Vacancy title:
Vice Chancellor

Jobs at:
Generation Rwanda/Kepler

Deadline of this Job:
17th September 2018

Duty Station:
Kigali, Rwanda

Summary
Date Posted: 3rd September 2018 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed , Employment Type: Full-Time

Our history: Kepler launched in Rwanda in 2013. Our 50+ staff currently serve 550 students across two campuses in Rwanda – our flagship campus in Kigali, as well as a second campus in the Kiziba refugee camp in Western Rwanda, where we serve refugee learners.

JOB DETAILS:

In 2013, we launched a new venture to build the first pan-African network of high-quality, affordable university programs, enabling even students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed. Nearly 300 students are now enrolled in Kepler.

Africa has the fastest-growing youth population in the world, but its education systems are not ready to unleash what could be the transformative generation of talent that permanently changes the face of the continent. Studies show that more earning potential is unlocked with each year of higher education than any other period of study. We aspire to help unleash a generation of African students who otherwise would lack the opportunity to achieve their potential.

About Generation Rwanda/Kepler
The challenge: All across sub-Saharan Africa, millions of young people struggle every day with access to education and employment – and the kinds of livelihoods that lead to economic security and mobility for themselves and their families. Every young person deserves the chance to be educated; every young person deserves the opportunity to have a meaningful job.

Who we are: Kepler is a nonprofit university program that is building a transformative model of education-to-employment services for these young people across the region. Our ultimate goal is to contribute to the economic mobility of thousands of individuals, families and communities in all of our countries of operation. We want to reimagine what higher education can look like in sub-Saharan Africa.

What we do: Through a rigorous curriculum of in-person, online and on-the-job learning, Kepler students graduate with the relevant skills and the right attitude to meet the needs of the changing global economy. We partner closely with Southern New Hampshire University - a global leader in higher education - which allows our students to attain affordable, internationally recognized degrees while studying in East Africa.

The future: Kepler has an ambitious new strategy for the next five years, which will include launching in two new countries; expanding our academic offerings; partnering with other public and private sector universities; and reaching a new level of organizational sustainability.

About the position
Currently, all Kepler students earn their degrees through our partner Southern New Hampshire University, and that will continue to be a key part of the Kepler model. We will also seek accreditation from Rwanda’s Higher Education Council to become an institution of higher learning. This would allow Kepler to develop a Bachelor’s degree, which we plan to offer in Rwanda as well as in two additional countries over the coming five years. During this exciting time of growth, Kepler is seeking a seasoned academic leader for the position of Vice Chancellor.

The Vice Chancellor will be responsible for all aspects of Kepler’s academic and operational activities in Rwanda. Together with the rest of the senior management, the Vice Chancellor will help craft the global strategy and will be fully responsible for its implementation in Rwanda.

The ideal candidate has held successively more senior academic leadership positions in higher education, including Vice Chancellor or Deputy Vice-Chancellor roles, and has deep expertise working in higher education on the African continent. The ideal candidate has a can-do attitude and is relentlessly committed to reaching the organization’s goals through inspiring leadership, creative problem solving, and persistence.

Responsibilities:

• Ensure an outstanding student experience in all aspects of Kepler’s Rwanda-based programs
  
• Deliver excellent academic and employment outcomes for students
  
• Build the founding faculty team for Kepler’s first in-house bachelor’s degree by hiring and developing passionate educators committed to students’ academic and employment success
  
• Oversee the continuous professional development of all country staff in Rwanda
  
• Partner with the rest of senior management on the development and implementation of new academic programs and models as well as continuous improvement of current programs
  
• Ensure all programs are carried out with academic and operational excellence and put in place the necessary monitoring procedures for compliance and improvement
  
• Oversee all activities related to the accreditation process in Rwanda and other countries as Kepler expands internationally
  
• Represent Kepler externally and strengthen relationships with stakeholders and partners, including other higher learning institutions in Rwanda, the government, donors, board members, and other high level contacts
  
• Participate in creating and updating Kepler’s global academic and operational policies. Oversee the implementation of Kepler’s policies in Rwanda and address any challenges that may arise
  
• Oversee all teams in Rwanda, including the management, operations and academic teams
  
• Fiscal responsibility for Kigali and Kiziba campuses and Prep programs in accordance with approved budgets
  
• Ensure that Kepler complies with all Rwandan laws and regulations and related internal policies, including those related to organizational registration, education, labor, taxes and finance
  
• Other duties as assigned
  

Required Qualifications

• A doctorate degree
  
• Work history in sub-Saharan Africa
  
• Track record of effective senior university leadership
  
• Experience working or partnering with for-profit and not-for-profit organisations
  
• Ability to develop long-term goals and objectives
  
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  
• Commitment to a student-centered teaching model and excellence in the student experience
  
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment and willingness to experiment, try things out, fail fast, and learn constantly
  
• Experience with accreditation and quality assurance processes
  
• Experience in building and launching a new degree program
  
• Past involvement with competency-based or project-based education