Job Vacancies at Bridge International Academies

Based outside Lagos

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 enrol 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 at Bridge

The operations department is responsible for the critical performance of our entire network of academies in East Africa, including operations, marketing, personnel management, instructional delivery, expenses & payroll, parent and community relations, facilities, and more.

About the role

The Programme Officer is responsible for supporting the Programme Manager in ensuring each academy has the proper number of teachers to teach all classes, creating and operationalizing academy personnel disciplinary policy, and coordinating teacher and Academy Manager (AM) recruiting at existing academies.

What You Will Do

• Ensure all teachers and Academy Managers have downloaded scripts for each day
• Ensure the Script Availability report is working (including conducting field tests)
• Ensure the stored procedure for mapping lessons to teachers has been programmed by the scheduler team and that schedules received are in-line with this
• Synching daily to check for availability and correctness of schedules on Smartphone and Teacher Computers
• Communicate with the scheduling team cases of missing or incorrect scripts noted or reported by academies via CRM tickets and communicate this information back to academies
• Ensure the Lesson Schedules v2 report is working (including conducting field tests)
• Ensure each teacher is fulfilling their mandate in delivering lessons every day of class
• Overseeing early KCPE preparation and collection of documents from parents
• Take disorganized data coming from multiple sources eg. phone call results, emails, surveys and organize that data into specific data repositories (Microsoft Excel; software systems) according to the appropriate format
• Create simple data tables in Microsoft Excel for further analysis
• Screen CRM for issues related to the above programmes and respond to those issues accordingly
• Create surveys to collect specific data

What You Should Have

• Bachelor’s degree in any business related field
• 2-3 years’ experience in a fast paced environment
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Experience working with Navision is a plus
• Experience working with a culturally and socioeconomically diverse workforce
• Ability to handle multiple high demand projects
• Good organizational and persuasive skills.
• Keen eye for detail
• Efficient report writing skills.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills

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 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 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).  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 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.

go to method of application »

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 enrol 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/Programme Manager]
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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

go to method of application »

Based outside Lagos

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.

[Technology/Information Technology]

The IT Manager role will ensure the provision of superior customer service throughout the business, through the maintenance, enhancement and efficient operation of IT functions. Additionally, the role will include responsibility for ensuring the security and integrity of IT operations and systems, as well as the line management of IT officers.

The flexibility to work outside normal business hours is integral to this role, as is the ability to work under broad direction and minimal supervision.

What You Will Do:

• The role holder will work collaboratively within the IT Team to achieve the following:
• Provide first point of IT Support contact for all Bridge staff, covering all hardware, software and associated peripherals.
• Deploy computers, academy technology, and associated peripherals including new installations and redeployment of existing equipment.
• Install and configure operating systems and software to agreed standards under the direction of the Director of IT and other senior IT personnel.
• Manage the local area network and internet connection
• Recommend, source, install, and maintain network equipment such as firewalls, routers, and switches
• Maintain existing equipment to standards, by performing upgrades, new installations, and carrying out routine procedures.
• Assist in the compilation and maintenance of an accurate inventory of hardware and software, and ensuring that records are kept up-to-date within the service desk system.
• Ensure network security through installation of appropriate hardware and software, as well development of IT policies
• Troubleshoot technical issues to resolution and/or escalate to colleagues, suppliers, or partner organizations as required.
• Log all incidents and service requests in Bridge’s designated service desk system, where necessary login on behalf of Bridge staff.
• Manage service desk tickets, planning and prioritizing systematically to minimize backlog and ensure operational efficiency.
• Expedite the repair of hardware faults and software configuration problems, notifying or forwarding to the relevant suppliers in a timely manner.
• Work with colleagues to monitor performance of Bridge systems, ensuring that issues are appropriately escalated and resolved.
• Supervise, train, and mentor junior staff members in all of the above.
• Provide technical assistance to project teams and undertake technical project roles when required.
• Manage IT infrastructure improvement projects, including scheduling and budgeting.
• Demonstrate commitment to and promotion of a culture of service excellence and continual improvement within the IT Department.
• Maintain and develop excellent working relationships with key suppliers, conducting dealings in a professional and appropriate manner.
• Provide at all times a professional, courteous and rapid response to individual users.

