Director of Programs at Imagine Worldwide Tanzania

Imagine Worldwide Tanzania (Imagine-TZ) is a non-profit organization affiliated with Imagine Worldwide (IW), a global NGO committed to transforming education through innovative technology. Imagine-TZ seeks to demonstrate that children when provided with access to personalized, tablet-based learning can acquire foundational literacy and numeracy skills with minimal adult supervision. By leveraging evidence-based digital learning solutions, IW partners with governments, schools, and communities to expand access to quality education for underserved children across the country. Literacy and numeracy skills are the basis for a better life and the positive benefits to health, wealth, and social outcomes are multi-generational. However, 9 out of 10 children across Sub-Saharan Africa cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10. Imagine works with partners worldwide to confront this crisis, using data and research to continuously refine and scale its foundational learning solution.

Imagine- TZ has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), the President's Office - Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) in Zanzibar to implement a program known as MsingiTek. This program will be rolled out in five regions of mainland (Morogoro, Manyara, Shinyanga, Tabora, and Ruvuma) as well as across 11 districts of Zanzibar. The first phase of the program, launching in May 2025, will reach 533 public primary schools (500 in mainland Tanzania and 33 in Zanzibar) over the course of 15 months. If MsingTek demonstrates improvements in literacy and numeracy outcomes, it will be scaled nationwide in close collaboration with the government. This initiative has the potential to transform the learning journey for millions of children across Tanzania.

About The Role

The Director of Programs will play an instrumental role in carrying out Imagine's mission, to design, deliver and scale tablet-based learning solutions that enable children to become literate and numerate. The Director will join a highly committed and collaborative team that is working together to empower every child, everywhere to achieve their full potential. They will work directly with the Executive Director of Imagine Tanzania and Imagine's Head of Programs, to manage Imagine's path to the national adoption of our edtech program, in Tanzania.

Mission and Objectives

The Director of Programs will take overall responsibility for the implementation of our tablet learning program in Tanzania and the institutionalization of the program in selected regions with engagement with ministries of TAMISEMI and MoEST.

Mission: Lead Imagine's mission to advance literacy and numeracy outcomes with an intent to unlock the potential of children in Tanzania.

Objectives:

• Facilitate a rollout and demonstrate successful implementation of tablet learning to advance literacy and numeracy outcomes in an initial 500 public primary schools by end of 2027, with strong evidence of learning impact, to enable nationwide adoption of the program and secure support from larger funders.
• Advance the program to nationwide scale serving all public primary schools in Tanzania by 2035.
• Institutionalise the program within existing structures of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and TAMESEMI.

Key Responsibilities

The responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to, the following:

Ensure high-quality program implementation of the tablet-learning program:

• Oversee the delivery of core program activities, assess resource requirements and plan adequately to support implementation, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation
• Develop and manage overall project plans, budgets, schedules and milestones across all existing sites, and support the expansion to new sites
• Apply the Imagine Playbook (program manuals, processes, templates and work plans) for program implementation, customizing for local context as required to maximize time on task
• Source and vet Implementation Service Partners (ISPs) and/or field officers, train, manage and performance manage ISPs and/or field officers
• Coordinate and lead program design, training and monitoring in our various sites
• Provide technical recommendations and guidance to implementation partners, ensuring adherence to key programmatic objectives
• Ensure effective communications between Imagine, the ISPs and the Ministry, by detailing key activities, challenges, and programmatic needs to achieve program success
• Manage program risks with creative problem-solving and escalation as required.
• Provide technical recommendations and guidance to implementation partners, ensuring adherence to key programmatic and donor objectives;

Provide operational leadership of the country team:

• Oversee and manage quality data collection to facilitate effective monitoring of program activities against a set program quality benchmarks
• Lead efforts to establish data-driven practices for measuring program effectiveness and the use of quantitative metrics to guide strategic adjustments and enable continuous improvement of all program operations
• Oversee implementation of strong accountability and beneficiary / community feedback mechanisms, including quality assurance of established processes
• Capture key lessons and findings to inform evidence-based program design and implementation.

Provide strong program leadership and drive opportunities for scaling:

• Develop Imagine's relationships with the key stakeholders including the MoEST, TAMESEMI, local mayors, funders and other key leaders to support the potential for scaling of the project;
• Support dissemination of project outcomes and learnings with internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or higher
• 10-15 years of proven work experience as an operations executive, senior operator or similar role, with a minimum of 5 years experience managing a team ; some management consulting experience is preferable

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Significant experience in managing successful program scaling. In particular, experience scaling with government agencies and/or implementation partners
• Proven track record in managing scale operations in complex environments working with multiple partners
• Demonstrate proven expertise in fostering partnerships, particularly with governmental bodies, to achieve program integration within local systems
• Ability to design and implement adaptive strategies that address complex operational challenges within emerging markets, ensuring program resilience and scalability
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills and ability to proactively manage and resolve conflicts
• Excellent understanding of budgets, financial processes, reporting requirements, and compliance regulations within donor-funded grants and contracts
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural environments and teams
• Strong organizational skills, superior attention to detail, ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Experience with leading data-driven decision-making to continuously improve program outcomes

Additional Skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English (required)
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural environments and teams
• Strong organizational skills and superior attention to detail
• Experience in managing multi-site and multi-vendor orders at the international level
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Ability to engage in proactive problem-solving and issue-resolution

Qualities

• Passion for Imagine's mission and vision
• Demonstrated commitment to equity in educational access and outcomes
• Passion for project management
• Demonstrated ability to think independently and solve problems
• Collaborative team player; clear and proactive communicator
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to work in a fast-paced, changing environment

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Location

The Program Director must be based in Dar es Salem, Tanzania.

Imagine Worldwide is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.