Deputy Project Coordinator - Policy and Advocacy (PlayMatters)

Job Details

The Deputy Coordinator – Policy and Advocacy will provide strategic and operational leadership for PlayMatters 3.0's policy influence, systems strengthening, stakeholder engagement and scaling agenda. PlayMatters - Sparking Lifelong Learning through Play is a multi-country initiative that aims to improve holistic learning and wellbeing outcomes for children affected by crisis and displacement in East Africa. Since 2020, PlayMatters has partnered with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), district local governments, development partners and education stakeholders to advance integration of Learning through Play (LtP) approaches within Uganda's education system. PlayMatters 3.0 focuses on institutionalizing LtP as an effective, competency-based teaching and learning approach within education systems, strengthening system ownership, establishing multiple pathways for scale, and ensuring continuity of quality learning during crises.

The role will coordinate policy stakeholder engagements and influencing efforts while ensuring alignment with project objectives, donor requirements and government priorities, and ensuring project evidence, learning and innovations inform education policy, teacher development systems, education sector reforms and crisis-responsive education programming. Working closely with consortium partners War Child Holland, Plan International and LEGO Foundation, and with government stakeholders and technical teams including research, MEAL, communications, grants and operations. The project will expand and sustain LtP implementation across refugee-hosting districts including Adjumani, Isingiro, Kiryandongo, Madi Okollo, Obongi, Terego and Yumbe, while supporting national systems strengthening, policy integration and scaling efforts with potential for nationwide adoption. More information: https://www.playmatters.org

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda | Kampala. Employment Type: Full-time, 8 hours per day. Salary: Not Disclosed. Work mode: On-site coordination with national and district-level engagements and representation in technical working groups, sector reviews, curriculum reforms and policy consultations.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead implementation and periodic review of PlayMatters 3.0 policy influence and systems-strengthening plans and develop annual policy influence and systems engagement plans aligned to project workplans and learning agendas
• Coordinate policy commitments across consortium and national partners and embed policy priorities in annual workplans, budgets, learning agendas, risk registers and performance systems
• Monitor and share regular updates of emerging policy reforms and sector priorities and enable adaptive management by identifying opportunities, risks and strategic priorities
• Institutionalize Learning through Play (LtP) in teacher development systems, policy frameworks, standards, curricula and emergency guidance
• Produce policy recommendations, position papers, technical guidance and strategic documents based on project evidence and analyse policy developments to advise project leadership on implications and opportunities
• Support government adoption, ownership and scaling of project innovations
• Maintain an up-to-date stakeholder map and influence framework (actors, incentives, decision pathways, engagement strategies)
• Cultivate high-level and operational relationships with Ministries of Education, district/local governments, teacher education institutions, development partners and coordination platforms
• Facilitate government ownership in planning, implementation, learning and scale-up and integrate PlayMatters tools, evidence and recommendations into government systems and processes
• Represent the project in technical working groups, sector reviews, curriculum reforms and policy consultations
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement plans and sustainable pathways for government-led continuation beyond project funding
• Translate research, MEAL findings and implementation learning into policy products and advocacy messages
• Develop and disseminate policy briefs, technical notes, position papers, presentations, talking points and advocacy materials
• Ensure timely evidence sharing via forums, conferences, policy dialogues and technical groups
• Lead policy events including dialogues, workshops, dissemination meetings and consultations
• Work with Research and MEAL to fill evidence gaps and generate products that support influence objectives
• Document quarterly briefs on systems change, policy influence outcomes and scale achievements
• Coordinate consortium and national partner inputs to policy, advocacy and systems-strengthening activities and align partner workplans and deliverables with agreed policy influence priorities
• Facilitate joint planning, reporting, learning and accountability with system actors
• Build capacity of partners in policy engagement, systems thinking, stakeholder management and advocacy
• Develop policy tools, guidance and training to help partners and government use evidence for decision-making
• Build alliances with government agencies, teacher training institutions, civil society, development partners and academia to advance LtP and facilitate collective advocacy, learning exchanges, communities of practice and policy dialogues
• Track progress against policy influence and systems-strengthening indicators; maintain engagement and influence trackers
• Formulate policy positions and recommendations based on research and evidence analysis
• Prepare reports, strategic briefs and updates for project leadership, donors and government
• Monitor implementation quality and delivery of policy and advocacy milestones
• Document stakeholder engagements, commitments and policy change outcomes to inform adaptive management and donor reporting
• Document policy debates, changes in policies and shifts in policy strategies and ensure relevant information is built into action plans and disseminated to project staff in a timely manner

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• MA degree from an accredited university in education, international development, social sciences or related field
• At least 5 years of progressive experience (60 months) in policy engagement, advocacy, education sector reform, systems strengthening or public sector engagement
• Demonstrated experience working with government ministries, education institutions, development partners and policy-making processes
• Strong understanding of education policy, teacher development systems, education-in-emergencies and competency-based learning reforms
• Experience translating research and evidence into policy and programme influence
• Strong stakeholder engagement, facilitation, negotiation and communication skills
• Proven ability to develop policy products, advocacy strategies and influence plans
• Experience working in complex, multi-stakeholder programmes and consortium environments is highly desirable
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written
• Solutions-driven, passionate change-maker with ability to work collaboratively across technical, research, MEAL, communications, grants and operations workstreams
• IRC is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, inclusion, critical reflection, power sharing and gender equality

About International Rescue Committee in Uganda

The International Rescue Committee provides vital support to Ugandans who are rebuilding from decades of war while hosting a growing influx of refugees from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda hosts the largest number of refugees in Africa - 1.6 million - with a population of 47.2 million (Rank 157 of 193 Human Development Index). The IRC started work in Uganda in 1998 and now operates six offices across the country, assisting over 1 million people in 2023. Uganda has progressive refugee policies, but competition for resources, limited livelihood opportunities and psychosocial impacts of war continue to create needs. The IRC's work in Uganda focuses on providing women and girls with safety, health, education and financial independence; preventing violence; helping farmers and small-business owners; teaching youth business skills; providing primary health care and strengthening the health system; promoting Early Childhood Development for children under five through proven learning and nurturing initiatives that improve holistic learning and wellbeing outcomes for children and intergenerational approaches targeting both children and caretakers; and supporting immunization through new technologies and community engagement. PlayMatters 3.0 directly builds on this ECD and education platform, promoting Learning through Play as a competency-based, crisis-responsive approach relevant to both refugee and host communities. Source: https://www.rescue.org/country/uganda

Job Summary

• Job Category: Management, Business Operations, Education, Social Services & Nonprofit, Civil & Government, Teachers & Education (Administrative jobs in Uganda)
• Job Type: Full-time
• Deadline of this Job: Tuesday, September 8, 2026
• Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda | Kampala
• Posted: 2026-08-25 (Date Posted: Tuesday, August 25, 2026)
• No of Jobs: 1