Assistant, Program Delivery and Training (PD&T) - Katsina State

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About TaRL Africa

Position: Assistant, Program Delivery and Training (PD&T) - Katsina State

Reports to: Coordinator, Program & Coordinator, PD&T

Location: Katsina, Nigeria

Deadline: 31st October 2025

About TaRL Africa 

TaRL Africa initiative is hosted by Empower Learning Africa, a not-for-profit organisation registered and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with teams in Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Zambia, and locally registered offices in Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. TaRL Africa began as a joint venture by Pratham and J-PAL in 2019, with the goal of supporting governments and organisations across Africa to accelerate children’s foundational skill learning using the evidence-based “Teaching at the Right Level” (TaRL) approach. TaRL Africa's vision is for every child across Africa to have foundational skills so that they can have a better future. Our mission is to ensure education systems effectively equip children with these foundational skills. 

We support governments and organisations in over 16 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to design, deliver, and scale impactful TaRL programmes while learning and sharing how the approach can be improved for different contexts. Since our inception, we have reached 7 million children in collaboration with partners. 

Summary of the Role: 

TaRL Africa is supporting the Katsina State Government to implement the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) program for Out-of-School Children (OOSC) and across conventional primary schools in the state. The PD&T assistant will provide support to coordinate and facilitate TaRL activities across the location including teacher and mentor capacity building, measurement and monitoring, community engagement and research and learning at the LGA level.  The primary purpose of the role is to build government actors capacity, and systems to ensure that effective TaRL classes are delivered and learning outcomes improve. PD&T Assistant will work closely with LGA actors to have more direct engagement and to learn and incubate solutions.  The role will require someone who has a good understanding working with out of school children, is dynamic, creative, good at managing multiple tasks, and passionate about improving the learning outcomes of all children. The position forms part of the state and regional team.

Major roles and responsibilities:

1. Strengthen Teacher and Mentor Capacity for Improved Instructional Quality (30%)

• Increase instructional effectiveness by applying deep expertise in the TaRL approach to provide targeted support and coaching for teachers and mentors, improving classroom delivery and learning outcomes.
• Enhance teacher and mentor performance through actionable insights from classroom practice and structured quality assurance of training sessions at the LGA level.
• Drive continuous improvement by implementing results-focused coaching, ensuring challenges identified in reflection meetings are resolved within one academic term.
• Strengthen sustainability by building the capacity of Local Government Education Authorities to independently support, monitor, and improve TaRL activities.
• Improve program quality by contributing to the development and refinement of teaching and learning materials that respond to emerging classroom needs.
• Enable responsive decision-making by providing timely, strategic feedback to the TaRL Africa team.
  

2. Leverage Data for Continuous Program Improvement and Accountability (20%)

• Ensure accurate tracking of learning outcomes through timely and reliable data collection and monitoring.
• Improve evidence-based planning by supporting government-led data systems and generating high-quality reports for LGA-level program adjustments.
• Increase teaching effectiveness by using data insights to identify learning gaps, highlight successes, and recommend targeted interventions.
• Support adaptive program design through evidence-based feedback that informs refinements across LGAs.
  

3. Contribute to Innovation and Learning to Strengthen TaRL Programming (15%)

• Enhance program effectiveness by documenting classroom successes, challenges, and best practices to inform strategic decisions and policy advocacy.
• Increase contextual relevance by supporting innovative classroom strategies and adapting interventions to emerging challenges.
• Strengthen evidence generation through systematic collection of high-quality field data that supports continuous learning.
  

3. Foster Community Ownership and Support for Foundational Learning (15%)

• Increase community engagement and support by building strong relationships with parents, local leaders, and stakeholders to promote program activities.
• Improve student participation and learning outcomes by sharing data with communities and empowering them to advocate for consistent school attendance.
  

4. Ensure Effective Coordination and Responsive Implementation at the LGA Level (20%)

• Enhance local education system capacity by serving as the primary liaison for TaRL activities, ensuring alignment with government officials and school leadership.
• Improve program delivery by proactively identifying implementation challenges and facilitating timely, context-specific solutions.
• Enable data-driven decision-making by providing actionable insights and regular field reports to regional teams.

Key Competencies:

• Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to develop and test creative solutions for implementation challenges.
• Adaptability: Able to adjust approaches based on the realities of the field and stakeholder needs.
• Interpersonal Skills: Strong relationship-building abilities to work effectively with teachers, government officials, and communities.
• Passion for Education: A genuine interest in improving learning outcomes for children in Nigeria.
• Flexibility: Willing to take on multiple roles and handle various responsibilities as needed.

Education and Qualifications 

• HND/bachelor’s degree in education, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• 2-4 years of experience in field-based roles, preferably in education or community-based programs.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Experience in teacher training, mentoring, or capacity-building roles is preferred.
• Experience working with out of school children
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, to engage with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience with community engagement and mobilizing support for educational initiatives.
• Willingness to travel within the state and engage in fieldwork in challenging environments.
• Proficiency in local languages spoken in the region is a required.

TaRL Africa Values   

1. We put children’s learning first 
2. We are always learning, improving, and innovating 
3. We are locally rooted for high-quality delivery and sustainable impact 
4. We are kind, respectful, and collaborative 
5. We are proactive, committed to integrity, and doing our best each day 

This job description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational needs.