English Language Program Curriculum Development Specialist (MENA)

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Location: Middle East North Africa Region

Address: ,

Job Type: Full-Time

Posting Date: 10/11/2024

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Established in 1951, Amideast is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to creating hope, opportunity, and mutual understanding among people in the Middle East, North Africa, and United States through life-changing opportunities for education and cultural exchanges. Working with local, regional, and international partners, we provide programs and services that improve educational opportunity and quality, expand access to academic and career pathways, empower youth and women, strengthen local institutions, and develop language and professional skills for success in the global economy. Headquartered in Washington, DC, Amideast operates offices in 11 countries in the MENA region. For more information, visit us at www.amideast.org.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The EL Curriculum Development Specialist provides technical expertise to country offices and Amideast’s regional English language team in identifying the needs of diverse audiences throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), prioritizing programs and courses to meet those needs, and developing highly responsive online, blended and in-person courses. Clients include governments, donor organizations, corporations, and the public in MENA countries, many of whom aim to support wider regional initiatives. Amideast’s English language programs serve young learners, students, professionals, and teachers of English, among others. Courses range from general English, English for Specific Purposes in a range of fields, and test preparation to those that integrate professional, academic and other skills or activities. Amideast provides instruction in face-to-face, blended, hybrid, and fully online modalities. To better support our mission and the needs of our clients, Amideast aims to expand our suite of regional programs that can be delivered online – both synchronously and asynchronously. Our approach is learner centered, communicative, and incorporates best practices in language teaching and learning. Online and blended instruction is delivered via Amideast Online, our Moodle-based learning management system. 

The incumbent will support in the ongoing development of Amideast’s regional English language strategy and lead in the review and improvement of existing curricula, adaptation of face-to-face courses for blended and online delivery, and the development of new curricula that adhere to the highest standards of language teaching and learning. Recognizing the potential of online and blended courses to reach expanded audiences, the ideal candidate will bring experience and familiarity with online language learning and instructional design.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following.

Strategy Development
In coordination with the Regional Director:
• Design, advise, and implement activities to identify and assess the needs of diverse client audiences
• Participate in and lead aspects of Amideast’s regional English language strategy development
• Coordinate with support units and country offices to promote and expand reach of regional English programs

Curriculum Development
• Review and evaluate existing course curricula and materials to identify improvements needed 
• Revise existing curricula to incorporate identified improvements
• Adapt curricula for blended or fully virtual delivery, including the development of asynchronous course components
• Develop and support teams to develop content and materials for in-classroom, online and independent learning 
• Support the development of new courses that meet identified needs of English language learners and teachers, including face-to-face, blended, and fully virtual models as appropriate
• Coordinate the piloting of new courses, assessment of learning outcomes, and identification of revision needed prior to roll-out 
• Contribute to the design and development of curriculum frameworks in subjects other than English, as needed

Instructional Support
• Deliver professional development workshops for teachers and trainers to introduce new courses and curricula 
• Maintain an online library of curricula and other resources to support Amideast English language program staff and teachers across the MENA region

Administrative Support
• Develop content to promote English language teaching and learning across social media channels
• In coordination with the Regional Director and Regional EL Officer, track progress on regional initiatives and support data collection
• Contribute to proposal development as requested

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Required
• Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language or other relevant field
• Certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages that includes a teaching practicum
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience, including English language teaching and teacher training 
• Experience with conducting client-needs analysis and/or other business development experience
• Experience teaching a variety of learners and courses (for example, English for young learners/teens, Business English and other ESP courses, test preparation, Four Skills English for adults, etc.)
• Online teaching experience
• Extensive experience in developing English language courses and materials
• In-depth knowledge of best course-design practices, including methods of effective formative assessment
• Experience with UDL principles and inclusive program development
• C1 or higher English language proficiency in speaking and writing
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent teamwork and collaboration skills
• Adaptable; ability to work within deadlines and juggle multiple priorities
• Ability to take initiative and work effectively without close supervision
• Strong attention to detail

Preferred
• Instructional design for online courses strongly preferred
• Teacher training workshop and/or course design
• Arabic or French language proficiency 
• English language teaching and/or teacher-training experience in the MENA region

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The incumbent in this position will work in a professional office environment and will utilize the following equipment when working from the country office or remote home office (on a hybrid basis).
• Computer (laptop or desktop)
• Printer/Photocopier/Scanner/Fax
• Telephone

Some business travel may be needed from time to time when face-to-face collaboration of training is required.

The physical demands and work environment that have been described is representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act or local law.

This position description is an overview of the major functions and requirements of this position. This document is not intended to be an exhaustive list encompassing every duty and requirement of the position; the Employee’s Manager may assign other duties as related or as otherwise deemed appropriate and necessary within the general scope, without the need for additional compensation.

Amideast is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Positions that involve interaction with children will be required to read, acknowledge, and comply with and attend special training in accordance with the Child Protection and Safeguarding policy. All Amideast representatives must comply with the Code of Conduct and all applicable organizational policies which include but are not limited to, Anti-Human Trafficking and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.