Quality Assurance Associate at Bridge International Academies

The Bridge Approach

Education is in crisis in many countries around the world. It is estimated that 264 million children and young people are out of school, and 330 million children are in school but not learning. In addition, an extra 69 million teachers are needed to achieve the 2030 UN education goals.

Many education systems are plagued with inadequate materials and poor management systems, all leading to chronic teacher absenteeism and a lack of learning. Education reform is challenging but it is urgently required if we are to prevent another generation of children missing out. So, we work in partnership with governments, NGOs and non-state actors to address the huge education imbalance between what is available and what is needed right now — we work to bridge the gap.

We believe parents have the right to choose a school for their children and we enable families to enjoy seeing their children learn, improve and flourish at Bridge schools. We locate our schools in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the world. Families in our communities can be earning just $1.90 per person a day; a level the World Bank notes is at extreme poverty. By putting learning at the centre of all we do, Bridge has become an extremely popular choice for underserved families and low-income communities.

With plans to enroll ten million students ten years from now, Bridge offers a tremendous opportunity to grow with one of the world’s most exciting and ambitious social enterprises, with leadership roles available across a number of competencies and geographies.

[Operations/Quality Assurance]

About the Role:

Quality Assurance Associates are the eyes and ears of the organization. Quality Assurance Associates are part of an existing highly-trained quality monitoring team focusing on systematic academy-level monitoring.

What You Will Do:

• Ensure schools are compliant with procedural requirements through processes of quality control and audit checklists of academy operations and management tools, materials and processes by:
  • Paying visits to a set schools each day (as assigned by the Quality Assurance Manager)
  • Performing audits via the smartphone
  • Reporting the information back to HQ.
• Provide valuable insights into critical operational issues based on school visit observations
• Work with HQ to ensure that the school teaching and management systems and tools are well implemented and maintained as per Bridge standards at individual schools both by School Heads and by teachers.
• Quality Assurance Associates will travel every single day to schools and are expected to spend a fair amount of time on the road.

Competencies

The right hire for this position is someone with a keen eye for details, organized and a strong sense integrity. You report what you see and cannot be persuaded to falsify or omit information because you understand that accurate information is important to driving continuous improvement.  You are someone with a strong desire for excellence and making sure standards are met.

Professional Requirement

• Highly organized, detail-oriented and able to manage multiple tasks within tight deadlines
• Hard working with a positive can-do attitude; is able and willing to take on any challenge
• Able to "stand his/her ground" and not be convinced by any School heads , teachers or anyone to change the audit information
• Mature and independent - supervision will largely be done from HQ while you operate in the field
• Adept at using the smartphone and email programs.
• Aptitude for learning new IT systems/applications 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Prior experience conducting audits or experience in a quality assurance role is a plus
• Willingness to travel every day in all weather

What You Should Have

• A-Level certificate. High Diploma or University graduate is an added advantage.

You Are Also:

• Proactive – You don’t always need supervision and you are a self-starter. Your personal drive to succeed and deliver keeps you working when you may not have a supervisor with you.
• A detailed doer - You have a track record of getting things done.  You’re organized and responsive.  You take ownership of every idea you touch and execute it to a fine level of detail, setting targets, engaging others, and doing whatever it takes to get the job done.  You can multi-task dozens of such projects at once and never lose sight of the details.  Likely, you have some experience in a start-up or other rapid-growth company. 
• A networking mastermind- You excel at meeting new people and turning them into advocates.  You communicate in a clear, conscientious, and effective way in both written and oral speech.  You can influence strangers in the course of a single conversation.  Allies and colleagues will go to bat for your ideas. 
• A creative problem-solver- Growing any business from scratch comes with massive and constant challenges.  On top of that, Bridge works in volatile, low-resource communities and runs on fees averaging around $7 a month per pupil. You need to be flexible and ready to get everything done effectively, quickly, and affordably with the materials at hand. 
• A customer advocate- Our customers – these families living on less than $2 a day per person – never leave your mind. You know them, get them, have shared a meal with them (or would be happy to in the future).  You would never shrink back from shaking a parent’s hand or picking up a crying child, no matter what the person was wearing or looked like. Every decision you make considers their customer benefit, experience, and value.
• A malleable learner -You believe you can always do better.  You welcome constructive criticism and provide it freely to others.  You know you only get better tomorrow when others point out where you’ve missed things or failed today