Director, Academics at Kwara State Government

About The Role

• The Director Academics for KwaraLEARN will ultimately be responsible for educational outcomes across schools.
• The Director Academics will project manage all academic events and initiatives for KwaraLEARN. This work will require coordination between NewGlobe education specialists known as Shared Services who work in instructional design, production, training, and innovation. The Academic Director serves as the link between Shared Services and the information from schools, government officials, and civil society. This work will be codified in a yearly academic plan, which the Academic Director owns.
• Within the KwaraLEARN team, the Director Academics will work with all departments (e.g. Operations, Schools, People Operations) to ensure that all schools have the right operational conditions for learning to take place. The Director Academics is the resident expert that will push for student achievement through defending KwaraLEARN approach and educating government officials, fellow staff members, and school communities.
• The KwaraLEARN programme is a dynamic one that is changing the way students learn in Kwara through proven methods and constant innovation. The Director Academics is central to unearthing what works in these classrooms. The Director Academics, in collaboration with Shared Services, will design, implement and assess various targeted projects that build on the quality of the KwaraLEARN programme.

What You Will Do

• Lead execution and interdepartmental coordination of the core academic program in Kwara through the creation of the Academic Plan
• Advocating for learning outcomes and serving as the KwaraLEARN academic expert for other departments
• Providing feedback to the Instructional Design team, in order to improve learning outcomes and culturally contextualise what is taught in Kwara
• Representing KwaraLEARN with key state stakeholders, including but not limited to SUBEB, MOE, UBEC, and other government education officials
• Conducting necessary market and regulatory research to inform instructional systems and policies (timetable, teacher specialty configurations, retention policies, exam policy, placement policy)
• Identify areas of growth within our Academic offerings and create programmes/policies that improve student learning and school operations
• Manage the Academics team based in your territory, namely the Programme Manager
• The Director, Academics will report to the Managing Director.

What You Should Have

• The Director, Academics must be a data-driven individual with experience developing and managing cultures of high performance and high expectations. You must be a great academic leader who understands exceptional instruction and can motivate and support others in realising a vision of academic excellence. Ideal candidates have worked in organisations with a proven track record of generating large learning gains.

In addition, the Director Academics must:

• Be a self-starter and problem-solver, who thinks three and four steps ahead.
• Be hard working and collaborative, with the tenacity to plough through challenges and an appreciation for teamwork toward achieving a shared vision.
• Be a fast learner and someone who is able to flourish in fast paced, dynamic, and sometimes ambiguous environments
• Be both detailed and results-oriented, driven by the data that will allow us to know what is working and what isn’t working for kids.
• Have strong project management skills and excellent organisational skills, with keen attention to detail and ability to follow up systematically on a broad set of initiatives and decisions
• Be an effective, articulate communicator who can represent NewGlobe to external audiences.
• Be humble and ready to “roll up your sleeves” to get things done

Education and Qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education or related field, graduate degrees preferred
• Experience working with primary schools as a teacher, school leader, or as part of a project
• Experience working as an in house or external consultant evaluating student learning or teacher development
• Experience writing reports and/or interpreting outcomes with government officials at SUBEB, MOE, UBEC, or similar organizations is a plus.