WorldWise Global Schools (WWGS) Programme Director

jobsCareers, Careers - Ireland

Job ID: 97050
Job Title: WorldWise Global Schools (WWGS) Programme Director
Company: Self Help Africa
Location: Ireland
Contract type: Fulltime, Permanent Contract. A probation period of six month will apply.

Reports to: WorldWise Global Schools Consortium and Self Help Africa (as lead agency)

Organisation Overview:

About WWGS

WorldWise Global Schools (WWGS), is the national programme for Global Citizenship Education (GCE) at post-primary level. WorldWise Global Schools is an Irish Aid funded programme implemented through a consortium comprising Self Help Africa, Concern Worldwide, the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB), the Ubuntu Network, the National Association of Principals & Deputy Principals (NAPD), the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) and the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI). Established in 2013, the programme supports schools to embed quality Global Citizenship Education through Continued Professional Development, resource development, the Global Passport Framework, strategic partnerships and grant funding.

Global Citizenship Education (GCE) is an approach to teaching and learning that links global and local justice issues. GCE explores the root causes of these issues and equips learners and educators to think critically, build empathy, challenge unjust global systems and take meaningful action towards a kinder, fairer and more sustainable world.

Job Purpose:

The Programme Director is responsible for the strategic leadership, management and development of the WorldWise Global Schools (WWGS) programme. Reporting to the WWGS Consortium, the Programme Director provides vision and leadership for the programme, ensuring the successful delivery of its strategic objectives, annual work plans, Results Based Framework and budget, while maintaining strong accountability to Irish Aid as the programme funder.

The Programme Director leads and manages all aspects of programme implementation, including the staff team, strategic planning, financial oversight, monitoring and evaluation, governance, communications, resource development, grant funding, teacher professional learning, the Global Passport Framework, and programme events. They ensure that programme activities are aligned with the Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education Strategy, the WWGS Strategic Plan, and emerging national and international developments in education and Global Citizenship Education.

A key aspect of the role is providing strategic leadership across the formal education and GCE sectors. The Programme Director represents WWGS nationally and internationally, builds and sustains partnerships with Irish Aid, government departments, education agencies, NGOs, higher education institutions and other strategic stakeholders, and contributes to the development of policy and practice relating to Global Citizenship Education. The role requires active engagement with Global Citizenship Education through curriculum reform, educational policy, research, advocacy and Education initiatives, ensuring that WWGS continues to influence and respond to developments across formal education and the Global Citizenship Education sector.

The Programme Director is the principal contact for Irish Aid and is responsible for maintaining strong strategic relationships with the funder, leading programme reporting and accountability processes, and contributing to the implementation of Irish Aid’s Global Citizenship Education Strategy. They also oversee programme monitoring, evaluation and learning, ensuring that evidence, research and programme data are used to inform continuous improvement and demonstrate programme impact.

The Programme Director works closely with the WWGS Consortium, Education Panel and other governance structures, fostering collaboration across the sector while identifying opportunities for innovation, strategic partnerships and programme growth. The Programme Director provides strategic leadership to ensure that WWGS continues to evolve and respond to emerging educational and GCE priorities.

Key Responsibilities:

Programme Leadership & Promotion

  • Provide a public face for the WWGS programme and a strong strategic voice for GCE in post-primary within both GCE and formal education sectors both nationally and internationally.
  • Collaborate with Irish Aid strategic partners and identify opportunities for joint initiatives and collective impact.
  • Lead WWGS engagement in policy dialogue across the formal education and Global Citizenship Education sectors, contributing to curriculum reform, national policy development and strategic consultation processes.
  • Provide strategic leadership across the NGOs, Networks, Clusters and Education Settings that are supported by the programme to embed quality GCE in post-primary settings.
  • Strive to influence policy and practice through networking, collaborative initiatives, research policy submissions, presentations and representation at events.
  • Promote evidence-informed practice by fostering research, evaluation and knowledge exchange across the Global Citizenship Education sector.
  • Provide leadership for the continued development of WWGS as an all-island programme, strengthening collaboration and partnerships across the education and GCE sectors in both jurisdictions.
  • Champion the meaningful inclusion of Global South voices in line with Irish Aid’s Global Citizenship Education Strategy.

