Front End Developer – Manage a team of talented developers from underprivileged backgrounds to career success in Madagascar, Africa.

Onja is a non-profit social enterprise that trains highly talented yet underprivileged youth into world-class software developers.

Our first cohort began studying in January 2019. At the time our students could barely speak English and most had not touched a computer before. After three years (and a lot of hard work) most are now advanced English speakers and working remotely as software developers in European tech teams.

These young people who would have been limited to low paid menial work are now starting exciting careers and can now support themselves, their families and contribute to the development of their nation by paying forward the opportunity to future students (see ‘How Onja Works’ below). Meet a developer here: https://onja.org/student/manjaka/

Your mission, as an Engineering Manager, is to lead our junior developers to career success helping them establish themselves professionally. They’ll need you to coach them on the technical aspects of their work, guide them on communication and help them navigate the day to day challenges they will face.

We see this role including

• Daily standups with your developers
• Helping developers/students to prepare for interviews
• Helping developers when they get stuck
• Preparing and delivering short courses on communication, interview technique and professionalism to groups of developers

Onja is located in Mahanoro, a peaceful beach town on Madagascar’s East Coast. The school has the feel of a nature retreat: on the outskirts of town, on the beach, and surrounded by beautiful forest, while the town has several nice restaurants and everything you need to be comfortable.

Requirements

• A twelve-month commitment would be most preferable however we can consider shorter durations.
• Experience with the following languages/technologies is important: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React.js (or other JS frameworks) as well as some CSS preprocessors and frameworks.
• You’ll need a real interest in leadership and guiding people to be the best they can be.

Key Information

• You’ll join our tight-knit, committed team in Mahanoro, Madagascar.
• We know it’s a big move so we will look after you and make sure you are secure and settled.
• We’ll provide secure, comfortable accommodation (beachfront or very near the beach) and food.
• We are able to offer a good local salary  – enough to live comfortably and have plenty left over for travels
• Two weeks holiday every three months.
• You will enjoy a truly Malagasy experience. Mahanoro is far from the tourist trail and our team is predominantly Malagasy. We’ll provide Malagasy lessons to bring you up to speed with the language.
• Your visa will be sponsored.
• Sponsored flights depending on commitment duration.

Start date

We are ready for you now, however often people like time to prepare so we try to allow for three months from the time the contract is signed.

How Onja Works

Here’s how it works in a nutshell:

1. Search for brilliant minds who would otherwise be limited to low-paid, unfulfilling careers.
2. Students receive two years of English and software development instruction.
3. Graduates earn (and continue learning) at our outsourcing enterprise.
4. All profits are used to train the next wave of students and the cycle begins again.

Application process
Deciding to move to Madagascar for a year or more can seem daunting, especially for an inexperienced traveller. Our application process will help you learn more about the role, Onja and Madagascar.

1. Introductory call with an Onja team member. This is mainly for you to meet one of the team, and to learn more about Onja and Madagascar in general. It’s a chance for you to ask any questions you might have.
2. We’ll provide you with a list of FAQs and a photo gallery so you know what to expect
3. Formal Interview – This is where we have questions for you. We try to determine whether you will be a nice fit for the position and our team. There may be one or two interviews.
4. We offer conversations with past and present staff members, Onja developers and a video tour of our campus
5. We make a formal offer to successful applicants

How to apply

To apply, or learn more about the position, please send a message to Sam at team@onja.org. If you use LinkedIn, please include a link to your profile.

Website: onja.org | Facebook: OnjaAfrica

Your team:

Onja Team