Senior Mathematics Specialist, Early Grades (Grades 1–3) Full Time NEW

Position Title: Senior Mathematics Specialist, Early Grades (Grades 1–3)
Project: I1d-NRD Project
Duty Station: Addis Ababa
Travel Requirement: Frequent travel to the South Ethiopia Region, Konso Zone
Organization: Imagine1day International Organization
Reports to: Education Program Director, Primary Education

Duration: One Year with possibility of Extension

Functional relationship: Education Program & Regional Program Manager
Technical Liaison: Ministry of Education, SER Education Bureau, and NRD, including other project partners

Contract Type: Full Time

Position Summary

The Senior Mathematics Specialist – Early Grades (Grades 1–3) will serve as the technical subject-matter lead for foundational mathematics under the I1d-NRD Project, providing strategic guidance and hands-on technical support to improve early grade numeracy outcomes in targeted primary schools in Konso Zone, South Ethiopia Region. Based in Addis Ababa with frequent field travel, the position will play a critical role in strengthening the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of early grade mathematics instruction.

The role focuses on supporting the design, implementation, and quality assurance of evidence-based foundational numeracy interventions, including early grade mathematics pedagogy, teacher professional development, formative assessment, and the use of learning data to improve instruction. The Senior Mathematics Specialist will work closely with teachers, school leaders, education officers, and project teams to enhance learners’ number sense, basic operations, and problem-solving skills in Grades 1–3.

In addition, the position will ensure that mathematics interventions are inclusive, child-centered, and contextually appropriate, integrating principles of inclusive education, child protection, and community engagement. The Senior Mathematics Specialist will collaborate with government education structures, project partners, and internal teams to align interventions with national curriculum standards and contribute to sustainable improvements in foundational learning outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

1. Program Design, Planning, and Technical Leadership in Early Grade Mathematics

• Provide overall technical leadership for early grade mathematics programming (Grades 1–3) under the I1d-NRD Project.
• Lead the contextualization and adaptation of foundational numeracy instructional approaches, lesson structures, and learning progressions appropriate to the local context.
• Support the design of mathematics intervention strategies targeting number sense, basic operations, problem-solving, and conceptual understanding.
• Contribute technical inputs to project concept notes, implementation plans, logical frameworks, and annual and quarterly work plans.
• Ensure alignment of mathematics programming with national and regional curriculum frameworks and priorities of the Ministry of Education, Ethiopia.

2. Technical Support to Teaching and Learning Processes

• Provide hands-on technical guidance to teachers, mentors, and facilitators on effective early grade mathematics instruction, including learner-centered and activity-based methodologies.
• Support the development and use of structured lesson guides, student practice activities, and formative assessment tools for Grades 1–3 mathematics.
• Guide teachers on differentiated instruction approaches to address diverse learning levels and reduce learning gaps.
• Support classroom observations, coaching sessions, and feedback mechanisms to improve instructional quality.

3. Learning Assessment and Data Use

• Lead the design and implementation of early grade mathematics assessments to measure baseline, midline, and endline learning outcomes.
• Support teachers and education officers to use formative and summative assessment data to adjust instruction and improve learning outcomes.
• Work closely with the MEAL team to ensure accurate data collection, analysis, and reporting of numeracy results.
• Use learning data and evidence to inform adaptive program improvements and technical decision-making.

4. Integration of Inclusive Education, Protection, and Safe Learning Environments

• Ensure mathematics interventions are inclusive and accessible to girls, children with disabilities, displaced learners, and other marginalized groups.
• Integrate child protection, safeguarding, and psychosocial considerations into mathematics teaching and learning processes.
• Support the use of inclusive teaching strategies and appropriate learning accommodations for early grade learners.
• Collaborate with protection and community teams to ensure safe and supportive learning environments.

5. Capacity Building and Technical Mentorship

• Build the technical capacity of education officers, school leaders, and project staff through training, coaching, and mentoring in early grade mathematics.
• Support the design and delivery of teacher professional development programs focused on foundational numeracy.
• Strengthen local technical capacity to sustain mathematics instructional improvements beyond the project period.
• Promote communities of practice among teachers and education staff for continuous learning and peer support.

6. Coordination, Partnerships, and Field Support

• Work closely with regional, zonal, and woreda education offices to support effective implementation of mathematics interventions.
• Provide regular field-based technical support through frequent travel to the Konso Zone and other project sites.
• Coordinate with partners, including government offices, to ensure harmonization of approaches and alignment with sector standards.
• Represent Imagine1day in technical discussions related to early-grade mathematics and foundational learning.

7. Quality Assurance, Monitoring, and Adaptive Management

• Monitor the fidelity and quality of early grade mathematics implementation through field visits, lesson observations, and technical reviews.
• Identify implementation challenges and propose practical, evidence-based solutions.
• Support continuous program improvement through reflective learning and documentation of best practices and lessons learned.

8. Reporting, Documentation, and Knowledge Management

• Contribute to high-quality technical inputs and reports for donors, government, and internal reports.
• Prepare technical briefs, guidance notes, and learning products related to early grade mathematics.
• Document successful instructional practices, innovations, and learning outcomes.
• Support knowledge sharing within Imagine1day and with external stakeholders.

  9. Safeguarding Commitment

  Imagine1day has zero tolerance for violations of Child and Adult Safeguarding, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, and the Code of Conduct. In the process of recruitment, selection, and appointment, Imagine1day implements a range of procedures and actions, including Criminal Background Checks/ International vetting/Certificates of good conduct to ensure children and vulnerable adults are safeguarded and abuse is prevented.

• Master’s degree (preferred) or bachelor’s degree in mathematics education and curriculum and Instruction
• Minimum 12–15 years of progressive experience in early grade mathematics instruction, curriculum development, or education program technical leadership.
• Demonstrated expertise in foundational numeracy and early grade mathematics pedagogy.
• Experience supporting large-scale or donor-funded education programs (e.g., INGOs, foundations, or similar partners).
• Strong understanding of Ethiopia’s primary education system and early grade curriculum.
• Experience working directly with teachers and education officials in low-resource or rural contexts.

Core Competencies

• Early Grade Mathematics and Numeracy Expertise
• Instructional Design and Pedagogical Coaching
• Data-Informed Decision Making
• Inclusive Education and Child-Centered Approaches
• Capacity Building and Technical Mentorship
• Strong Communication and Technical Writing Skills
• Problem Solving and Adaptive Management
• Commitment to Child Safeguarding and Quality Education