ABOUT ALU
ALU provides higher education for a higher purpose. Our students declare missions, not majors.They develop the real-world skills to take on the world’s most pressing challenges. And they take ownership of their learning from day one through our peer and student-led approach – because ALU believes in the power and agency of young people to start shaping the future right now. Together with a world-class faculty and staff, our students are igniting a ripple of positive impact across Africa and the world.
We are dedicated to fostering an open yet secure environment, balancing the safety of students, staff, and visitors with respect for individual rights, and safeguarding responsibilities.
HOW WE WORK
The ALU Team works in starkly different ways to traditional academic bureaucracies. We approach education from first principles, empower individuals to design, test, and implement creative new ideas, and work closely together to craft transformative learning experiences. We are deeply passionate about our students and excited by the challenge of building something entirely new.
The African Leadership University is committed to ensuring the safety and Well-being of all students under our care. As part of this commitment , we have a comprehensive safeguarding policy in place , which outlines our Zero-tolerance approach to any violation of safeguarding.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are looking for a computer scientist who is motivated to develop the next generation of Computer Scientists and Software Engineers through experiential learning, not just teaching.
Teaching at ALCHE is hands-on and project-based. Students do not just learn concepts. They build solutions, work with constraints, and engage with real-world problems. You will guide this process by drawing on industry demands while maintaining high academic standards.
Teaching in this role is cross-programme. While the appointment sits within Computer Science, the post holder will be expected to teach modules across the college’s other programmes where their expertise is relevant including Software Engineering, computing, data, and technology modules delivered within other degree programmes.
The role carries a deliberate second dimension. Alongside teaching, you will work directly with the Computer Science Programme Manager on the academic and administrative business of the department: the design and redesign of Computing programmes and modules, accreditation and quality assurance submissions, assessment architecture, policy development, and the design and delivery of short courses in emerging areas of technology. Where appropriate, defined management responsibilities for the programme will be formally delegated to the post holder. We see this as a genuine pathway into academic leadership.
The successful candidate will join a college that is expanding its Computer Science provision, strengthening its quality assurance architecture, and positioning itself as a serious contributor to the national and regional technology skills agenda. There is real scope here to build something that lasts.
Key Responsibilities
Teaching and Learning
- Deliver high-quality instruction across modules in the Computer Science and Software Engineering programmes, using practical, hands-on, and real-world teaching approaches aligned with programme learning outcomes.
- Teach on a cross-programme basis, delivering computing, data, and technology modules within other degree programmes across the college as required, and adapting content and pacing to suit non-specialist cohorts without diluting academic rigour.
- Contribute to shared and service modules taught across multiple programmes, working with the relevant Programme Managers to ensure consistency of standards, assessment, and student experience.
- Facilitate project-based learning by guiding students in applying technical skills to real-world problems, including stakeholder engagement, solution development, and presentation of outputs.
- Design, review, and continuously improve learning materials, learning activities, and reading lists to ensure alignment with academic and industry standards.
- Supervise student capstone and final-year projects, including scoping, technical direction, supervision meetings, and examination.
- Hold regular office hours to provide academic support, guidance, and feedback to students outside of class sessions.
- Deliver effectively across blended and technology-enabled modes of delivery, including the responsible integration of AI tools into teaching and learning.
Assessment, Grading, and Academic Standards
- Design coursework, projects, practicals, and examinations that are valid, reliable, appropriately weighted, and demonstrably mapped to module and programme learning outcomes.
- Administer and run assessments, including the setting of examination papers, coordination with the Examinations Office, invigilation duties as scheduled, and adherence to examination protocols.
- Mark and moderate student submissions accurately and fairly, and provide timely, constructive, and actionable feedback to support student progression and mastery of concepts.
- Participate in internal moderation, second marking, and external examiner processes, and prepare the evidence and sample scripts these processes require.
- Maintain assessment records, mark sheets, and grade submissions to the standards and deadlines set by the college, and contribute to the preparation of results for Assessment Boards.
- Contribute to the annual monitoring of modules, including the analysis of assessment outcomes and the identification of enhancement actions.
Programme Design, Redesign and Accreditation
- Work with the Computer Science Programme Manager on the design and redesign of IT/Computing programmes and modules, including programme structures, credit and level mapping, module descriptors, learning outcomes, and assessment strategies.
