ESSA Job Vacancy: Research Manager Tanzania - African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL)

ABOUT ESSA

ESSA improves education using evidence and data from Africa in research, advocacy and programme design. We take a systems approach by identifying challenges and co-designing solutions in partnership with local education researchers, higher education leaders, policymakers, funders and employers to improve education outcomes for young people. We support research that generates actionable insights to inform decisions, policies and practice and strengthen education systems. This is an exciting opportunity to join a small but passionate and driven team based in Africa and Europe, to play a key ro le in advancing our work, impact and partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

ESSA’s values are at the heart of everything we do, and they are:

• Evidence-driven: We are driven by data and evidence to find what works best, building an evidence alliance for education in sub-Saharan Africa.

• Solutions-focused: We seek the highest impact for young people and educators in sub-Saharan Africa with the cost-effective funds we invest.

• Strengthening Trust: We strive to create supportive environments, building trust with the communities we work with.

• Always learning: Everyone’s opinion is valuable; we develop solutions through teamwork.

To find out more about ESSA, visit essa-africa.org

---

ABOUT THE AFRICAN CENTRE FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP (ACSL)

The African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) is an entity, formed through a coalition of partners in Africa, committed to the promotion of effective school leadership by bringing together partners that of fer professional development services, research, and policy advice on effective school leadership.

The vision of the ACSL is that every learner in Africa benefits from quality education that prepares them for a bright future , and it achieves this through partnering with governments and other stakeholders to strengthen school leadership systems that improve learning outcomes and well-being for all. Read more about the ACSL here.

With growth funding from the Mastercard Foundation, the ACSL will be directly supporting school leaderships initiatives in Tanzania, other Leaders in Teaching expansion countries as well as providing broader pan-African support to interested partners across the continent. The Centre has ambitions to further grow its funding and implementation partnerships to meet high levels of demand.

---

ABOUT THE ROLE

In 2025 ESSA is kicking off an exciting new programme of work in partnership with VVOB and ADEA to scale the ACSL. ESSA will be taking the lead on the research component, ensuring that the Centre is making use of the best existing research on school leadership from Africa and commissioning new African-led research into effective school leadership. The emphasis will be on increasing the effectiveness of policy and practice relating to school leadership, through demand-driven research in Tanzania.

The Research Manager - Tanzania is therefore an important and exciting new role that will bring this area of ESSA’s work to life, to help us achieve our vision for education in Africa. With guidance from ACSL’s Head of Research, the successful candidate will lead the Tanzania research and evidence-generation activities within the ACSL Consortium. The role involves designing and implementing research studies, managing data collection and analysis, translating findings into actionable policy recommendations, and ensuring research outputs contribute to strengthening education leadership and school improvement initiatives. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in educational research, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement where he will collaborate closely with the MEL manager to ensure Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) data in Tanzania are collected effectively.

The post-holder will collaborate with the ACSL team in partner organisations namely VVOB and ADEA and internally with other colleagues at ESSA. As such, (S)he will be an active member of the ACSL Technical and Coordination Team led by the ACSL Technical Lead, providing support in target expanded countries as well as at the pan-African level. (S)he will also lead ESSA’s interaction with existing and new external partners (e.g., government officials/policymakers, academics, education leaders, non-governmental organisations, corporate organisations/businesses, and funders) to design and implement this innovative work to high-quality standards and within budgets in Tanzania.

---

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

Research Strategy & MEL Management (60%):

• Develop and implement the research agenda for the Tanzania component within the consortium, aligned with its strategic objectives and the overall Pan-African ACSL objectives.

• Design and oversee qualitative and quantitative impact research studies on education leadership, school performance, and policy impact.

• Ensure research methodologies are rigorous, ethical, and contextually appropriate.

• Oversee and support subgranting processes for research activities, including identifying local research partners, managing grant allocations, ensuring compliance with ESSA’s policies, and building capacity where necessary to deliver high-quality research outputs.

• Supervise field data collection, ensuring high-quality and ethical research practices.

• Analyze research findings and synthesize insights into reports, policy briefs, and scholarly articles.

• Collaborate with all ACSL partners to contribute into Tanzania MEL frameworks and processes.

• Translate complex research evidence into actionable recommendations for policymakers, education leaders, and practitioners.

People, project, and partnership management (20%):

• Manages the robust initiation and ongoing management of the ACSL research portfolio in Tanzania.

• Liaise with ESSA’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team to gather baseline data, agree appropriate project checkpoints and ensure effective tracking of delivery to understand and learn from the impact of such work, and to enable efficient engagement with and reporting to project (and prospective) ; leads to provide effective quality control for research outputs/products generated.

• Collaborate with existing (Senior) Research/Project Managers at ESSA to ensure effective exchange of information and alignment across the broader research, policy and evaluation teams at ESSA.

Strategic stakeholder engagement and networking (10%):

• Contribute to engaging with policymakers, education officials, school leaders, and donors to inform evidence-based decision-making.

• Present research findings at national and regional forums, conferences, and stakeholder meetings.

• Build and strengthen partnerships within and beyond the ACSL, collaborations, and networks with education stakeholders (e.g., students, educators, employers, funders, and policymakers), to make the ACSL a partner of choice for understanding, using, and commissioning African-led research into school leadership.

• Represent ESSA and the ACSL (where necessary) at project, programme, and stakeholder meetings and events in and outside Africa as needed.

Communication and dissemination of outputs (10%):

• Be influential in getting ACSL’s high-quality research products into the right fora to increase the visibility and use of our evidence and to help achieve the anticipated impact.

• Liaise with both the ACSL’s and ESSA’s Communications teams and relevant external partners to contribute timely and appropriate dissemination of research products to the ACSL’s stakeholders, including policymakers, to help close the gap between education research and policy and practice.

• Undertake other tasks as may be required at ESSA, commensurate with experience.

---

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL: We are looking for the following attributes, although you may be more experienced in some areas than others.

Essential:

• Master’s or PhD in Education, Public Policy, Social Sciences, or a related field.

• At least 7 years of experience in education research, policy analysis, or program evaluation.

• Strong understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

• Experience working with governments, funders, and education stakeholders in Africa.

• Excellent communication, analytical, and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Proven experience in building partnerships with policymakers, funders, educators, and non -governmental organisations; having the experience and confidence to network and engage effectively with such decision-makers at high-profile events.

• Attention to detail and ability to ensure high-quality finish to written products.

• Outstanding oral and written English and Swahili.

• An independent worker but also a team player; able to thrive in an internationally dispersed team; respectful of diversity and can demonstrate a commitment to ESSA's values.

• Computer literate with substantial experience in using information databases and the Microsoft Office suite.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of school leadership, teacher development, and education system strengthening.

• Proven track record of publishing research and producing policy-relevant outputs.

• Experience in funded education programs and grant management.

• Ability to work in a multilingual, multicultural environment.

---

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

The importance of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) underpins our mission and values at ESSA. We prioritise inclusion and celebrate the breadth of knowledge and experience working across diverse cultures brings to the organisation.

EDI at ESSA is embodied in the current composition of our Board of Trustees and our workforce, which strongly reflects the communities we work in, and we actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures.

---

APPLICATION DETAILS

Please ensure your CV and cover letter are saved using your given name and surname. For example, firstname.surname CV. To apply please complete this form by clicking this link. The closing date for applications is the 26th May, 2025 at 0900hrs GMT.