Team Management & Leadership

  • Lead, inspire and develop a committed and experienced team of GCE professionals.
  • Nurture a shared culture of collaboration, innovation and reflective practice.
  • Performance manage, mentor and develop the team of Education Officers (EOs) and Resource and Curriculum Officers (RCOs), who are regionally based, and the Deputy Director (DD).
  • Undertake regular workplan reviews to ensure roles are aligned with agreed Job Descriptions, programme priorities and strategic objectives.
  • Lead workforce planning, recruitment and succession planning for the WWGS team

Programme Governance

  • Support the ongoing development of the Consortium and identify opportunities to strengthen governance and strategic collaboration.
  • Maintain effective communication and relationships with Consortium members and other governance structures.
  • Report to Irish Aid, the WWGS Consortium and SHA at agreed intervals on the ongoing delivery of programme outcomes and outputs.
  • Act as the principal liaison with the WWGS Consortium and Irish Aid, fostering strong strategic relationships and ensuring effective communication between all parties.
  • Coordinate the scheduling of regular Consortium meetings (online and/or in-person), all communications with the Consortium, bi-annual meetings with Irish Aid, and the preparation of all associated documentation.
  • Coordinate governance arrangements for the Education Panel and other advisory structures.

Programme Delivery

  • Lead delivery and continuous development of all key programme strategies, including teacher and leadership capacity building, the Global Passport framework, grants calls, curriculum linked resource development, among other outputs.
  • Lead WWGS engagement with curriculum reform, Senior Cycle redevelopment and other national education initiatives to ensure strengthened integration of GCE at post primary level.
  • Lead strategic engagement with education and GCE agencies, policymakers and other programme stakeholders.
  • Lead and contribute to formal education sector and GCE sector working groups where possible.
  • In partnership with the Deputy Director, lead programme planning, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting to support continuous improvement and demonstrate programme impact.
  • Lead strategic planning for future programme phases, including preparation for external evaluation and future funding cycles.
  • Other tasks or duties that may arise, as directed by the consortium and which are consistent with the position.

Key Relationships:

Internal:

  • The WWGS Consortium– representatives of all consortium members
  • Self Help Africa
  • WWGS Team: Deputy Director, Education Officers, Resource and Curriculum Officers, Grants and Operations Administrator, Database Analyst & Administrator, Programme Administrator.
  • Managers of IT/Communications/Development Education/HR/Finance Departments of SHA.

External:

  • Irish Aid
  • Strategic relationships within GCE and formal education sectors
  • WWGS Education Panel members
  • GCE and Formal Education Bodies

Knowledge, Experience and Other Requirements:

Essential:

  • Degree with a postgraduate qualification (Master’s level or equivalent) in Education, Global Citizenship Education, Development Education, International Development, Educational Leadership, or a related field.
  • Experience in Global Citizenship Education, Development Education, social justice, sustainability education, formal education, or a closely related field, including experience of strategic programme leadership.
  • Demonstrable knowledge of the Irish formal education sector, particularly post-primary education, curriculum development, education policy, and current educational priorities.
  • Management experience, including strategic planning, programme leadership, people management, financial management, governance, partnership development and project delivery.
  • Excellent relationship-building, influencing and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build strategic partnerships across formal education, GCE, government and civil society.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience of preparing policy submissions, strategic reports and presentations for senior stakeholders.

Desirable:

  • Fluency in the Irish language.
  • Experience of facilitating professional learning, strategic workshops or stakeholder consultations.
  • Experience of contributing to education policy, curriculum reform and/or national consultation processes.
  • Strong digital literacy, including Microsoft Office, CRM/database systems (e.g. Salesforce), and online collaboration platforms.
  • Experience of applying research to inform programme development, policy and practice.
  • Experience of working with Boards, Steering Groups or governance structures and representing an organisation.

How to Apply:
Full Job Description here.

Please upload your CV and Cover Letter outlining your suitability for the role here.

The Deadline for Receiving applications is Monday 27th July 2026 at 5pm

Self Help Africa is an Equal Opportunities Employer:

All candidates offered a job with Self Help Africa will be expected to sign Self Help Africa’s Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.  Specific roles may require Police/DBS/ vetting.

Important information:

Self Help Africa is an international development charity and is committed to the safeguarding of all those who we come into contact with or through our work. We are committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour relating to our work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and we are committed to promoting the welfare of children and the people we aim to assist with whom Self Help Africa engages. Self Help Africa expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and uphold the values and behaviours outlined in the Code of Conduct and Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Recruitment to all roles in Self Help Africa will include, and be subject to, a criminal records self-declaration, references, and other pre-employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checking. Self Help Africa is committed to the principles of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and will request information from previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse or sexual harassment during employment. By submitting an application, the applicant confirms her/his understanding of these recruitment procedures. Subsequently, working or volunteering with Self Help Africa is subject to a range of vetting checks, including criminal background checking.

Research shows that women and those from marginalised ethnic groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single requirement. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align with every criteria described, we encourage you to apply anyway, you could be exactly what we need!

Self Help Africa is an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.