Special & Inclusive Education (SIE) Technical Officer - Australia Fiji Education Program

Abt Global·Suva

Education·Contract

Posted today

About the company

Abt Global implements the Fiji Program Support Platform (FPSP), a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) investment supporting Fiji's national development priorities under the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership. The Platform delivers bilateral programs across health, education, scholarships, social infrastructure, governance, climate and emergency response, and integrates gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) across its work. It implements over fifty percent of Australia's bilateral development support to Fiji.

About the role

This is a 12-month contract (with possible extension) as a Locally Engaged Employee under the FPSP, based in Suva and reserved for national applicants. The Technical Officer supports the Australia Fiji Education Program (AFEP), a Ministry of Education (MoE) partnership funded at approximately AUD45 million over nine years, aimed at improving literacy, numeracy and inclusive, safe learning environments in Fijian schools. The role provides expertise, advice and guidance to AFEP and MoE to develop and institutionalise inclusive education best practice, including the roll-out of Individual Education Plans (IEP) for children with disabilities in mainstream schools. The Officer works closely with the AFEP SIE team, external technical assistance, and local special education stakeholders to build mainstream teacher capacity. The role reports to the Senior Manager Systems Strengthening, Education, with deliverables reviewed in consultation with MoE's SIE counterparts.

Key responsibilities

• Provide technical advice, guidance and input to MoE and AFEP SIE staff regarding special and inclusive education.
• Provide technical and pedagogical input guiding the development of inclusive practices in mainstream schools and building teachers' capacity to apply Individual Education Plans (IEP) in daily classroom practice.
• Support monitoring and evaluation of the Program's disability inclusion efforts, including strengthening implementation and use of the disability disaggregation module within FEMIS.
• Provide strategic advice to MoE on the effective implementation of the Special and Inclusive Education Policy.
• Work collaboratively with GEDSI, MEL and other technical advisers to ensure coherence and quality of inclusive approaches across the program.
• Ensure all technical advice and activities adhere to child protection and safeguarding standards.
• Develop a workplan, in consultation with the Senior Manager Systems Strengthening and the SIE Team, outlining priorities of inputs across the engagement.
• Undertake any other tasks relevant to the Program as required by the Senior Manager Systems Strengthening, Education.

About the successful candidate

• A minimum of a bachelor's degree in education, with specialisation in special and inclusive education.
• Demonstrated experience in SIE pedagogy, with a record of accomplishment in teaching, curriculum development, or inclusive education practice.
• Experience in implementation, monitoring and evaluation of disability-inclusive development programs and policies.
• At least 5 years of progressive experience in special education teaching and learning, and/or experience in SIE research/academia, and/or experience within an NGO or CSO focused on special education teaching and learning, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience training counterparts in special needs/learning.