in what they can achieve and how determined they are to overcome any barriers. Our vision for the school is to be a center of excellence that produces well-rounded citizens, not just students who score A’s. To this end, we focus on making learning fun but also developing strong co-curricular programs (e.g. in art, chess and sports) and on opening minds to new life and career choices.

The primary role of the Academic Coach is to support teachers on-ground in developing their teaching expertise, classroom practices and making learning contextually relevant. They would help assigned teachers identify root causes of challenges students face, and develop appropriate plans to address those. Coaches will be expected to provide support through subject and content training, modeling, and constant feedback loops.

Alongside, the coach would be expected to plan and execute a development project that is aligned with the larger vision of the school. This project would be based on prioritized needs at the school and will also cater to the community as to further benefits of the school beyond the boundaries. The incumbent will work closely with the Academic Manager in monitoring and reporting progress and supporting them where needed. They would also collaborate with the off-ground Professional Development Team for training and resource-sharing opportunities.
 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Teacher Development

Support and guide teachers in enhancing their skills and practice

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

The incumbent will report to the Academic Manager. They will closely liaison with the PD team at the head office and any other team/ individual identified by ZT.

REQUIRED SKILLS

EXPERIENCE

Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in teaching and school management. Experience with educational institutes is preferred.

LOCATION

A full time contractual position based at the school. Based on the incumbent’s location and suitability, full-time on ground arrangement can be modified based on mutual agreement between the Trust and the incumbent.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING

Shangla Girls School is committed to safeguard children and employment with the organization is conditional upon successful completion of all background checks.

HOW TO APPLY:

Position Title: Program Officer – Special Programs and Advocacy

Location: Head Office, Karachi

Positions: Two available.

Background: Zindagi Trust believes that only a holistic model of education can help children develop into the conscious, caring and creative citizens of tomorrow that Pakistan and the world need.

Special Programs are a host of initiatives introduced at Zindagi Trust managed schools aimed at enabling students to (i) explore their talents and interests and (ii) become the best versions of themselves. They include programs in art, sports, music, chess, wellness and child protection, as well as exploratory summer camps, targeted bootcamps (e.g. in robotics or environmental activism), fellowships and exchanges.

Advocacy is another core aspect of our model which aims to bring the best practices from our experience in school reform to benefit all children of school-going age through advocacy with the relevant stakeholders, viz. political leadership, bureaucracy, media, relevant community and general public.

Purpose & Scope: The Program Officer will play a key role in designing and delivering Special Programs at the trust’s schools and in growing the impact of the school reform program through policy advocacy. She will be based in the Head Office with regular visits to the schools and will work under the guidance of the Head of Special Programs and Advocacy.

The Program Officer will fulfill the following roles and responsibilities:

Special Programs

Advocacy

Program reporting, outreach and other related communications

The ideal candidate has excellent oral communication skills in English and Urdu, is a natural writer in English, is detail-oriented, enjoys reading, is enterprising and resourceful with strong background research skills. The candidate must be able to work well independently while coordinating with various teams at the head office and schools, requiring excellent inter-personal skills. An interest in public policy, experience in or understanding of the public sector is a plus. Bachelor’s degree from reputable institution in the liberal arts or the social sciences preferred.

To apply, email your CV along with a note describing why the role interests you to career@zindagitrust.org with “Program Officer – Special Programs & Advocacy” mentioned in the subject.