Senior Country Manager -Zambia

⚠️ Recruitment Fraud Alert:

TaRL Africa does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Be aware of fraudulent messages offering job opportunities in exchange for money or “codes.” All official communication will come from @tarlafrica.org email addresses. If in doubt, contact us at recruitment@tarlafrica.org.

About TaRL Africa

Position: Senior Country Manager

 Reports to: Director Programs

Location:Zambia

 Deadline:5th November 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. TaRL Africa’s mission is to ensure education systems effectively equip children with these foundational skills. TaRL Africa currently support governments and organisations in over 15 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. 

About TaRL Africa’s work in Zambia

Since 2016, the Ministry of Education in Zambia, with support from TaRL Africa, VVOB, UNICEF, World Vision, and other partners, has been implementing the Catch Up programme using the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach. The programme has expanded to nine of the country’s ten provinces, reaching over 7,000 schools, and the ministry has expressed its vision to extend Catch Up to all remaining schools. Beyond geographical scale, efforts are also underway to embed Catch Up into core education systems, such as pre-service teacher training, to ensure long-term sustainability.

About the role

TaRL Africa has been a long-time partner to the Ministry of Education in Zambia, alongside UNICEF and VVOB, supporting the government-led Catch Up program, which now reaches the majority of primary schools nationwide. As we look to deepen this collaboration, we are recruiting a Country Lead to lead the next phase of our work in Zambia. The role is central to advancing the institutionalisation of Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) within national policies, systems, and budgets, while also exploring how TaRL principles can be applied more broadly across the education system.

The Country Manager will provide strategic direction and final oversight of TaRL Africa’s support to foundational learning programming in Zambia, ensuring high-quality technical assistance and strong alignment with government priorities. The role will also focus on cultivating and managing relationships with government, donors, and civil society partners, supporting a collective effort to strengthen foundational learning in Zambia.

As TaRL Africa formalises its presence in Zambia, the Country Manager will ensure that operational, financial, and compliance systems are in place to support government partnerships effectively. They will recruit, mentor, and manage a new team, building capacity to deliver high-quality technical support. This is a senior leadership role requiring a balance of policy influence, stakeholder engagement, operational management, and program oversight to ensure all Zambian children have the opportunity to build strong foundational skills.

Responsibilities

1. Lead policy change, institutionalisation, and stakeholder engagement (30%)

• Drive efforts to integrate TaRL principles into national education policies, plans, and budgets, ensuring long-term sustainability.
• Engage with senior government officials, parliamentarians, donors, civil society, and other education stakeholders to build and maintain political and financial commitment to foundational learning.
• Strengthen ministry systems and structures to ensure effective delivery and accountability for learning outcomes.
• Act as TaRL Africa’s focal point in Zambia, representing the organisation in national and local fora.
• Build and strengthen broad-based partnerships to support foundational learning, positioning Catch Up as part of the wider education reform agenda.
• Share learnings and experience from Zambia internally

2. Provide strategic direction and coordination for FLN programming (40 %)

• Coordinate and provide strategic direction for all foundational learning activities supported by TaRL Africa in Zambia, including exploring the application of TaRL principles to other parts of the system.
• Guide program design, innovation, and learning in close collaboration with central TaRL Africa teams and government partners.
• Promote a coherent and strategic vision for foundational learning in Zambia, building buy-in and collaboration among partners. 
• Provide final oversight of TaRL Africa’s technical support to foundational learning programming in Zambia.
• Ensure program delivery meets quality standards and that implementation challenges are proactively identified and addressed.

3. Establish and manage country operations and finances (20%)

• In liaison with the Director Finance & Operations, support in setting up TaRL Africa’s country office in Zambia, including financial systems, HR, IT, procurement, and ensure compliance with Zambian regulations.
• Lead annual country-level budget planning and management, with support from Central Finance and Operations teams.
• In liaison with the central team finance, ensure strong financial management, donor compliance, and accurate reporting for all country activities.
• In liaison with the central finance & operations team, establish and oversee systems for office administration, security, and staff contracting.

4. Build and lead a strong TaRL Africa, Zambia team (10%)

• Recruit, mentor, and manage an initial team covering program design, content, program management, and monitoring & evaluation.
• Create a positive and collaborative team culture grounded in TaRL Africa values.
• Provide ongoing capacity building, skills training, and mentorship to ensure the team delivers high-quality technical support.
• Ensure the team works effectively with government counterparts and partners to build long-term capacity within the system
• Support central teams in donor cultivation and fundraising for Zambia by building and maintaining in-country relationships

Education and Experience 

• A Masters Degree in Public Policy, Education, Management, Economics or other related disciplines.
• 10-years of professional experience of a similar nature is required, especially on managing and implementing programmes that  involve multiple actors.
• Proven track record of engaging with governments at national and subnational levels on policy change, institutional reform, or large-scale program implementation.
• Experience setting up or leading operations for an organisation, including financial management, HR, and compliance in a country office context.
• Experience in education sector reform and/or foundational learning highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of program measurement, evidence use, and adaptive learning approaches.
• Experience managing donor relations and securing funding an advantage.
• Excellent leadership and managerial skills, including the ability to work with a diverse, dynamic team comprising professionals with varied skill sets and functional expertise.
  

Skills and Competencies 

• Good adaptability to a changing work environment.
• Exceptional relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior policymakers, donors, and partners.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to balance long-term institutionalisation goals with immediate program delivery needs.
• Strong leadership, management, and organisational skills, with experience overseeing budgets and operations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with adaptability in dynamic contexts.
• Ability to embody TaRL Africa’s organizational and managerial culture: team spirit, creation of a thriving and empowering working environment for the teams, and dedication to the improvement of children’s education. 
• Professional experience in working in the education sector in Zambia is advantageous.
  

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 organisational needs.