Job Vacancies at Bridge International Academies

About the Role

• The Construction Supervisor is responsible for the construction activities for the allocated Academy sites. This begins with appraisal of proposed new sites and includes ensuring that prior arrangements are made for effective project start up, smooth work progress and payments, effective decision making and finalised project close-out.
• S/he is also responsible for the liaison between the Academies sites and the headquarters in terms of information flows and record keeping.

What You Will Do

Site Appraisal:

• Carry out initial site visit, document the site characteristics, evaluate the implications of site conditions to construction and prepare a report.

Project Start-up:

• Carry out all tasks that are necessary for the construction to commence effectively and complete the start-up checklist for approval.

Contract management:

• Prepare or modify the standard contract for site specific issues, discuss it with the Site Foreman and manage it throughout the construction period.

Materials Management:

• Prepare or modify the standard schedule of materials, prepare materials requisitions, confirm orders and deliveries, ensure proper materials acceptance procedures are duly applied, retrieve from site and forward to headquarters the delivery notes and invoices, request payments and file away the payment acknowledgement.

Labour Management:

• Source qualified Site Foremen (where necessary), skilled and unskilled labourers, manage labour records, manage labour payments, retrieve from site and forward to headquarters the invoices and time sheets, request payments and file away the payment acknowledgement.

Programme Management:

• Carry out day-to-day monitoring of progress of work on site, tracking to ensure programme targets are met, planning and implementing remedial measures in case of programme slippage, including feedback information for programme improvement. Carry out early morning daily calls, prepare daily email reports and prepare weekly work programmes.

Workmanship and Quality Control:

• Communicate the quality standards, implement procedures to ensure that work meets them, monitor and provide feedback information for improved quality.

Payments:

• Compute or modify budget estimates for approval, prepare payment requests for approval, confirm and record payments completed and balances and file away the payment acknowledgement.

Records Management:

• Implement the proper entering and updating of site records including the site book, invoices, time sheets and prepare summary reports as required.

Labour Relations:

• Ensure the employment of only desirable workers on the Academy sites, maintain smooth labour relations and provide feedback information for improved quality.

Professional Requirements

• Should have good knowledge of basic construction technology and practices.
• Should be a good planner, well organized and able to carry out simple analysis tasks.
• Should be able to source skilled labour locally and handle labour-related issues arising on site from time to time.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills are required
• Good people management skills that result in timely meeting of deadlines
• Ability and willingness to accept instructions, accept criticism and positive feedback, while being very adaptable and flexible

What You Should Have

• Minimum Qualifications; Higher Diploma in Building, Construction, Civil Engineering , Quantity Surveying or any related field.
• Minimum of 3 years' experience in site supervision on busy sites preferably in labour intensive project
• Should have good knowledge of basic construction technology and practices.

You’re also:

• 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 startup or social enterprise.
• A creative problem-solver - Growing any enterprise from scratch comes with massive and constant challenges. On top of that, Bridge works in often challenging, low-resource communities and runs on fees averaging just $6 a month per pupil. You need to be flexible and ready to get everything done effectively, quickly, and affordably with the materials at hand. Every dollar you spend is a dollar our customers, who live on less than $2 a day, will have to pay for.
• 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). Every decision you make considers their customer benefit, experience, and value.
• A life-long 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.

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The Operations Team designs, implements, and manages academy-level operations and support. We are the nerve centre of the company.

About the Role

Certain aspects of what we do originate in other departments or teams – from Development, Marketing, Recruitment and Training, Finance or Human Resources – but end with Operations.  No matter how well other departments may complete their individual functions, it is up to Ops to be the interface that brings all academy-level support functions together.

The role of Programme Managers is a microcosm of the overarching goal of the entire Operations Team, broken down by specific functional components.  Each Programme Manager has a unique sphere that s/he is responsible for owning.  Within that realm of responsibility, Programme Managers identify and analyse operational needs, design strategies and processes to address these challenges, and supervise the necessary training, monitoring, and constant adjustments needed for these programmes to execute successfully.

What You Will Do

Programme Managers work closely with other departments to design and run these programmes.

