Inclusive Education Policy and Development Officer - USA or Canada

Humanity & Inclusion is an independent and impartial aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. The organisation works alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

Since its creation in 1982, HI has run development programmes in more than 60 countries and responded to numerous emergencies. Today, we have a budget of approximately 255 million euros, with 4794 employees worldwide.

At Handicap International-Humanity & Inclusion, we truly believe in the importance of inclusion and diversity within our organisation. This is why we are engaged to a disability policy to encourage the inclusion and integration of people with disabilities.

Please indicate if you require any special accommodation, even at the first interview. For more information about the organisation: www.hi.org

JOB CONTEXT:

Currently, within the Inclusive Education Team, there are 3 Inclusive Education (IE) Global Specialists overseeing over 50 projects across 26 countries, with one as the acting manager of the IE Team. The Policy and Development Officer (PDO) would bring new skills and expertise to this expanding area and support the IE team with the development of new projects, leading specifically on larger scale project development, providing technical support to a small number of country programs and projects while focusing on partnership building and donor engagement. Now that disability mainstreaming is becoming more popular amongst general education partners, the PDO will help to build new consortia particularly in the US context. Additionally, there will also be a specific focus on developing HI’s expertise on Inclusive Technical Assistance, finding and executing opportunities to provide technical assistance to organizations on matters related to disability inclusive education.  

It will be essential for the Inclusive Education Policy and Development Officer (PDO) role to be based in Washington, DC, at the US-NA headquarters. The reasons for this recommendation are as follows: 1) Washington, DC, is home to key global education and development donors, including USAID, the World Bank, and the U.S. Department of State. This provides direct access to building partnerships, engaging in policy discussions, and influencing funding opportunities; 2) The city hosts a wide range of international conferences, events, and forums on global education, disability inclusion, and development. These events offer valuable opportunities for networking and collaboration with important stakeholders and partners; 3) Both Humanity & Inclusion’s Inclusive Education Team and the US-NA office agree that the U.S. is a strategic priority for this role. Locating it in Washington, DC, would support the achievement of the position’s objectives and contribute to the overall success and sustainability of the job profile.

YOUR MISSION:

The Inclusive Education Policy and Development Officer (PDO) is a key member of the Inclusive Education Team within the broader Social & Inclusion Division. The main aim of the role is to develop and expand HI’s profile and impact through: 

• Developing new business opportunities and promoting HI’s inclusive education technical approaches, expertise, and positioning within relevant mainstream networks. The goal is to form alliances and consortia. Inclusive Education is one of the two main pillars of HI’s new Social & Inclusion technical strategy, which includes a "value proposition" highlighting HI's unique contributions to the broader Inclusive Education sector. Part of this role is to refine and promote this "value proposition" as part of HI's go-to-market strategy and support the development of a robust framework for action.
• Supporting the development of projects, including technical assistance for mainstream organizations, policymakers, and states by contributing to new proposals, projects, and offering technical expertise. This includes building the capacity of HI staff to better position HI’s technical assistance offerings to mainstream organizations.
• Contributing to influencing donor and stakeholder policies, including the selection of priority countries and regions. This involves advocating for inclusive education issues, promoting the adoption of best practices, and pushing for budget allocations that prioritize the inclusion of children and young people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in education, particularly within international development contexts.

This is a full-time position that involves regular international travel