Early-Grade Learning Science Officer
Shape how Grade 1–3 learners learn maths, English and Kiswahili through play.
Ubuntu Universe Limited · building Soraha
- Nairobi, Kenya · Hybrid
- About 2 days a week
- November – December 2026 (2 months)
Company overview
About Ubuntu Universe & Soraha
Ubuntu Universe Limited builds Soraha, a game-based learning app for Grade 1–3 learners aligned to Kenya's Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Soraha runs offline on shared tablets, speaks every instruction aloud in English and Kiswahili so that children who cannot yet read can play on their own, and gives teachers simple records of each learner's progress. We are an early-stage, remote-first team preparing a first school pilot in January 2027.
Job summary
The role
The Early-Grade Learning Science Officer is an experienced Grade 1–3 teacher who has also designed learning materials. For two months, November and December 2026, about two days a week, they join the Soraha team to shape how our games teach mathematics, English and Kiswahili.
Half of the role is co-designing: turning CBC learning outcomes into game activities, hints and difficulty steps that six- to nine-year-olds can play on their own, often before they can read. The other half is validation: checking that every activity, assessment item and adaptive rule is right for the grade before it reaches children.
They work closely with the CTO, who leads learning science, and the game engineer, who builds what they design.
Key responsibilities & deliverables
What you'll do
Co-designing learning games
About half of the role- For each priority minigame in mathematics, English and Kiswahili, start from the CBC learning outcome and design a playable activity: what the child does, sees and hears, and what counts as success.
- Design the path from easy to hard: difficulty steps, hints, worked examples and review moments for children who struggle (November), then check them working in the build (December).
- Co-define, with the CTO, what mastery, struggle and readiness look like for each competency at each grade, in signs the game can detect (for example correct attempts in a row, or hints used).
- Write and refine the spoken instructions, prompts and feedback in English and Kiswahili, so they are short, warm and clear for children who cannot yet read.
Validation and reviews
About half of the role- Check the revised Grade 1–3 activities, prompts and instructions against CBC outcomes and what children at each grade can actually do; give written feedback (by mid November).
- Review the adaptive rules: when the game should simplify, repeat, scaffold, move on or review (by end of November).
- Help write and pitch the baseline, formative and endline assessment items at the right level, and review the assessment flow (late November).
- Join the teacher validation sessions as the learning-design voice: explain the design choices and record the teachers' feedback for the team.
- Review the team-talk demo and how team participation is credited (early December).
- Observe the end-to-end test sessions with learners and sign off the learning findings (1–12 December).
Ways of working
How the engagement runs
About two days a week for November and December 2026, including a weekly design session with the CTO; the rest of the time is flexible and can be remote.
Keep all designs and review notes in the company's shared drive, and send a short summary of outputs at the end of each month.
Follow the Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct, and report any safeguarding concern to the Safeguarding Focal Person within 24 hours (immediately if a child is in danger).
Qualifications & competencies
What you bring
- Trained early-grade teacher (lower primary or ECDE certificate, diploma or degree), currently or recently teaching Grade 1, 2 or 3.
- At least 3 years teaching Grade 1–3 under the CBC.
- Experience designing learning materials (teaching aids, activity sheets, workbooks, assessments or programme content), with examples to share.
- Strong knowledge of the CBC for lower primary in mathematics, English literacy and Kiswahili, including how learners are assessed.
- Fluent English and Kiswahili, with the ability to write simple, child-friendly language.
- Experience with educational apps, digital content or games is an advantage, not a requirement; willing to learn how games are designed.
- Comfortable using a tablet and shared documents; valid police clearance certificate.
Core competencies
Key performance indicators
How success is measured
Activity designs (learning outcome, what the child does, difficulty steps, hints and success criteria) delivered for every priority minigame in mathematics, English and Kiswahili.
30 NovContent validated with written feedback.
Mid NovMastery, struggle and readiness definitions and the adaptive rules reviewed.
End NovAssessment items reviewed and pitched at the right level.
Late NovScaffolds checked in the build for every priority minigame, and the end-to-end test learning findings signed off.
12 DecMonthly output summaries delivered on time; zero safeguarding breaches.
MonthlyLocation
Nairobi, Kenya
Hybrid: Weekly design sessions and test days in person, other work remote.
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