Background

Rays of Hope Ministries is a local nonprofit organization based in Malawi collaborating with the government of Malawi in education and social interventions. One of its focuses in this new strategic period, 2026 – 2030, is foundational learning. To that end, the organization continues to grow its teacher training program with an emphasis on foundational learning, especially in numeracy. Rays of Hope Ministries will implement a three-year Numeracy Research and Development Programme (NRD) from 2026 to 2029. The programme is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, managed by the Genesis Analytics.

The NRD program is in six other African countries, pursuing the same agenda: to improve foundational numeracy outcomes for underserved learners in Grades 1 – 3 through evidence-based interventions in national education systems. In Malawi, it will be implemented in Blantyre Rural Education District, reaching approximately 50 – 70 public primary schools.

The NRD program in Malawi will focus on in-service teachers, with the structural design spilling over to pre-service teacher education. The program aims to strengthen teacher capacity, coaching, and communities of practice to drive early grade numeracy learning outcomes. The programme is designed to test whether evidence-based pedagogical research and development (R&D) can drive numeracy gains at scale within existing education systems. It aims to generate robust evidence that can be used to attribute changes in numeracy outcomes to the interventions. The program’s aspirational target is set for 80% of students to achieve all grade-level competencies within the same timeframe, as defined by the minimum global proficiency frameworks. To this end, the organization intends to recruit the project lead, and officers to successfully implement the program.

PROJECT LEAD

System Architect | Quality Guardian | Government Interface

Reporting Line

Reports to: Programs Manager Dotted line: Executive Director

Supervises: NRD Project Officers

Works closely with: Program Marketing Branding and Communication Leads, Finance, MEAL,

Location: [Head Office – Blantyre]

Contract Type: [Full-time | Renewable]

Role Purpose

To lead the end-to-end operationalization of the NRD intervention design, ensuring that the Theory of Change is translated into a coherent, high-fidelity system where Continuous Professional Development (CPD), Communities of Practice (CoPs), Teacher Learning Circles (TLC) and Coaching function as an integrated engine for improving early-grade numeracy outcomes. The role demands an all-rounder person with an acumen to create and manage a system, ensures a firm assurance of implementation fidelity, and has the skillsets and experience to engage the relevant government department, including potential scale. The incumbent shall lead all macro-level processes, making sure that the program has no structural deficiencies to affect its projected goal and impact.

Key Areas of Accountability

Ensure that every component reinforces classroom mathematics lessons, which remain the central “sand play” of the intervention.

I. Government Engagement and Systems Strengthening

Lead engagement with Ministry of Education structures and district education systems to ensure alignment of the program with national policies, frameworks, priorities, and numeracy-aligned programs.

Facilitate co-design, validation, and joint implementation of program components with government stakeholders to strengthen ownership and sustainability.

Ensure integration of program approaches within existing education system structures, including CPD frameworks, supervision systems, and teacher support mechanisms.

Support the development of pathways institutionalization and scale, positioning for the program as a systems-strengthening initiative.

In collaboration with the management, represent the program in high-level engagements with government, partners, and stakeholders.

II. Program Design, Delivery, and System Integration

Program Design, Delivery, and System Integration

Provide overall leadership in the design and execution of the NRD program, ensuring that all components, Continuous Professional Development (CPD), Communities of Practice (CoPs), Teacher Learning Circles (TLCs), and Coaching to function as an integrated system anchored in classroom practice focusing on mathematics.

Ensure alignment between program design, implementation plans, and national education priorities, particularly in early-grade numeracy and structured pedagogy.

Oversee the sequencing and delivery of program components, workshops, CoPs, TLCs, and Coaching to ensure fidelity to agreed dosage, timelines, and implementation and research frameworks.

Protect interventions’ fidelity that is grounded in Critical Early Numeracy Outcomes (CENOs) and translate into measurable improvements in numeracy teaching practice and learner outcomes.

Lead continuous refinement of the program design based on emerging evidence, field feedback, and contextual realities.

II. Technical Leadership in Instruction and CPD Systems

Provide technical leadership in the implementation of the NRD instructional model, ensuring that all CPD components are aligned to Critical Early Numeracy Outcomes (CENOs), including place value, representations, fluency, and problem-solving.

Ensure the intervention design is translated into a coherent delivery system, where teacher training, Communities of Practice (CoPs/TLCs), and coaching function as interconnected mechanisms supporting numeracy classroom practice.

Oversee the application of structured pedagogy, ensuring | that training content translates into effective classroom practices, including lesson routines, questioning techniques, and formative assessment.

Ensure Communities of Practice operate as active professional learning spaces, focused on solving classroom challenges, deepening instructional practice, and reinforcing training content.

Institutionalize structured coaching cycles (planning, co-teaching/observation, feedback, application, and re-observation) to ensure continuous improvement in teaching practice.

Maintain implementation discipline by ensuring that all components (training, CoPs, coaching, and classroom practice) operate within a continuous feedback loop, driving sustained instructional improvement.

III. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) System Leadership

Provide strategic oversight of the CPD system, ensuring effective delivery of structured teacher training programs, including multi-cycle training aligned to curriculum scope and sequence.

Ensure Communities of Practice (CoPs) and Teacher Learning Circles (TLCs) operate as functional professional learning platforms, facilitating peer learning, problem-solving, and classroom-based practice and inquiry.

Oversee the implementation of structured coaching, ensuring regular coaching cycles (planning,

observation and co-teaching, feedback, and follow-up) are executed with consistency and quality.

Achieve coherence between training content, CoP and TLC engagement, and coaching practices

to drive sustained improvement in classroom numeracy instruction.

Promote the use of evidence-informed pedagogical practices, including formative assessment, differentiated instruction, and effective use of teaching and learning materials.

IV. Quality Assurance, Learning, and Adaptive Management

Establish and oversee quality assurance systems to monitor fidelity of implementation across training, CoPs, TLCs, coaching, and numeracy classroom practice.

Institute systematic collection, use of program data to analysis, decision-making, continuous improvement, and adaptive management.

Lead structured reflection and learning processes at program level and embed insights from implementation into actionable improvements.

Support program evaluation processes, including baseline, midline, and endline assessments, ensuring alignment with program objectives and learning priorities.

Promote a culture of learning and accountability, where data is actively used to improve program effectiveness rather than for reporting alone.

VII. Team, Program and Community Delivery Oversight

Offer strategic guidance and support to staff to ensure high-quality program implementation.

Provide leadership to program staff, including work planning, performance management, coaching, and professional development.

Lead program planning processes, including annual work planning, budgeting, and implementation scheduling.

Strengthen the technical capacity of program teams in areas such as pedagogy, coaching, facilitation, and data use.

Ensure effective coordination of program activities across, schools, and relevant government structures.

Oversee resource allocation and utilization to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and value for money.

Identify and manage program risks, including operational, contextual, and implementation-

related risks, and implement mitigation strategies.

Promote timely and coordinated delivery of program outputs in line with agreed targets and milestones.

Support coordination and alignment between technical, operational, and MEAL functions within the program

Promote the development and use of low-cost, locally available learning materials to support numeracy practice beyond the class-room.

Strengthen linkages between schools and communities to ensure continuity of learning and improved learner outcomes.

IX. Reporting, Knowledge Management, and Strategic Communication

Ensure timely production of high-quality program reports (monthly, quarterly, and annual), aligned with donor and organizational requirements

Make all reports analytical, reflective, and learning-oriented, providing insights into program performance and areas for improvement.

Support the consolidation of program data into dashboards, briefs, and knowledge products to support decision-making and communication.

Support the development of case studies, learning briefs, and evidence products to support advocacy, fundraising, and policy engagement.

Facilitate structured discussions with senior leadership on program performance, ensuring clear action points and management responses

Accountability

The Project Lead will directly report to the Programs Manager and will be accountable for overall program delivery, technical quality, and achievement of learning outcomes under the NRD intervention.

Qualification And Education

Master’s Degree in Education, preferably Mathematics Education, Curriculum and Instruction or a related field from a recognized university.

5-7 years of experience in education program leadership within donor-funded or government-aligned initiatives, with demonstrated supervisory responsibility

Strong technical expertise in early-grade numeracy, structured pedagogy, and instructional improvement, including application of concepts such as number sense, place value, representations, fluency, and problem-solving.

Demonstrated experience in leading CPD systems, including teacher training, coaching models, and professional learning communities (CoPs/TLCs).

Experience in program evaluation, research, or evidence-driven program design, including familiarity with learning assessments (e.g., EGMA or equivalent).

Proven ability to engage and influence government stakeholders to support program integration and scale.

Other Essential Attributes

Strong analytical, systems thinking, and program design skills, with the ability to translate strategy into effective implementation.

Demonstrated instructional leadership with the ability to guide improvements in teaching practice, particularly in foundational mathematics.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders, including government, partners, and communities.

High level of organizational discipline, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

Strong leadership and team management skills, including experience working with multidisciplinary and culturally diverse teams.

Proficiency in information and communication technology, including use of digital tools for data collection, reporting, and program management.

MODE OF APPLICATION

If you are interested in serving as the NRD Project Lead or Program Officers) and meet the requirements as described above, please submit your application and motivation letters, demonstrating why you qualify for the positions, together with your current Curriculum vitae and names of three traceable referees, some of whom should be your most current supervisors, to

 nrd.recruitment@raysofhopemalawi.org addressing:

The Human Resource Administration Officer

Rays of Hope Ministries

P. O. Box E365, Post Dot Net,

Blantyre,

Malawi.

Closing date for the receipt of applications is Sunday, 10th May, 2026. Rays of Hope appreciates all candidates, but please note that it will only enter into correspondence with shortlisted candidates. If you have not received a response by 20th May, 2026, then it means that your application has been unsuccessful.