Education Specialist - East Africa (Freelance)


We’re looking for…

Brink is looking for someone with deep experience in applying research and innovation methods to Education reforms, in partnership with implementers and governments. You’ll join teams working on two of our major Education programmes, which provide financial and technical assistance to governments, implementers and researchers to implement critical education reforms.

The right candidate will know the theory and more. We’re looking for someone who has direct experience as an implementer or researcher in basic education, ideal as part of scaled reforms of structured pedagogy, TaRL / Science of Teaching or similar. You’ll understand what all of this means and how it works on the ground, in the real world.

You’ll have a grasp on the bottlenecks are to implementation, in the classroom, the middle tier and beyond. You’ll have an experimental edge to your thinking which can select from a broad range of methodologies and approaches depending on the context, the data, and the team. You’ll be comfortable working hand in hand with government partners as they own and steward reforms at scale.

Role and Responsibilities:

Key responsibilities include:

  • Implementation Research expertise: Offer expert insights and knowledge of previous initiatives, successful practices, and existing research in foundational learning. Provide strategic advice on research directions and potential opportunities for impactful implementation.
  • Stakeholder Management: Applied knowledge of how to navigate complex stakeholder dynamics, including building direct relationships with government partners
  • Capability Building: Be a source of insight for our team as we support implementers and partners, pointing them in the right direction, offering critical friendship and advice.
  • Knowledge Dissemination: Offer advisory support on how we might best share findings and engage in collaborative learning with others in the sector.


Qualifications:

The ideal candidate should possess the following qualifications:

  • Expertise: A strong background in global basic education research, applied through the implementation of education reforms
  • Knowledge: In-depth understanding of evidence-based education reforms and successful practices in complex environments, with experience in implementation research gained as either an implementer or researcher.
  • Collaboration: Ability to provide advisory support and work collaboratively with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and cultures especially in government
  • Analytical Skills: Proficient in assessing research methodologies required to deliver on desired research outcomes. Provide strategic advice on translating evidence to action.
  • Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to provide advisory guidance and facilitate discussions.


Time Commitment and Remuneration: This role will start at 0.6 FTE at a $750 day rate.

Contract type: We are able to offer this as a 6 month freelance contract.

Location: You can be based anywhere in East Africa.

Deadline: The deadline for applications is 23:59pm BST Friday 2nd May 2025


Timeline for recruitment

  • 1st round Interviews: wc 5th May - get to know you interview with 2 of the team (1 hour on Zoom)
  • 2nd round coffee with the team: wc 12th May
  • Start date: wc 19th May

🔗 OUR COMMITMENT AS BRINK

Diversity is in our DNA at Brink and we’re proud of the broad range of Brinksters we have on board. We also know there is always room for improvement which is why we track diversity in all its guises to see how we’re doing, and make efforts to cast our hiring net as wide as possible. Our latest survey shows we could do better in some areas, so we’re particularly encouraging applications from people of the Global Ethnic Majority, people over 50, parents, neurodivergent people and/or those living with a disability.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability or age. We are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments individuals may require in the recruitment process, on commencement, or once in post.