Jobs and Careers

TERM : 

Short-Term

JOB DESCRIPTION : 

JSSP’s efforts seek to advance academic and practical knowledge in specific areas of the law, aligning them with the ongoing judicial reform agenda. Specifically, JSSP is enhancing the capacity of university law schools and the Justice Academy (JA) to provide essential knowledge and improve the skills of their students and attendees. It also aims to strengthen the practical skills of law students and young lawyers. While legal education in Armenia continues to evolve, the traditional model of lectures, memorization, and recitation still dominates most law school classes. The system has faced criticism for lacking integrity, particularly in relation to plagiarism, and for not placing enough emphasis on critical thinking or practical skills courses and teaching.

In December 2023, JSSP held a two-day workshop on interactive teaching pedagogy, attended by 31 law professors from different Armenian universities. As a direct follow-up to this activity, JSSP will develop a teaching manual on Armenian Constitutional Law for university professors. This manual will include interactive teaching methods and specific classroom exercises. The purpose of the manual is to enhance teaching processes, enabling law professors to use new techniques and draw from the best international practices. The manual will supplement the existing teaching and learning materials available at partner universities.

A specific deliverable is outlined below, which is subject to be amended by USAID and/or the JSSP team during the assignment.
- Teaching manual on Armenian Constitutional Law for University Professors, which includes fictitious and non- fictitious tasks/problems and is in the form of situational problems, diagrams, and charts.

This position reports to the JSSP Chief of Party. The JSSP Deputy Chief of the Party and designated Specialist will serve as a primary point of contact.
The proposed level of effort for this assignment is up to 30 days. The authorized work week is five days per week and eight hours per day. The estimated period of assignment is from October 14, 2024, to January 31, 2025. The National Expert will not be required to be present at the JSSP’s office and may work in his/her own office with coordinated meetings with designated personnel of the Project.

RESPONSIBILITIES : 

The primary objective of the assignment for the National Expert is to prepare the Teaching Manual on Armenian Constitutional Law for university professors in the form of situational problems, diagrams, and charts, which will contribute to the formation and development of students' analytical skills and will include both fictitious and non-fictitious tasks/problems.

TASKS
In furtherance of this assignment, the Expert will:
- Analyze relevant national legislation (Constitution Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court, etc.), and any other documents necessary for identifying the structure and development of interactive teaching manual for the professors;
- Review similar and available teaching materials, guidebooks, which include situational problems, diagrams, and charts;
- Conduct consultations with interested parties such as university leadership, professors, lawyers, and legal experts, if necessary;
- Draft the teaching manual to comprehensively cover essential constitutional law topics, incorporating interactive methodologies to foster a dynamic and engaging learning experience for students;
- The manual should include interactive teaching methods and specific exercises for classroom use, covering both fictitious and non-fictitious tasks/problems, situational problems, diagrams, and charts.

This may also include:
- Examining landmark Constitutional Court cases;
- Addressing current constitutional issues;
- Identifying and discussing contemporary debates and emerging challenges related to constitutional law;
- Developing engaging case studies, simulations, debate topics, and problem-solving exercises to promote active learning;
- Creating effective lecture notes, discussion questions, assignments, and assessment methods to support student understanding;
- Make relevant amendments to the teaching manual based on feedback received from the JSSP team;
- Develop presentation and other materials, if necessary.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS : 

- Level 3 English (good working knowledge) and native fluency in Armenian (required);
- Master’s Degree in law is required (Ph.D is preferred);
- Minimum 5 years of teaching experience (required);
- Specialization in Armenian Constitutional Law (required) and knowledge of the Armenian constitutional system;
- Previous experience in implementing legal research and drafting teaching manuals (preferred);
- Familiarity with the structure and functioning of the Armenian university system (required);
- Ability to collaborate effectively with the national stakeholders (such as Higher Educational Institutions, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports) and incorporate their input in the deliverables, if necessary;
- Track record of academic publications (preferred);
- Previous track of successful cooperation with international development agencies (USAID, Council of Europe, UNDP, etc.) is an advantage.

Other requirements:
- Analytical and problem-solving skills;
- Collaborative and proactive approach to working with cross-functional team;
- Ability to work both within a team and independently;
- Strong writing and editing skills in Armenian.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES : 

Candidates who are interested in the position should submit their applications by sending a detailed CV and a brief cover letter to: [email protected]. The deadline for applications is 8 October 2024, or until the position is filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only pre-selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. To facilitate the process, we kindly request applicants to refrain from making phone calls.

Please clearly mention in your application letter that you learned of this job opportunity through Career Center and mention the URL of its website - www.careercenter.am. Thanks.

OPEN TO/ ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA : 

Only Armenian citizens are eligible for this position.

ABOUT : 

The USAID Justice Sector Support Project (JSSP) is a five-year program designed to support the Government of Armenia (GOAM) in establishing a more fair and equitable justice system and increasing public confidence in the rule of law. The Project activities advance the functional independence and effectiveness of the judicial branch by strengthening the efficiency and capacity of courts, relevant self-regulatory agencies, and educational institutions, as well as by facilitating multi-stakeholder oversight of the implementation of justice sector reforms.