Manager (Advisor), Program Delivery & Training - Malawi

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About TaRL Africa

Position: Manager (Advisor), Program Delivery  & Training - Malawi

Reports to: Associate Director, Program Delivery & Training 

Location: Lilongwe, Malawi

Deadline: 1st October 2025

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. Together with partners, TaRL Africa has reached over five million children with TaRL programming. 

Summary of the Role: 

The Manager (Advisor) PD&T at TaRL Africa plays an integral role in supporting the management and delivery of the technical aspects of the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach as well as other foundational literacy and numeracy innovations implemented by the organization in Malawi. To support the diverse learning needs and operating realities across Malawi,, they should have expertise in growing and managing teams, leading implementation and  improving programme delivery and training to ensure high quality literacy and numeracy outcomes.

Duties and responsibilities

1. Develop deep knowledge and experience of the TaRL approach. (25%)

• Work with the Associate Director to contribute to shape and implement  PD&T strategies for PD&T such that training and classroom delivery in Malawi is optimised and translating into improved learning for children.
• Develop a deep and evolving understanding of the TaRL approach through training, field visits, and engagement with technical teams.
• Contribute to decision-making by providing insights and feedback that inform strategic and operational delivery approaches.
• Review and develop best practices for programme delivery and training. 
• Developing moldable programme delivery guidelines for use by country and partner teams.

2. Team management and capacity building.  (30%)

• Participate in the  recruitment and placement of PD&T senior associate(s)  where necessary.
• Conduct skills assessment of the country  PD&T team to identify learning gaps and provide a structured professional development plan.  
• Building capacity of country TaRL staff  on the methodology and other innovations related to TaRL programme delivery.
• Ensure PD&T Malawi team executes OKRs in order to contribute to the organisational set objectives. 
  

3. Adaptation and Support in areas (25%)

• Ensure effective contextualisation of training and program delivery models for new geographies within the country.
• Contributing to the development of  guidelines on programme delivery and training processes and set-up in new contexts with a focus on program delivery, training, and classroom methodology.
• Co-develop program delivery and training set-up plans in emerging contexts, ensuring alignment with TaRL’s core principles and sensitivity to local realities.
• Provide feedback to the PD&P team to strengthen the relevance, usability, and quality of TaRL materials and training packages across contexts in the country.
• Promote data use across PD&T to inform delivery improvements and contribute to reflective program design and learning loops

4. Training & ongoing capacity building of partners and country teams. (20%) 

• Lead/support training workshops for general support on programme delivery and training.
• Establish strong working relationships with country teams and partner organizations, providing ongoing technical support and mentoring.
• In collaboration with the Country Lead , identify areas for improvement in program delivery & methodology, and develop strategies to address them. 

Qualifications and experience:

• A Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Economics, Education or a related field.
• Basic proficiency in English and at least one local (Malawi) language. 

Required minimum Skills and Competencies: 

• Prior experience in delivering quality improvement programs in education, preferably focused on foundational skills.
• At least 5  years of experience of working in development programs, with significant experience in Africa
• Interest in quality improvement and willingness to engage directly with program implementation, including gain or leverage direct teaching experience.
• Experience of leading large or medium-scale programs, preferably in education.
• Strong understanding of the TaRL approach, and other evidence-based strategies for improving learning outcomes.
• Familiarity with national curriculum and assessments.
• Experience working on programme delivery and training building capacity in education programs.
• Experience leading and managing teams.
• Experience of working with governments on building and strengthening education programs.
• Experience / interest in using technology for education.

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.