- Contribute substantively to accreditation and re-accreditation work, including the preparation of programme specifications, module descriptions, mapping matrices, reading lists, staffing and resource annexes, and supporting evidence.
- Support engagement with the regulators or validating partners, including preparation for site visits, panel meetings, and responses to conditions and recommendations.
- Maintain programme documentation so that it remains accurate, version-controlled, and audit-ready between formal review cycles.
- Benchmark the curriculum against national frameworks, professional body expectations, and the evolving requirements of the technology sector, and propose revisions accordingly.
Programme Administration and Delegated Management
- Support the Computer Science Programme Manager across the administrative operations of the department, including timetabling input, module allocation, faculty coordination, student records and progression tracking, and the maintenance of programme trackers and action logs.
- Assume delegated management responsibilities for defined areas of the programme as agreed with the Programme Manager. These may include ownership of a module cluster or year group, coordination of accreditation workstreams, management of assessment cycles, or deputising for the Programme Manager at internal meetings.
- Coordinate with adjunct and visiting faculty to ensure consistency of delivery, assessment standards, and documentation across the programme.
- Contribute to data-informed programme management, including the review of enrolment, attrition, progression, and student feedback data, and the design of interventions arising from it.
- Liaise with the Student Success Team and the Student Professional Development team on academic support, progression concerns, and employability initiatives for Computer Science students.
Short Courses and Professional Education
- Design and deliver short courses, bootcamps, certificates, and professional development offerings in IT and related areas, for internal and external audiences.
- Identify emerging areas of demand, such as data engineering, cloud, cybersecurity, applied AI, and software craftsmanship, and translate them into credible, market-ready short course offerings.
- Contribute to the costing, scheduling, quality assurance, and evaluation of short courses, and to the partnerships with industry, government, and professional bodies that support them.
Governance, Committees and Policy
- Contribute to the drafting, review, and revision of academic policy documents, including assessment policies, academic integrity provisions, programme handbooks, and quality assurance procedures.
- Serve as a member of departmental, faculty, and institutional committees, boards, and working groups, and represent the Computer Science programme in academic governance processes.
- Participate in department meetings, Assessment Boards, and academic decision-making relating to student progression, awards, and academic standards.
- Contribute to institutional self-evaluation exercises, audits, and accreditation readiness activities as required.
Student Development and Professional Contribution
- Support student employability and career readiness, including portfolio development, exposure to industry practices, and the integration of real-world contexts into teaching.
- Mentor students as they grow into professionals, and contribute to student life and engagement initiatives, including the support of student-led clubs and activities related to technology and innovation.
- Engage in continuous professional development to remain current with emerging technologies, tools, and trends in Computer Science and Software Engineering.
- Contribute to the scholarly and research profile of the programme, applied projects, and external engagement.
Essential Requirements
- A PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a closely related field.
- Experience in industry within software development, IT systems, or a related technical field will be an advantage.
- Strong subject matter expertise across core Computer Science, with the ability to teach both foundational and advanced topics.
- Willingness and ability to teach across programmes, including the delivery of computing and technology modules to non-specialist cohorts in other degree programmes across the college.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver practical, hands-on teaching using real-world problems, case studies, and application-based learning approaches.
- Experience designing assessments and marking to defined criteria, with a clear understanding of validity, reliability, and academic standards.
- Strong organisational and administrative capability, with the ability to manage documentation, deadlines, and multiple concurrent workstreams accurately and independently.
- Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce formal academic and regulatory documentation to a professional standard.
- Willingness and capacity to take on delegated programme management responsibilities, and the judgement to exercise them.
- Experience in project-based or experiential learning environments, ideally including supervision of student projects.
- A strong student-centred mindset, with the ability to engage learners as active participants in their educational experience.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly and effectively to diverse learners.
- Adaptability, openness to innovation, and comfort with non-traditional and technology-enabled teaching methods, including the integration of AI tools in education.
- Cultural awareness, empathy, and a deep appreciation of diverse contexts and student backgrounds, aligned with the college’s mission and learning culture.
Desirable
- Prior experience teaching, mentoring, or supervising students in a higher education setting.
- Experience teaching technical content to mixed or non-specialist audiences, or across more than one degree programme.
- Experience contributing to curriculum design, programme development, or programme validation.
- Research experience, including publications in relevant fields, or a willingness to engage in research initiatives and contribute to scholarly activities aligned with the programme.
- An entrepreneurial mindset, or experience in developing or contributing to technology-related ventures.