Professional Requirements

• Excellent technical knowledge of PC/Mac hardware
• Working technical knowledge of current protocols, operating systems, and standards
• Software and hardware troubleshooting
• Windows desktop (7/8) and Windows Server (at least 2008) experience
• Routers, switches, and firewall experience
• Microsoft Office 2007/2010 support
• Active Directory administration
• TCP/IP
• Experience working and training on a variety of IT subjects and applications
• Excellent Writing and oral communication skills
• Good research skills, including ability to identify and propose solutions to issues/crisis
• Knowledge of Android technologies, Smart Phones, LAN and Wi-Fi configurations
• Assets
• Experience with admin of Microsoft systems such as Navision, IIS, or Sharepoint.
• Experience with AWS

What You should have

• A Degree from a recognized university with top marks in Computer Science or a related discipline
• 5-10 years relevant IT/industry work experience
• Experience working within a fast-paced environment
• Relevant Microsoft certification

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.

go to method of application »

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 enrol 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.

[People Operations/Program Officer]
People are at the core of what we do, from the teachers in our academies to software developers building our tech platform – and we do it at massive scale with rapid growth. The People Operations team is the key in unlocking “people potential” towards achieving our company’s goals. We believe in:

• Focusing on operational excellence and execution - we want to make our employees' and their managers' lives simpler, and give them the tools and support to be successful. We must excel first and foremost on service delivery.
• Using analytics/data to drive key decisions and continuous improvement - across core HR competencies like compensation, performance, talent, we believe that an analytical approach will enable us to attract, reward, and retain top performers.
• Aligning with the company's strategic objectives - we are all playing for the same team. The human resources function, along with finance, operations, legal, and other functional areas, should be fully in sync.

About the Role
The Program Officer, People Operations role is a generalist position that operates at the front lines of Human Resources at Bridge.

The ideal candidate should exceptionally possess high attention to detail, a strong work ethic, and ability to manage multiple workflows and projects simultaneously. You are level-headed, disciplined, and thoroughly understand that HR must protect the Company’s interests and policies and guide employees through their career life-cycles at Bridge at the same time. 

You have a very good understanding of HR best practices and employment/labour law frameworks in Nigeria and are certified by the CIPM or its equivalent. Last but not least – you are a gritty, never-say-die doer who relishes challenges

What You Will Do:

• Separations Process: lead separations processes, including department, asset, and financial handovers - involves IT, Admin, and Payroll Accountant
• Onboarding Process: lead teams from IT, Admin, etc. in ensuring that staff are successfully on boarded
• Payroll Verification: work with Payroll Accountant to ensure that all contractors and employees are properly represented with the right deductions/additions, if any. Generate monthly report for managers on headcount
• Staff Benefits: supporting staff with questions about health coverage, managing additions to coverage, dealing with other health coverage issues
• Immigration/Work Permits/Expat Services: dealing with immigration issues/working with immigration consultants
• Asset Management: ensure that all staff have the assets they need; deal with asset recovery processes and exchanges/one-off needs. Heavy interfacing with IT and Admin
• Leave Management: assist employees with leave, generate monthly report for managers on leave balances
• Disciplinary Procedures: work with the People Ops. Director on managing these procedures
• Appeals, Grievances, Investigations: lead these processes with some direction from the People Ops. Director
• Staff Documentation: ensuring that offer letters, contracts, probation confirmations, and change of status documents are appropriately handled

What You Should Have:

• Strong adherence to systems and process
• Experience working with a culturally and socioeconomically diverse workforce
• Minimum of four years of full-time work experience in Human Resources
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office; technologically competent/quick learner
• Work experience in fast-growth, rapid-scale contexts, particularly with large numbers of field staff
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
• High energy and enthusiasm level; willingness to do whatever necessary to get the job done
• Microsoft Dynamics NAV experience preferred
• Bachelor's Degree, preferably with Business Administration and/or Human Resources course specialization, with exemplary academic performance
• CIPM certified (or it's recognized equivalent)

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.

N.B: The role is based outside Lagos.