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Job Title: Learning Architecture Lead (Ubongo Learning Lab)

Department: Digital Product

Reports To: Chief Product Officer

Duration: Six Months

UBONGO is Africa's leading producer of kids' edutainment. As a non-profit social enterprise, we create fun, localised, and multi-platform educational content that helps kids learn, and leverage their learning to change their lives. Ubongo reaches over 27 million kids across Africa through accessible technologies like TV, radio, and mobile phones. Our show’s Ubongo Kids and Akili and Me currently air in 23 countries across Africa in multiple languages.

POSITION OBJECTIVE (overall purpose of position)

Ubongo Learning Lab is an ambitious learning app for children aged 3–9, designed to expand foundational literacy, numeracy skills in low-connectivity environments in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project includes flexible activity engines, adaptive learning pathways, and AI-driven interactions. This proof-of-concept sets the foundation for a broader Preschool app ecosystem.

Own the learning system architecture, bridging curriculum, adaptive logic, AI interactions, data, and dynamic/adaptive UX research. Act as Pedagogical Product Owner, providing authoritative guidance on all learning-related decisions and ensure the development agency and internal teams implement robust, adaptive, and interactive learning experiences in line with educational goals

RESPONSIBILITIES

Learning System Architecture & Progression Design

• Define learning progression and adaptivity (ages 3–9), including literacy, numeracy, and foundational skills, drawing upon the Ubongo Child’s Learning Journey Curriculum and inventory of educational resources
• Translate curriculum into activity types, mastery rules, branching logic, feedback, and scaffolding
• Define learning progression map for ages 3–9 (literacy, numeracy, foundational skills)

Curriculum, Content, and Learning Design Oversight

• Guide all curriculum content, including videos, off-screen prompts, and interactive activities, ensuring alignment with learning pathways, adaptivity rules and pedagogical goals
• Guide and shape all curriculum content, including videos, off-screen prompts, and interactive activities, ensuring alignment with learning pathways, adaptivity rules and pedagogical goals
• Resources and activities aligned with learning journey roadmap
  
  

Product, Platform, and Activity Engine Direction

• Guide selection, design, and integration of activity engines (build vs buy)
• Identify hard-to-reverse design decisions and MVP/demo scope, in collaboration with Product Manager and Chief Product Officer
• Recommendations for activity engines (build vs buy)
• Inputs to demo-ready MVP and phased roadmap

AI, Adaptivity, and Learning Intelligence Governance

• Specify rules and guardrails for AI-driven learning components, ensuring alignment with learning pathways
• Define learning-relevant data strategy: collection, analysis, and use for progression, adaptivity, and AI-driven feedback
• AI interaction rules and guardrails
• Learning-relevant data schema for adaptive decision-making

Product Collaboration and Cross-Functional Support

• Support internal Product Owner/PM in understanding pedagogical priorities
• Collaborate with: Education/curriculum teams, UX/UI designers, Specialist dynamic/adaptive UX researchers, Development agency (ensuring capability to implement adaptive/AI interactions)

Program Oversight and Continuity

• Provide continuity and oversight throughout phased development to mitigate risk during leadership transitions
• Recruit and manage staff/contractors to fill resource/activity gaps and curate pathways

Companywide Responsibilities

• Exemplify Ubongoers principles and norms

Key Deliverables

• Learning progression map for ages 3–9 (literacy, numeracy, foundational skills)
• Detailed activity logic specifications (mastery, feedback, adaptivity, branching)
• AI interaction rules and guardrails
• Learning-relevant data schema for adaptive decision-making
• Recommendations for activity engines (build vs buy)
• Inputs to demo-ready MVP and phased roadmap
• Resources and activities aligned with learning journey roadmap
• Dynamic/adaptive UX research plan and insights
  
  

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
(Minimum knowledge, skills and behaviors to perform the job)

Educational

• Advanced understanding of child development and evidence-based pedagogy

Experience

• Proven experience designing impactful adaptive or semi-adaptive learning products, including native apps and online platforms
• Experience in dynamic branching flows and AI/interactive learning components
• Experience collaborating with external development agencies and guiding them on implementing complex learning interactions
• Experience navigating the practical and cultural challenges involved in creating localised resources for multiple countries and languages
  
  

Skills

• A proven ability to operationalise these principles into adaptive learning pathways, interactive features, and structured digital activities
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and decision-making under time pressure
• Familiarity with child-focused, low-connectivity, shared-device environments

DEADLINE:
The last day to receive applications for this position will be 19th May, 2026.

Please note that only online applications will be considered. Those who come directly to the office with a CV or who email their CV to us will simply be directed to apply online

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

UBONGO provides equal employment opportunities to all its employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by the laws of the country we are operating in.

JOB SCAM WARNING

Our organization upholds a strict commitment to a fair, unbiased hiring process through BambooHR or very qualified recruitment agencies and shortlisting decisions are based solely on candidates' qualifications, skills and experience relevant to the position.
Beware of any individuals claiming to have influence over our hiring decisions or requesting favors in exchange for guaranteed shortlisting or employment opportunities. Such actions are against our policies and do not reflect our organization's values.