About Onja
Onja is a social enterprise training underprivileged youth into world-class software developers.
We find the brightest students in Madagascar who can’t afford to continue their education, and train them in English language and software development. After just two-and-a-half years they are ready to work as remote front-end software developers in international tech teams.
Once in a job, our developers earn a good salary that helps them support their families and pay forward the opportunity to a new wave of students. They unlock exciting careers that fulfil their potential, and accelerate the development of their nation (see ‘How Onja Works’ below).
Our first cohort, ‘Wave 1’, consists of nineteen talented and committed graduates who are now working remotely for our partner companies in Europe and the US. With this immensely successful first cohort, and a proven social model, our goal is now to scale our impact: we aim to take on 360 new students over the next four years.
Our fast-growing team is very united, committed to the mission, and hardworking, but we also maintain a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere that you’ll find everywhere in Madagascar.
Onja is located in Toamasina, a lively city with beautiful beaches, nice restaurants, and with plenty to do and see. Toamasina is Madagascar’s second largest city (population 300,000) yet is surrounded by plenty of natural beauty, and even has a national park nearby.
About the Front-End Course Designer role
From 2020 to 2021 we developed and delivered a full-time course that allowed twenty students to progress from absolute beginners to industry-ready software developers, and they are now all working in US/European tech teams remotely from Madagascar.
Our challenge now is to scale our organisation, bringing opportunities to hundreds, moving to thousands of students. Your mission as our Front-End Course Designer is to rebuild this course, from the ground up, into a highly scalable online-style programme.
Your responsibilities include:
- Rebuilding the existing course focusing primarily on React while including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript and other related technologies, moving towards a scalable online-style programme. How this can be achieved is very open and will depend on you, another course designer, and some input from the wider team. We imagine it’s likely to include the following:
- Finding existing online material and incorporate useful material into the course
- Creating engaging video lectures, learning activities and course content
- Collaborate with existing Onja lecturers, incorporating their specific experience into your course design.
- Deciding on the criteria used to assess students’ performance and develop assessments.
- As we are a startup social enterprise there will likely be opportunities to wear many hats, contributing to other parts of the organisation.
This is a pivotal role for Onja at this exciting time. We are poised to grow fast and our dream is to train thousands of new students each year. You will be setting the foundations not just for this first cohort but the waves of youth that will follow in future years.
Requirements
- Twelve month commitment (this ensures sufficient time to make a truly meaningful impact) with potential to renew/extend.
- At least one year professional React experience.
- Preferably three or more years of React however a willingness to learn and grow in the role is most important to us.
- An interest in teaching.
What you can expect
- You’ll join our tight-knit, committed team in Toamasina, Madagascar.
- We know it’s a big move so we will look after you and make sure you are secure and settled.
- Secure, comfortable accommodation is provided
- Food is provided
- We are able to offer a good local salary – enough to live comfortably and have plenty left over for holidays travels.
- 40 days of annual leave giving you time to explore the wonders of Madagascar.
- We also offer 25% remote work
- We’ll provide optional weekly lessons to bring you up to speed with the language.
- Your visa will be sponsored.
- Sponsored flights
Start date
We are ready for you now but generally allow for two to three months from the time the contract is signed.
How Onja Works
Onja is a social enterprise with a sustainable model:
- Search for brilliant minds who would otherwise be limited to low-paid, unfulfilling careers.
- Students receive two years of English and software development instruction. Meet a developer here: https://onja.org/student/manjaka/
- Graduates earn (and continue learning) at our outsourcing enterprise.
- All profits are used to train the next wave of students and the cycle begins again.
Application process
- Apply – Please send a message to our team at join@onja.org. If you use LinkedIn, please include a link to your profile.
- Introductory call – We’ll provide you with a list of FAQs and a photo gallery and invite you to a call to learn about Onja and Madagascar in general. It’s a chance for you to ask all the questions you have.
- 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.
- We offer conversations with past and present staff members, and Onja developers and a video tour of our campus.
- We make a formal offer to successful applicants.
If you like what we are doing, but don’t think you are suitable for this position, please reach out to us nonetheless – we may just have something for you.
We hope this statement, from Kirsten who worked with us as an English Teacher, gives you an idea of what it may be like to join our team: “Working at Onja was an experience of a lifetime. Teaching such talented and highly motivated students was a pleasure and very rewarding. I felt very much at home at Onja and it was an honour to be part of such a beautiful initiative, which I am sure will create life-changing opportunities for new Malagasy students in the years to come”.
Website: onja.org | Facebook: OnjaAfrica
Your team:
Onja Team
