Ubongo is a social enterprise that creates fun, localized edutainment for learners in Africa. We produce the TV series, Ubongo Kids & Akili and Me, along with a suite of multi-platform learning products from radio to apps. We leverage the power of entertainment, the reach of mass media, and the connectivity of mobile technology to give learners in Africa a new way to learn. Both shows are on national TV across East Africa and are expanding across the entire continent. We currently broadcast in over 31 countries in Swahili, English, French, Kinyarwanda, and need support managing this expansion. We work with a number of TV and Radio broadcasters, as well as partners, who help us distribute our edutainment to reach millions of families across the continent.
Ubongo want to support organizations working with young children and/or parents to increase investment in and effectiveness of Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs by sharing with them top quality learning resources for children, caregivers, teachers and other key ECD influencers including doctors and community health workers.
We are looking for a forward thinking DIGITAL & HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN CONSULTANT to work with us to develop a cloud-based portal that will provide organizations and local initiatives with customized multimedia ECD toolkits containing appropriate resources for use in early education, healthcare, ICT4D, caregiver groups, teacher training and grassroots projects.
SOME OF YOUR TASKS WILL BE:
Applying Human Centered Design principles to project and product design, to ensure we’re adding value for our partners! We do tons of HCD with kids and parents already, and now we need to do the same with partners!
Carrying out research to support the development of a cloud-based portal for optimal sharing of Early Childhood Development (ECD) resources with stakeholders (organizational partners, educators and caregivers)
Visiting a diverse range of stakeholders in the field to better understand their programs and watch them field test prototypes of a cloud-based portal and our ECD resources
Contributing to establishing a system for collecting feedback from stakeholders who use the cloud-based portal and access ECD resources to ensure that sharing of content is continually improved
Coordinating development and publishing of new, holistic ECD resources, including videos, audio, printables and more
Beginning to organize individual ECD resources into sets (to be known as toolkits);
Organising and implementing user testing of ECD resources and toolkits with partners, caregivers and children
Working with researchers to initiate development and user testing of new ECD content on health and wellbeing.
TO BE A MATCH, YOU’LL NEED TO BE:
Ready and able to take on all the challenges listed above (and many more, down the line) as we scale! This probably means you’ll have a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree and at least 3 years experience in research and development of products. But we’re more interested in your ability to get the job done than your qualifications
Extremely organized and process oriented
Able to GET THINGS DONE. You will be a team of one who needs to coordinate and manage across all departments in Ubongo to get this project launched!
Comfortable dealing with and understanding digital products (apps, video etc.)
Passionate for Ubongo’s vision of bringing localized edutainment to learners across Africa
A super troubleshooter!
Able to speak and work in English and Kiswahili - we’re a bilingual office. And have strong writing skills
Good at dealing with ambiguity and able to figure things out for yourself
Willing to speak up for what’s right, when you see wrong, or when you think there might be a better way
Someone who loves kids. They’re why we do what we do. They’re running around our office all the time. Our kids’ music and videos will become part of your life (and be constantly stuck in your head).
Phew! You made it through that. The good thing is that there are also perks, like delicious healthy lunch at the office, health insurance, and you get to watch cartoons at work.
APPLY USING THIS ONLINE FORM:
Please note: We DO NOT accept CV's or email applications. Please apply using the form.