Some of the deliverables Programme Managers are tasked with include:

• Teacher Staffing- Bridge promises to have a teacher in class every day of the academic year. To meet this promise to our parents, the Programme Manager must work closely with our Recruiting and Training and People Operations Departments to make sure we find effective ways of filling local vacancies and with our Customer Care Department to devise ways to manage our nationwide team of substitute teachers so that can immediately provide cover for any class missing a teacher due to sickness or other. The challenge is to efficiently and effectively provide coverage for over 4,500 classrooms across Kenya and Uganda.
• Academy Repairs – with over 400 academies, we need to continually ensure our academies are in good condition and account for both minor and major repairs. The Programme Manager must identify common challenges and problems and provide efficient and cost-effective solutions. This programme must work closely with our Construction Department and with regional managers to ensure quality repairs are carried out.
• Lesson Delivery – Bridge’s teachers use teacher computer tablets to deliver our Kenyan- and Ugandan-curriculum focused lessons every day. To make sure everything is working properly, the Programme Manager must analyse vast amounts of data to pinpoint any challenges in this process. This includes working closely with the Software Team to limit the number of technological issues that come up and to immediately solve those that do arise and coordinating with our Academic Team to devise strategies and processes to drive improvements in lesson deliveries.

What You Should Have

• Ideal candidates should have experience managing projects, identifying business challenges through data and observation, creating solutions for these issues, and overseeing an operational programme.
• They should be proficient analysing and managing large amounts of data and comfortable working closely with different departments and teams.
• Experience bringing ideas and programmes to scale, working at similar ambitious start-up companies, or building and managing teams across countries is an added plus. 
• Bachelor’s Degree required
• Masters preferred
• Minimum 3 years work experience required.

You’re also

• 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 startup or social enterprise.
• A creative problem-solver – Growing any enterprise from scratch comes with massive and constant challenges. On top of that, Bridge works in often challenging, low-resource communities and runs on fees averaging just $6 a month per pupil. You need to be flexible and ready to get everything done effectively, quickly, and affordably with the materials at hand. Every dollar you spend is a dollar our customers, who live on less than $2 a day, will have to pay for.
• 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). Every decision you make considers their customer benefit, experience, and value.
• A life-long 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.

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Who We Are

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.

The Administration Manager is responsible for overseeing all the administrative activities that facilitate the smooth running of the Bridge International Academies Office and can lead strategic projects and events to improve the well-being of Bridge staff. This person is a highly energetic, superstar idea generator, organizer, project manager, and Microsoft Office whiz that can manage several Administration assistants, and is willing to work whatever hours and times are needed to get things done. Last but not least, the Administration Manager is a friendly but firm presence in the office to ensure that all Company policies are being adhered to.

What You Will Do:

• Supervises and manages administrative assistants in the R&T team, HQ, Warehouse and Uganda(country office)
• Managing the duties of office cleaners, building security, and maintaining a relationship with building management to ensure that Bridge is receiving the correct level of service
• Lead the Administration Department in providing high quality service to the entire Company and any visitors, including maintaining regular quality tea service, front desk support, onboarding employees, etc.
• Manage security for the building – reviewing CCTV footage, ensuring that only authorized personnel are in the office, etc.
• Assist Bridge Staff with questions and concerns around the work environment
• Manage and maintain inventory and stock controls over administration assets (office supplies, furniture, etc.), leverage technology and systems to ensure that tracking is repeatable, scalable, and fail-safe
• Strategically manage the Company’s floor plan/layout and general office needs
• Ensure that the work environment is well kept and motivating for employees
• Organize company events, both in and out of the office

Professional Requirements

• Prior experience as an Administration Manager preferred; experience working in Administration
• Prior management and project management experience
• High energy, highly motivated personality but a stickler for rules
• Good communicator – verbal and written
• Available at all hours (when necessary) to attend to the office in person

What You Should Have

• Bachelor’s degree from a top academic institution with top marks
• Superb Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Very competent with technology platforms and quick to pick up new systems
• At least four years’ experience working in project management/fast-paced environments, ideally with an administrative bent

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.