Full Stack Developer-SADA at Smart Africa Secretariat: (Deadline 14 June 2023)

Full Stack Developer-SADA at Smart Africa Secretariat: (Deadline 14 June 2023)

Terms of Reference 

Recruitment 

Full Stack Developer-SADA

• Position: Full Stack Developer-SADA
• Duration: 06 Months, renewable
• Location: Kigali, Rwanda
• Deadline: June 14^th,2023 at 5:00 PM Kigali (GMT+2) time

1. About Smart Africa

The Smart Africa Alliance is a partnership among African countries adhering to the Smart Africa Manifesto (herein after referred to as “the Manifesto”), the African Union (AU Commission, AUDA, specialized institutions and Regional Economic Communities), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Private Sector, Academic and Research Institutions.

The Smart Africa Alliance (or Smart Africa) is a bold and innovative commitment from African Heads of State and Government to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent, ushering Africa into a knowledge economy through the usage of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT).

On 30th-31st January 2014, the Smart Africa Manifesto was endorsed by all Heads of State and Government of the African Union at the 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa. This development places the Manifesto at the heart of the ICT agenda in Africa beyond just the 7 original signatories at the Summit to all African countries. The Smart Africa Alliance has since grown to include 36 African countries that represent over one billion people.

The Smart Africa Manifesto aims to put ICT at the center of the continental and national socio-economic development of Member States. This means increasing access to ICT solutions, improving accountability, efficiency, and openness through ICT, promoting the introduction of advanced technologies in telecommunication, strengthening the private sector, leveraging ICT to promote sustainable development.

The Smart Africa Alliance as an organization is the framework for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Manifesto, designed to make it actionable. The Smart Africa Alliance is not a profit-oriented organization.

2. Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA)

The Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) is the delivery vehicle of the Smart Africa capacity building and skills development activities across the various digital skills spectrum. It is a pan-African dynamic learning ecosystem in which African citizens of all ages and social classes can gain or improve their digital skills, gain qualifications, meet the emerging talent needs of employers, industry or be self-reliant.

The birth of SADA was driven by the need to meet a genuine need of sustainable jobs driven by the fact that 15% of the world’s working-age population is expected to be from Africa by 2030. The governments of the Smart Africa Member States recognize the urgency to drive inclusion and economic growth through the development and adoption of strategies for education and skills development to build this required future workforce. Digital skills development at all levels – from basic to competency-based – is required to allow the uptake of new technologies in the economy, increase productivity, support growth while avoiding unnecessary disruptions in the labor market and society.

SADA implementation recorded a significant success, with over 3000 policy makers trained and established national academies in seven (7) countries through an initial funding from BMZ/GIZ. As the program enters its full-scale phase, the Smart Africa Secretariate seeks to recruit a talented Full-Stack Developer.

3. Duties and Responsibilities   

The Smart Africa Secretariat would like to recruit a Full-Stack Developer to be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing e-learning and digital skills solutions and maintaining SADA web presence.  The responsibilities for this role include but not limited:

• Design and develop interactive SADA portals and Platforms, and their associated modules.
• Ensure high quality user interface design and high accessibility of the SADA e-learning content to all user’s groups and meeting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines standards.
• Maintain and update the SADA websites, ensuring that they are user-friendly and up to date.
  • Manage web content and digital assets to ensure accuracy and relevance.
  • Ensure that web content is optimized for search engines and meets SEO best practices.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to the websites and e-learning platforms.
  • Analyse web and e-learning metrics to identify areas for improvement and make recommendations for enhancement.
• Design and integration of APIs for different content providers;
• Provide technical IT support to users and admin of SADA platforms
• Collaborate with a consulting firm and relevant subject matter experts to ensure the accuracy and quality of the e-learning content.
• Coordinating with consulting firms and agencies the development of SADA’s portal, reviewing final layouts and suggesting improvements when necessary;

4. Key qualifications

Education and Job qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, or related field; A master’s degree in Computer Science ICT, Information Systems & Communications, Computer Engineering, Information Technology would be an added advantage
• Proven experience developing interactive e-learning content using popular authoring tools.
• Strong understanding of web development technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery.
• Familiarity with Learning Management Systems (LMS) and content management systems (CMS) such as Moodle, WordPress, and Drupal.
• Experience with web accessibility and WCAG 2.1 standards.
• Knowledge of SEO best practices and web analytics.

Professional Experience:     

• At least five (5) years of experience in Full Stack development
• Knowledge of design techniques such as Prototyping, Instructional Design, etc.
• Experience in deployment and integration of application program interface (APIs).
• Proficiency with server-side languages such as Python, Ruby, Java, PHP or .Net.
• Familiarity with database technology such as MySQL, Oracle or MongoDB.

General attributes and skills:

• Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong competence in the use of standard software productivity tools (such as Microsoft Office Suite or others).

Languages: 

• Fluency in French or English is a must, a good working knowledge of other languages will be an added advantage.

5. Duration and location of the assignment

The appointment will be six (6) months renewable subject to availability of fund and performance review.

The position requires the consultant to be based in Kigali, or willing to relocate for the assignment.

6. Reporting requirements

The Full Stack Developer will report directly to the assigned supervisor under Digital Infrastructure, Skills and Empowerment Directorate.

7. Application Instructions and Deadline

Candidates should send the following documents to the following email address: hr@smartafrica.org, with mention of “Full-Stack developer, SADA” in the subject line:

• A detailed CV with 3 contacts of professional referees.
• A one-page cover letter with a motivation statement in relation to the responsibilities and requirements for this position.
• Copies of academic degree, professional certificates, and other relevant training certificates

The deadline for submitting applications is June 14^th,2023 at 5:00 PM Kigali (GMT+2) time.

Only selected candidates for interview will be contacted. 

Smart Africa reserves the right to reject late applications.