About Company

This is an exciting opportunity to join Umuzi and African Coding Network (ACN) at a pivotal point of growth. We are seeking a strategic and detail-oriented Researcher to contribute significantly to the development of our core projects. This role represents a significant step forward for our organisation, formalising a service offering that will be critical to our relationships with key partners and funders, including UNICEF. As our Researcher, you will not only help us build our capacity but also be a vital part of securing larger-scale development partnerships, in supporting young people across Africa to become economically active in the digital economy.

This position entails responsibilities that will require a strong understanding of digital literacy, pedagogical principles, regional and cultural differences, as well as digital platform development. This role will involve conducting research, facilitating meetings with stakeholders, finalizing toolkits and assessment tools, scoping and reporting on various projects and contributing to the creation of an African Digital Competencies standard/framework.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

UGANDA DIGITAL COMPETENCIES FRAMEWORK AND TOOLKIT:

Support the development of a Uganda-specific Digital Competencies Framework and Toolkit. Support the development of tailored monitoring and assessment tools, corresponding to the learning outcomes of the Digital Skills Modules.

Finalise the development of the toolkit based on feedback from the testing/piloting process, including facilitating meetings with key government stakeholders to collect feedback and apply changes to the content.

REGIONAL DIGITAL COMPETENCIES FRAMEWORK AND TOOLKIT:

Collaboratively develop a comprehensive regional Digital Competencies Framework and Toolkit that can be adapted to various contexts across Africa.

Engage regional stakeholders, share best practices, and adapt the framework and toolkit to suit diverse contexts across the continent.

DIGITAL LEARNING TO EARNING OPPORTUNITIES RESEARCH:

Research and report on access to scalable digital/blended learning to earning opportunities for marginalised young people in Eastern and Southern Africa, focusing on specific countries like Burundi, Uganda, and South Africa.

GRANT WRITING & REPORTING:

Identify relevant funding opportunities that align with the organisation's mission and capabilities.

Write compelling funding proposals, including the development of budgets, monitoring, and evaluation plans, etc.

Compile reports for partners, funders, and other stakeholders, presenting progress, findings, and future plans in a clear and effective manner.

Help to frame, facilitate, and report on operational research across the organisation to document its activities, outputs, outcomes and impact.

PREFERRED SKILLS

Although not a formal requirement, the successful candidate is likely to have a Bachelor's degree in Education, Research, or related field, and given the research focus of this role, a Master's degree or PhD would be an advantage.

Minimum 3 years previous experience in a research role within the nonprofit sector, digital literacy and/or pedagogy.

Familiarity with digital learning platforms and digital competency frameworks would be beneficial.

Experience in grant writing, proposal submissions and technical reporting.

Excellent writing and communication skills, with a particular strength in producing high-quality reports and donor proposals

Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex information and present it in a clear, concise manner.

Ability to work effectively in a diverse & inclusive team environment.

Cultural awareness and sensitivity to work effectively with diverse groups.

Ability to work independently and take initiative.

Proficiency in English; knowledge of other languages within Eastern and Southern Africa is advantageous 

Willingness to travel as required.

This position provides the opportunity to be part of an organisation committed to supporting young people on their learning to earning journeys, especially in Africa. If you are passionate about making a difference and believe in our mission, we encourage you to apply.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit their CV, two relevant writing samples of work they have done, along with a motivation letter outlining their suitability for the role, why they are interested in this position and how their skills meet the requirements of the role using this link. 

We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of their background. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in progressive movements and we are committed to progressively shifting this landscape. We are particularly keen to receive applications from African nationals; people with disabilities and people who identify as being LGTBQI+.