AI & EdTech Lead

The context: 

Across the developing world, more children than ever are in school – but they are not learning. A recent study estimated that less than 1% of school children in Sub-Saharan Africa attend a school where the teaching meets basic standards of quality. At Rising Academies, we’re changing that, and we want your help. Our mission is to create the best schools and the most powerful teaching and learning tools for the people that need it most. We’re one of the fastest-growing quality-focused education companies in Africa, and a Certified B Corp®. 

About Rising Academies: 

Founded in Sierra Leone in 2014, we’ve spent over a decade crafting a unique blend of high-tech and low-tech learning solutions proven to dramatically improve student outcomes that elevate teaching quality at scale. 7 RCTs have shown that the students we support learn, on average, 2.4x faster each year than their peers in comparable schools.

Today, we serve more than a quarter of a million students across 1,000 schools in West and East Africa through three integrated and complimentary channels: 

• Pioneering Great-Value Private Schools: Our innovative networks of private schools deliver best-in-class results for children while developing highly scalable new technologies and approaches.
• Scalable Government Partnerships: We partner and collaborate with local and national governments across Africa to transform the quality of public school systems at scale.
• High Impact Solutions for Partners: We offer our proven high-impact solutions to other education providers and schools to improve school performance & increase outcomes. 

Our innovative approaches combine expertly designed curriculum materials, personalized learning experiences, intensive teacher coaching and actionable data for school leaders. You can learn more about our solutions here: https://www.risingacademies.com/oursolutions 

At Rising we keep the safety and well-being of our students at the heart of what we do. All Rising employees are expected to abide by the Child Protection Policy, and to share in our commitment to meeting the highest standards of safeguarding excellence and protecting children from harm.

About the AI-Powered Tablet-Based Learning Programme: 

The AI-Powered Tablet-Based Learning Programme is a Government of Rwanda initiative through The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) and the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), delivered with Rising Academies and donor partners. Following a competitive procurement process, Rising was selected as the Implementing Partner. The programme introduces AI-enabled tablets, teacher training, and school-level support to strengthen P1–P3 literacy and numeracy, with progress tracked using NESA-aligned assessments. The goal is to generate evidence for a government-led scale-up and pave the way for sustainable, system-wide adoption of digital learning in Rwanda.

About the Role

We are on the lookout for an experienced AI & EdTech Lead to join our team in Rwanda. The AI & EdTech Lead will provide technical leadership for the AI-Powered Tablet-Based Learning Pilot Programme, overseeing the deployment and classroom integration of AI-powered tools to ensure they are aligned with Rwanda’s curriculum and NESA frameworks. The AI & EdTech Lead will support teachers with training and ongoing technical guidance, analyse usage data in collaboration with the MEL team, and provide insights for scaling. The role also involves engaging with government stakeholders, EdTech partners, and Rising’s global digital team to ensure technical robustness, policy alignment, and readiness for scale.

The AI and EdTech Lead will:

• Provide technical leadership on the deployment and integration of AI-powered learning tools.
• Design and co-deliver teacher training modules, and provide ongoing technical support to teachers.
• Troubleshoot tool-related challenges in collaboration with Rising’s Digital Team and vendors.
• Work with the MEL team to analyze usage data and generate actionable insights for improvement.
• Represent Rising in national EdTech and AI forums and build partnerships with local and global EdTech actors.
• Collaborate with government stakeholders to align with policy, curriculum, and ICT strategy.
• Contribute to pilot documentation, reporting, and recommendations for scale-up.
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, data protection, and responsible AI standards.

Location and reporting:

This full-time, fixed-term role is based in Rwanda. The AI & EdTech Lead reports to the Head of Programs and works closely with the Digital, MEL, Operations teams, and the global CTO.

Application deadline:
Target Start date for this role is 3rd week of October. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ professional experience in EdTech, ICT4D, or AI in education.
• Demonstrated success implementing technology projects in schools.
• Experience engaging government stakeholders on education or technology policy.
• Strong technical skills in EdTech platforms, AI tools, and data analysis.
• Familiarity with responsible AI, data privacy, and safeguarding in education.
• Master’s degree in Education Technology, ICT, Data Science, or related field (Bachelor’s with strong experience will be considered).

About You

• A skilled communicator who can build strong relationships with government, schools, and communities.
• Data-driven, with the ability to use evidence to guide decisions and improve impact.
• Passionate about educational innovation and motivated to bring AI solutions to underserved learners.
• Proactive and adaptable in a fast-changing environment.
• A leader who promotes accountability, quality, and professionalism.
• Organized and detail-oriented, able to balance big-picture vision with day-to-day delivery.
• Creative problem-solver who finds practical solutions and continuously improves processes.
• Collaborative and culturally sensitive, with a deep understanding of Rwanda’s education context.

Benefits

Why Join Us?

• Compensation: We offer a competitive salary and benefits package. We regularly benchmark our compensation against comparable businesses, social ventures and non-profits. Rising’s goal is to be transparent about salaries at all levels of the organisation and have a standard, global pay scale for all positions that is non-negotiable. 
• Continuous Development and Growth: Rising is a Certified B Corp and twice named in its “Best for the World” list. We are committed to continuous development, which is grounded in our values and a vital part of how we bring the ‘Rising Way’ to life. We provide a nurturing environment where our staff are supported with the right ongoing conversations with their managers, among teams and as an organization, to support their career growth and help us reach our goals. 
• Impact: Our students achieve learning gains 2.4 times faster than their peers in comparable schools, positioning our impact in the top 10% of global education interventions. This role offers an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to this proven success.

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Rising is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to providing a work environment that is inclusive and free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, national origin, family or parental status, veteran or disability status.

Rising is committed to creating a culture within the organisation, and its schools, that recognises the importance of safeguarding children and prioritising their rights and needs. We strive to uphold international safeguarding standards, and keep the safety and well-being of our students at the heart of what we do. All Rising employees are expected to abide by the Child Protection Policy, and to have the same level of commitment to protect children from harm. Safeguarding questions are part of every interview process and all Rising employees undergo reference checks before joining the organisation.