Program Officer, Play to Learn

* Applicants must already be based in Amman w/ legal authorization for employment in the country, region, territory

* The monthly salary range is an estimate to be discussed in detail during the interview process

About Sesame Workshop:

Sesame Workshop is the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street and so much more. For over 50 years, we have worked at the intersection of education, media, and research, creating joyful experiences that enrich minds and expand hearts, all in service of empowering each generation to build a better world. Our beloved characters, iconic shows, outreach in communities, and more bring playful early learning to families in more than 150 countries and advance our mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.

Learn more at www.sesame.org and follow Sesame Workshop on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X.

Position Overview:

The Play to Learn Program Officer will oversee program delivery, timelines, and budget, and contribute to reporting, monitoring, and evaluation of impact. The Program Officer will manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders and support communications efforts. This position requires an individual with knowledge of program management, effective communication skills, and the ability to leverage internal and external relationships to keep programs on track. 

The Program Officer is a member of the Impact Programs Department and reports to the Play to Learn Middle East Regional Director.  The position is based in Amman, Jordan and requires occasional regional and international travel. This is a term-limited position.

Position Summary:

The Program Officer supports the successful management of the Play to Learn project, a multi-country global program focused on advancing scalable solutions for early child development in crisis and conflict settings, working across teams and countries to ensure the project is delivered on time, on budget, and achieve results. Additionally, the Program Officer will support the Regional Director to represent the Play to Learn project and Sesame Workshop in the Middle East and support business development and partnership opportunities.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Manage the successful delivery of and serve as key point of contract for complex internal and external project deliverables within the organization and across partner organizations.  This includes internal and external-facing briefings and decks, reports and communications, and updates and presentations.  
• Manage project work plans and timelines and tasks to align organizational efforts to outcomes and ensure delivery on time and on budget. 
• Manage program budget to ensure alignment between effort and outcomes, monitoring cost reports, and partnering with stakeholders on invoicing, spending, and reporting. 
• Contribute to partner management activities, including identifying and screening new partners, developing MOUs and contracts. Conduct regular work planning, budget monitoring, project documentation, reporting reviews, and problem-solving discussions with partner organizations. 

• Contribute to strategic decision-making around project prioritization, risk mitigation, and contingency planning in collaboration with Program Management Team and senior staff.  
• Support communications efforts, including public outreach, web, social media, events, PR launches, and the collection of impact data. 
• Conduct local trainings and provide educational technical assistance to implementation/distribution partners, develop and review localized versions of teaching and learning materials, and provide educational review of repackaged and new video content (education, linguistic, cultural).

Engagement:

• Coordinate with various internal and external stakeholders, including consortium partners, finance and legal departments, third-party individuals and organizations, and department and functional team members who own relationships and program outcomes. 
• Coordinate with Compliance and Risk Management team to support compliance with internal policies and donor regulations and requirements  
• Serve as a representative of Sesame Workshop within the Play to Learn consortium and assist in representing our work to key stakeholders, including local implementing partners, funding partners, government bodies, and UN agencies.
• Partner with Regional Director and Play to Learn staff to help raise Sesame Workshop and Play to Learn, and Ahlan Simsim profile in the Middle East.

Minimum Qualifications Required:

• 4+ years of professional experience in program management. 
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple ongoing projects and ensure timely delivery. 
• Knowledge of work plans, budgets, timelines, communication tools, and key performance indicators. 
• Proficiency with productivity tools including Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and online communication tools including Slack, Teams, Zoom. 
• Proficiency in social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube). 
• Based in Amman, Jordan and legally eligible for employment in the country.
• Fluency in Arabic and English languages.
• Ability to travel regularly throughout the region.

Other Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in education, child development, social impact, media, or other related fields preferred. 
• Other Middle Eastern languages and dialects a plus.

• Flexible thinker who can proactively identify and creatively solve challenges to keep programs on track. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills to navigate cross-functional departments to achieve alignment around goals. 

Equal Opportunity Employment (EOE) Statement

Sesame Workshop is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy-related condition, familial status, domestic violence victim status, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

PSEA Statement

Sesame Workshop is an equal-opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on the business needs, job requirements & suitability of the candidate. Sesame Workshop strictly follows the Child Safeguarding Policy, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of program participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Sesame Workshop staff, consultants, visitors to the program and partner organization, and the standards of behavior expected from them.