Director of Technical Services - Sierra Leone

About Imagine Worldwide

All children have immense potential, but hundreds of millions don’t have access to the learning they need. Imagine Worldwide’s mission is to empower millions of children across Sub-Saharan Africa with the literacy and numeracy skills they need to reach their full potential. We provide a tablet-based, personalized learning solution designed for the most challenging environments. Nine Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) across multiple countries and settings have shown dramatic learning gains, increased school attendance, and gender parity, all for less than $7 per child per year.

Imagine Worldwide partners with governments, organizations, and communities to provide child-directed, tablet-based learning that is accessible, effective, and affordable. We are a California-based (United States) nonprofit organization operating across seven Sub-Saharan African countries. Learn more on our website.

 

About the Role

The Director of Technical Services 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 Sierra Leone and Imagine’s Head of Technology and Supply Chain, to manage Imagine’s path to the national adoption of our edtech program, in Sierra Leone.

 

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Technical Services will take overall responsibility for technology, data governance, management of technical service providers, repairs and maintenance, health and safety requirements for Imagine Worldwide Sierra Leone’s tablet learning programs, as well as the institutionalization of the program in selected regions with engagement with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Schol Education, MBSSE.

Lead Imagine’s mission to advance literacy and numeracy outcomes with an intent to unlock the potential of children in Sierra Leone:

• Facilitate a rollout and demonstrate successful implementation of tablet learning to advance literacy and numeracy outcomes in an initial 750 public primary schools by 2026 (serving over 150k students per year), 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 Sierra Leone by 2035. 
• Institutionalise the program within existing structures of MBSSE.

Provide technology leadership:

• Manage the country’s technology strategy including, objectives, resource allocation, and plan adequately to support technical infrastructure requirements for reliable program implementation and monitoring;
• Develop and manage technology plans, budgets, schedules, and milestones across all existing sites, and support the expansion to new sites
•  Apply and improve the Imagine Playbook (program manuals, processes, templates, and workplans) for implementation of technology tools and data governance, customizing for local context as required to maximize time on task
• Build relationships with technical leaders in the Ministry, develop strategies to support the Ministry’s technology and data agenda, and advocate for Imagine’s technology and data strategy and systems
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to the technical leads of our Implementation Service Providers (ISPs), ensuring adherence to key programmatic objectives
• Source and vet local partners for internet connectivity such as mobile operators and/or satellite providers, as well as additional local Technical Service Providers (TSPs) as required to assist with installations for ancillary equipment such as antennas, alarms, or routers and collaborate with Director of Finance and Operations to process orders
•  Ensure effective communications between Imagine, the ISPs, the TSPs, and the Ministry, by detailing key technical activities, challenges, and programmatic needs to achieve program success and be the primary liaison with the MBSSE’s Directorate of Technical Support Services
•  Manage program risks with creative problem-solving and escalation as required

Oversee software and hardware testing and quality assurance: 

• Design and support quality assurance processes for onebillion (learning) software and Open Learning Architecture (Learning Management Software), any other applications and platforms helpful in program implementation, and management of tablets, wifi routers, and other electronic equipment, by reviewing test plans and ensuring alignment with programmatic objectives
• Oversee functional testing of all hardware and equipment and maintain the status of all equipment on inventory systems
• Establish and manage an Imagine test lab and oversee pilot testing at the lab and selected target schools, ensuring adequate engagement with Ministry stakeholders
• Compile, share, and report test results to Imagine Worldwide and stakeholders and advocate for Imagine’s interests
•  Manage rollout of tested and approved software updates across all schools

Manage and improve the data pipeline and data quality of programs: 

•  Continuously assess the integrity of the data pipeline across tablets, servers, routers, mobile network connectivity, network boosters, and satellite connectivity to maximize the number of schools reporting program data remotely
• Design and oversee testing processes for data quality of data obtained from tablets, monitoring systems, and other tools used to support the program
• Develop strategies to ascertain data accuracy, completeness, timeliness, consistency, and integrity
• Develop strategies to conduct data validation and cleansing, where required.

Lead new school installations:

• Manage Technical Service Providers (TSPs) for the launch of new schools including security cabinet, solar, alarm, and wifi router installations
• Lead the sourcing and vetting of local Technical Service Providers (TSPs) for the fabrication and installation of storage security cabinets for the program, and collaborate with the Director of Finance and Operations to select vendors
• Develop school installation plans and schedules in collaboration with Imagine Worldwide and TSPs to ensure efficient and speedy installations and school launches.

Lead IT asset management, repairs, and maintenance of program equipment: 

• Oversee asset management monitoring the equipment in the field, in terms of tracking to maximize visibility of equipment at school sites and optimize uptime and equipment performance
• Collaborate with the Director of Finance and Operations to co-ordinate reverse logistics required to enable repairs of program equipment
• Collaborate with Imagine Worldwide and the Ministry, to design a centralized repairs model and ultimately expand to a decentralized repairs model that leverages the capabilities of the local ecosystem to ensure long-term sustainability
• Oversee diagnostics of faulty equipment, stocking of spare parts, repairs and warranty claims
• Manage repairs and maintenance KPIs to maximize the lifetime of the equipment (maintenance costs, repair turnover, spare parts and tools ordering process, warranty claims).

Manage Occupational Health & Safety of program equipment: 

• Oversee implementation of health and safety policies for Imagine in the country with clear physical safety precautions for electrical equipment, physical security of high-value items
• Assess and mitigate risks for fire, electrical shocks, and any potential dangers to learners, educators, partners and staff
• Assess and mitigate risks of theft or loss of high-value items
• Identify and partner with e-waste disposal organisation to manage disposal of program equipment that has reached end-of-life, and responsible use and disposal of electronic products.

Provide capacity building and technical training: 

• Develop materials and conduct training for software updates, data collection, and issue management for Imagine ICT staff, ISP’s ICT staff and government ICT staff
• Build capacity of team members, implementation partners, ministry staff, and district officials to adopt and using the standardised systems and tools that enable us to manage programs efficiently and effectively at scale
• Coach and mentor team members, field officers and Ministry staff to identify and resolve implementation issues in order to maximise time-on-task.
• Build a network of basic and advanced technical skills to maintain the program in the long-term.

 

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field such as Technology, Engineering, IT Project Management or any engineering discipline
• 10+ years of proven work experience as a technical or engineering executive or similar role, with a minimum of 5 years experience managing a team, preferably in an NGO context.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Ability to communicate technical information clearly, and excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• Experience managing multi-site and multi-vendor IT projects
• Experience managing software and hardware quality assurance and testing processes 
• Experience managing data quality, data governance and data protection requirements
• Proven facilitation and technical training skills with diverse audiences
• Strong knowledge of computer hardware and software
•  Experience of both iOS and Android operating systems
• Experience of using Github issues or similar to report and triage bugs
• Mac OS experience is beneficial

Additional Skills 

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills and ability to proactively manage and resolve conflicts 
• Strong organizational skills, superior attention to detail, ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines  
• Ability to adaptive strategies to address complex operational challenges 
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural environments and teams 
• 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 Director of Technical Services must be based in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

 

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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.