Technical Specialist – Special Needs Education and Disabilities (SEND) job at Brac

Background

The BRAC – LEGO Foundation partnership builds on BRAC’s evidence-based Humanitarian Play Lab (HPL) model and is grounded in a shared commitment to inclusion, joyful learning, and scalable impact.

This five-year global initiative aims to reach over 400,000 children affected by crisis and displacement across Uganda, Bangladesh, and other fragile contexts, demonstrating that even in the most challenging environments, children can not only survive but thrive through collective action and play-based learning interventions.

In Uganda, this partnership will be implemented in the Rhino, Imvepi, and Bidibidi refugee settlements and the host communities of Terego, Madi-Okollo and Yumbe districts.

JOB PURPOSE:

This position will lead the integration and advancement of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inclusion in SPLASH Project and other ECDE projects. The role is responsible for ensuring that SEND considerations are systematically embedded across program design, implementation, and organizational practices. The position will provide strategic and technical leadership by developing and operationalizing SEND-related guidelines, tools, and standards; strengthening inclusive program design; and ensuring effective implementation through hands-on technical support, supervision, and capacity building.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the development of a comprehensive SEND inclusion guideline to support inclusive ECDE programming ensuring a strong gender-transformative lens is integrated throughout.
• Support the design and adoption of tools for early identification of disabilities, including developmental delays and impairments.
• Design and deliver ToT on SEND inclusion (concepts, accessibility, reasonable accommodation, early identification, and the use of relevant tools and guidelines).
• Lead capacity-building initiatives for staff, Play Leaders, and VHTs on early detection of disabilities, impairments and developmental delays.
• Facilitate training on the application of Child Functioning Modules for children aged 0-3 and 5-17 years.
• Lead structured assessments to identify assistive device requirements and reasonable accommodation needs for children and caregivers.
• Advocate for the integration of inclusive ECDE policies and budget allocations at national and local levels to sustain specialized programming for children with SEND
• Conduct regular field visits to ECD centers (HPL) and households (40% travel) for quality assurance and to provide hands-on support to PAs, VHT and Play-leaders, ensuring effective implementation of SEND inclusion practices.
• Document evidence, including case studies, success stories, and lessons learned, and contribute to the preparation of quarterly and annual reports on SEND integration and outcomes.

Safeguarding roles

• Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the program’s goals on safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance, and expertise on safeguarding to establish a safe working environment.
• Practice, promote, and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Master’s degree in special education, Early Childhood Development, Social Science, Gender Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Development Studies, International Development or Relations, or another related field.
• 5-6 years in the development sector, including at least 5 years implementing special needs education (SEND), disability inclusion, and early childhood development (ECD) programming, with a proven track record in Uganda and humanitarian settings.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strong critical, strategic, and analytical skills with a proven ability to drive innovation in program design, problem-solving effectively, and maintain a participant-orientated mindset judgement and objective decision making
• Proficient in Microsoft and Google workspace tools (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive) and available for field travel up to 40% of the time.
• Proficient in analyzing and interpreting program data to track performance indicators and inform strategic decision-making.
• Thrives in fast-paced, dynamic, and humanitarian settings, demonstrating a high degree of personal resilience, flexibility, and openness to learning.

• Lead the development of a comprehensive SEND inclusion guideline to support inclusive ECDE programming ensuring a strong gender-transformative lens is integrated throughout.
• Support the design and adoption of tools for early identification of disabilities, including developmental delays and impairments.
• Design and deliver ToT on SEND inclusion (concepts, accessibility, reasonable accommodation, early identification, and the use of relevant tools and guidelines).
• Lead capacity-building initiatives for staff, Play Leaders, and VHTs on early detection of disabilities, impairments and developmental delays.
• Facilitate training on the application of Child Functioning Modules for children aged 0-3 and 5-17 years.
• Lead structured assessments to identify assistive device requirements and reasonable accommodation needs for children and caregivers.
• Advocate for the integration of inclusive ECDE policies and budget allocations at national and local levels to sustain specialized programming for children with SEND
• Conduct regular field visits to ECD centers (HPL) and households (40% travel) for quality assurance and to provide hands-on support to PAs, VHT and Play-leaders, ensuring effective implementation of SEND inclusion practices.
• Document evidence, including case studies, success stories, and lessons learned, and contribute to the preparation of quarterly and annual reports on SEND integration and outcomes.
• Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the program’s goals on safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance, and expertise on safeguarding to establish a safe working environment.
• Practice, promote, and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.

• Strong critical, strategic, and analytical skills with a proven ability to drive innovation in program design, problem-solving effectively, and maintain a participant-orientated mindset judgement and objective decision making
• Proficient in Microsoft and Google workspace tools (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive) and available for field travel up to 40% of the time.
• Proficient in analyzing and interpreting program data to track performance indicators and inform strategic decision-making.
• Thrives in fast-paced, dynamic, and humanitarian settings, demonstrating a high degree of personal resilience, flexibility, and openness to learning.

• Master’s degree in special education, Early Childhood Development, Social Science, Gender Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Development Studies, International Development or Relations, or another related field.
• 5-6 years in the development sector, including at least 5 years implementing special needs education (SEND), disability inclusion, and early childhood development (ECD) programming, with a proven track record in Uganda and humanitarian settings.